Hampshire County Council

Recreation and Heritage Policy Review Committee Item 6

13 November 2003

Countryside Service Review - A Vision for the Future

Report of the Director of Recreation and Heritage and the County Personnel and Training Officer

Contact: John Tickle tel: 01962 846000

Sarah Stone 01962 846105

1. Introduction

1.1 This joint report has been prepared by the Director of Recreation and Heritage and the County Personnel and Training Officer on the re-organisation of the Countryside Service. The prime purpose of this report is to inform members of the key outcomes arising from the review and the impact that this is having upon the structure and direction of the Service. It also seeks the support of members for actions being taken in response to that review. (A broad overview of the Service is found in Appendix 4 together with the leaflet `Welcome to Hampshire's Countryside' included with the papers).

2. Background

2.1 Following the creation of the Recreation and Heritage Department a decision was taken to review key services and their fitness for purpose within the new Departmental and Corporate context. In terms of the Countryside Service it was felt important to ensure:

· An outside but informed challenge of the Service, its objectives, results and the way in which it is set up to achieve them.

· A strong involvement from Service staff, with a target to involve as wide a cross-section of staff as possible in the process.

· A focussed effort to secure a corporate perspective on issues faced by the Service and County Council so far as Hampshire's countryside is concerned.

· Recognition of the strategic context within which the Service operates not only from a County Council perspective but also in relation to wider policies and initiatives from partner organisations at a local and national level.

3. Process

3.1 To carry out the necessary research and produce recommendations for consideration the review process itself was facilitated by two external consultants: Professor Robin Thompson and Angela Gamble.

3.2 Amongst other achievements, Professor Thompson is a former President of the Royal Town Planning Institute and Strategic Director for the Environment at Kent County Council. His previous roles have included responsibility for Countryside professionals and service delivery. He is currently involved in providing planning advice to the Chinese Government and the Mayor of London.

3.3 Professor Thompson was asked to make a strategic assessment on the current organisational arrangements and the management structure of the Service and to examine its effectiveness in the light of:

· Meeting its strategic objectives in terms of Service, Departmental and Corporate priorities, with access as a key focus.

· Making best use of resources, including human resources.

· Building in capacity to develop and support proactive responses to new challenges.

· Identifying, developing, and sharing best practice, with particular reference to maximising the use of in-house expertise.

· Achieving a consistent approach to core issues such as customer care.

3.4 Professor Thompson met Countryside Service staff at a number of sites, chosen to demonstrate the diversity of the Service's work. He also held a series of meetings with key stakeholders across the County Council and, based upon the results of these meetings and discussions, a report highlighting key recommendations was produced (Appendix 1).

3.5 The second consultant, Angela Gamble, has a regional profile and expertise in terms of countryside management, particularly in training and organisational development. She arranged a series of opportunities for every member of staff to take part in the Review process with a target of 50% direct participation. This target was exceeded.

3.6 In addition to this work, workshops were held to seek the views of other key departments and colleagues across the County Council as well as providing key partners with an opportunity to participate and contribute to the process.

3.6 Due account was also taken of earlier results obtained from the Best Value Pathfinder work undertaken in 1999 (including some focus groups and background public consultation work) as well as more recent work undertaken on behalf of the County Council by Market & Opinion Research International (MORI).

4. Summary of Recommendations

4.1 Professor Thompson's report highlighted eleven key recommendations as follows:

a) The County Council should strengthen its strategic leadership on countryside issues by:

· producing a countryside strategy,

· acting as the focal point for information and advice on countryside and access matters,

· providing showcase examples of good practice on its landholdings and

· maximizing the use of countryside services by other County Council services.

b) The County Council should establish a formal internal co-ordination mechanism to oversee the countryside strategy and ensure consistent implementation of its countryside policies. The Countryside Service should act as the main co-ordination point for countryside management and access services. The current review of the Service should equip it to undertake this role.

c) Increasing access to the countryside, especially for those who experience the greatest difficulties in gaining access, should be one of the main objectives of the Service.

d) A new mission statement is needed that emphasizes the access and conservation aims in a concise and clear way.

e) The Service should strengthen its promotional capacity and should explore the offer of its services to outside countryside agencies. The management team should be strengthened in areas that will enable it to do these tasks.

f) The holdings of the Service should be rationalized by cutting back to a grouping of sites of strategic importance for protection, conservation or access.

g) The Service needs stability and should remain based within the Recreation and Heritage Department: it should exploit the opportunities for integrated working that this affords it.

h) The Service should be re-organised into a structure that allows officers to work in the most flexible way and to pool their skills and knowledge both within and across the teams.

i) There is a need for systematic training to help field staff complement their outstanding professional skills with an understanding of and commitment to all corporate and service priorities.

j) The restructured management team must have effective capacity for the promotion, marketing and development role and will benefit from strategic team development training to assist in achieving this.

k) The Service should seek advice on increasing its external funding.

4.2 Angela Gamble carried out a telephone survey of a sample of staff, facilitated two workshops for staff to give their views and sent out a detailed questionnaire to every member of staff in the Service. The main points raised by staff concerning issues they felt needed further consideration were as follows:

a) An improved management structure.

b) Better communication in all directions.

c) Better promotion of the Countryside Service with the possible recruitment of a Marketing Officer.

d) Improved education and provision for all age ranges.

e) Clarification of the direction of the Countryside Service for the future.

f) Establishing a true Countryside Service and not a group of sites and Rights of Way - Rights of Way and countryside sites need to be fully integrated to deliver an efficient service.

g) Research needs to be done so far as non-users are concerned.

h) Facilities for IT/network systems/e-mails should be reviewed.

5. Response

5.1 Feedback sessions were held with staff at which the consultants presented and discussed their key findings.

5.2 Further work with staff then led to a thorough consideration of what the Service should be about and the type of service we need to provide for our customers. In short it was felt that the Service can and should `lead the way in Hampshire's countryside' and should provide a service which is:

· People focussed

· Proactive

· Assertive

· Collaborative

· Committed to performance and outcomes.

5.3 A set of guiding principles were established to be applicable to all staff and volunteers:

· Delivering stronger strategic management of the Service

· Integrating staff and working practices - making best use of staff and their skills

· Being consistent - setting open and transparent standards across all areas of work

· Empowering - providing the tools and support needed by staff to get on with their work, within the framework of the Countryside Service's aims and objectives

· Building in the capacity to be proactive

· Defining accountabilities - being clear about who does what and delivering results

· Seeking continuous improvement in services

· Being focussed on our customers

· Outward looking - not constrained by professional boundaries

· Committed to a team working approach

· Adopting a flexible and creative approach to meeting challenges

· Developing and maintaining a "can do" culture

· A learning Service - sharing knowledge and skills internally and externally and committed to training and development

· Nurturing a spirit of co-operative competitiveness.

5.4 The staff themselves helped develop a positive framework for taking the Service forward. As a key component of the Recreation and Heritage Department the Service should be about:

· Managing key strategic sites including Nature Reserves, heritage sites and Country Parks

· Taking the lead role in managing, developing and promoting access to Hampshire's countryside

· Balancing the needs of people and wildlife through the management and promotion of access, environmental awareness and conservation goals, using multi-disciplinary teams

· Being responsive to the needs of customers

· Playing a leading role in efforts to co-ordinate, develop and implement Hampshire County Council policies including the Countryside Strategy

· Acting as the Information Service for people wanting to know more about the countryside

· Pro-actively seeking ways to increase funding for countryside projects

· Playing a strategic role in monitoring activities which affect the countryside

· Working in partnership with others to manage countryside areas and projects

· Working collaboratively within Hampshire County Council Departments and with outside agencies

· Using its own sites as showcases for demonstrating and sharing good practice, from countryside management to access opportunities

· Investing in its staff and volunteers to provide a high quality and relevant service.

6. Summary of Key Actions

In response to the outcomes of the review a series of actions are underway, the key ones being:

6.1 Re-organisation of the management structure (see Appendix 2). This structure provides four geographical areas, each locally managed and integrating the skills and expertise of staff across all functions in the Service. This breaks down traditional, professional divisions and seeks to maximise utilisation of the skills and abilities of staff in a clearly focussed and integrated way.

6.2 Redirecting resources to respond to needs identified by our consultants and to strengthen roles in business development, marketing and education work across the Service. Existing posts are being used to support this shift in an attempt to:

- Identify new resources and partnerships to support the Service.

- Improve and develop our marketing effort so that we can target key customers and reach existing non-users across the Service.

- Increase our already significant involvement in education, particularly in developing initiatives such as family learning and Trail Blazers.

6.3 The senior management structure has been reorganised within existing establishment to model the integrated approach we are seeking as well as maximising technical support, guidance and strategic management through effective team working. This will reinforce high and consistent standards across the Service in crucial areas of service delivery such as customer care.

6.4 A new Access Development team has been created to secure a positive, innovative and focussed approach to access to the countryside in its wider sense. This is seen as a very positive step to build upon the experience and success of pilot projects such as the Integrated Access Development Programme, Hampshire Paths Partnership and emerging work from the Hampshire Local Access Forum. This has now been recognised as a key central role in helping improve access to the countryside, whether it be for young people, or other groups who may feel excluded or alienated from the countryside.

6.5 Work has commenced on scoping the rationalisation of our landholding in terms of strategic importance. In taking this work forward it will be important to fully involve local members and stakeholders before we seek locally sustainable solutions for the future of some sites. Whilst there may be some exceptions it is important to recognise that we are unlikely to yield significant capital receipts in most cases. The purpose of this is to allow us to focus resources and expertise on the strategic sites and opportunities we are involved with and not to dilute that effort. In so doing we must recognise that all our sites are of value to local people and they will expect us to consider their future very carefully.

6.6 In recognition of the career development and training issues coming out of the Review a decision has been taken to invest in four trainee access development posts, one in each geographical management area. This should provide a quality training and development opportunity while at the same time providing extra capacity at area level to support this work. Work is underway in planning the implementation of this proposal as well as looking at other opportunities to broaden training and development opportunities across the Service.

6.7 The new structure includes a dedicated Conservation Officer post in recognition of the enormous environmental quality of many of our sites. This is reflected in the number and status of conservation designations applied to our sites. Together with the need to secure an effective, responsible and balanced management in our operation, we want to find new and innovative ways of providing greater awareness and enjoyment of these sites.

6.8 The Service is leading with the Environment Department on the preparation of a Corporate Countryside Strategy which will involve colleagues from across the County Council in producing a coherent and coordinated approach to countryside issues. Early scoping work is underway and there it is hoped that this will be produced by the spring.

7. Financial Implications

7.1 The cost of the changes based on mid-point estimates are shown in Appendix 3.

7.2 The new senior management structure is being achieved by developing new roles within the existing establishment. New investment is being made to support the four areas close to service delivery including access development trainees. In addition to this a central access development team is being created bringing together current projects, expertise and initiatives in a new and permanent team.

7.3 Costs associated with implementing these changes have been identified and will be met by focussing new investment through the Countryside and Rights of Way Act (CROW), Departmental policy fund commitments, together with savings and redirections within established Countryside Service budgets.

8. Implementing the Change

8.1 Due to significant management gaps and recent tragic events within the management team urgent action has been taken to fill a number of senior management posts. This has been crucial in sustaining momentum and taking the Service forward at a difficult time.

8.2 Following extensive consultation with staff (including briefing Union representatives) a natural succession process was applied to the posts of Assistant Head of Countryside (Access) and Assistant Head of Countryside (Operations). The Business Development Manager post has been filled through external recruitment. It has been felt essential to fill these posts in order to give the direction, guidance and support to take forward the desired changes identified in the consultants' reports.

8.3 Area Team Leader posts have been ring fenced to Countryside staff and three appointments made. The remaining post will be filled through an external advertisement and then the remaining posts identified in the new structure filled over the next few months.

8.4 No redundancies will be required to implement these changes but as recruitment progresses opportunities will be taken to identify any possible savings or adjustments that may be appropriate to the existing structure.

8.5 The creation of a Change Team consisting of 18 volunteers, representing a cross section of staff at all levels, has proved extremely valuable in supporting the process and advising/commenting on key issues emerging from the consultants' reports and the staff themselves. This process will be continued and supported as the Service develops further.

9. Conclusion

9.1 The Review of the Countryside Service finds a Service which has great strength, achievements, commitment and potential but which stands at an important crossroads as regards the local and national context within which it operates. Faced with this the Service could rest on its laurels or take decisive action to position itself positively for the future. In common with other Recreation and Heritage Department services, a decision has been taken to favour decisive change and action.

9.2 The key challenge the Service faces is to take its place as a key strategic asset in helping achieve Departmental, County Council and national objectives so far as the countryside is concerned.

9.3 To achieve this a vision has been developed which places the Service at the heart of the Recreation and Heritage Department's commitments to improving services and making them relevant and accessible to Hampshire's communities. The actions set out in this report will commence the development of that vision and commitment by:

· Creating a new management structure which maximises the use and integration of resources across professional boundaries and focuses upon effective service delivery through locally based multi-disciplinary area teams.

· Taking a key role in the development of a Countryside Strategy for the County Council which responds to issues raised in Professor Thompson's report and involves close corporate working including the Environment and PBR Departments in particular.

· Reorganisation of the Service to focus upon maximising the benefits associated with access to the countryside, conservation and education.

· Strengthening and formalising the business development role within the Service which will help identify and bring new partnerships, sources of funding, audiences and events, and marketing opportunities.

· Rationalising its landholding in a positive way to enable resources to be focussed upon key strategic assets and projects.

· Investing new resources at a local service delivery level including the development of training and development opportunities for staff across the Service and encouraging and supporting staff to actively contribute to the development of the new Service.

· Creating a Service with the capacity to develop new and innovative approaches in the areas of access, conservation, and education and achieving high and consistent standards of customer care across the county.

Recommendation

It is recommended that Members of the Policy Review Committee:

1. Welcome the new direction adopted by the Countryside Service.

2. Support the changes in structure and management arrangements identified in this report.

Section 100 D - Local Government Act 1972 - background papers

The following documents disclose facts or matters on which this report, or an important part of it, is based and has been relied upon to a material extent in the preparation of this report.

N.B. the list excludes:

1. Published works.

2. Documents that disclose exempt or confidential information as defined in the Act.

TITLE LOCATION