About us

• Initiatives
  • City Challenge
  • Curriculum reform
  • DCS succession planning
  • Careers education, information, advice and guidance (CEIAG)
  • Local Leaders of Education
  • Leadership for narrowing the gap
  • National Challenge
  • National Leaders of Education and National Support Schools Programme
  • Primary leadership
  • Research Associate Programme
  • School business management development
  • Succession planning
  • Previous initiatives

DCS succession planning

Succession planning – building and maintaining a pipeline of high quality leaders for children’s services – is critical to the success of all the National College’s work with aspiring and serving directors of children's services (DCSs).

According to research by McKinsey for the College and the Children’s Workforce Development Council (CWDC), half of all serving DCSs today expect to leave their post in the next three years. Action is needed now to develop new talent, or in the very near future children’s services will be deprived of the effective, motivated and inspirational leaders they need and who are essential to improving outcomes for children, young people and families.

The College has now completed work on the development of a National Succession Planning Framework for Children’s Services and other succession planning resources