Update from Chief Executive Mark Wynn, 14 October 2025
Hello everyone,
As October begins and we head into the final months of the year, I want to take a moment to reflect on the important work we’re doing together across Lancashire. Local government continues to face significant challenges, but also real opportunities to make a lasting difference in our communities.
As we look ahead, we're due to submit our Local Government Reorganisation proposal to Government by the end of November 2025. We will be taking the finished business case to Full Council on 20 November and then to Cabinet on the 27th for approval to submit. For more information or to ask questions, visit the Devolution and Local Government Reorganisation intranet site or check the staff area of the county council website.
I would also like everyone to take a few minutes to complete the staff survey which closes 20 October. Your feedback is essential in helping us understand what is working well and where we can improve, both as an employer and as a public service. You can find the survey on the staff area of our website: www.lancashire.gov.uk/staff.
Thank you for your suggestions – please keep them coming
You'll know that we recently launched a new saving suggestion scheme. So far we have received over 100 suggestions, thank you to everyone who has already shared ideas – your input is helping us build a future-ready council.
We’re reviewing every suggestion to assess its potential to reduce costs, improve services or streamline how we work. You can continue to submit your ideas via the intranet or the staff area of our website: www.lancashire.gov.uk/staff.
Cabinet meeting 9 October
Cabinet has agreed our Improvement Plan. It sets out the key programmes that are essential to our success. The plan is linked to our Council Plan and Our Areas of Focus and gives clear direction on what we need to do to tackle challenges, build on recent progress and become one of the most improved councils in the country within two years.
Progress will be monitored through dedicated boards, with success measured by better outcomes, reduced delays and improved experiences for residents and staff. Cabinet will review the plan every quarter, alongside finance and performance reports and it will be tracked monthly to monitor risks and our financial position.
You can read the full report on the council area of our website.
Cabinet also agreed a Care Quality Commission Assessment update report. It highlighted how we've made significant progress in improving access to adult social care services across Lancashire.
One of our key achievements has been reducing the number of people waiting more than 28 days for a Care Act assessment by 50%. This is a positive step forward and we remain focused on further enhancing the Occupational Therapy assessment pathway to ensure timely support for those who need it.
There has also been a marked improvement in the timeliness of assessments for older people and those with physical disabilities. In April, around 1,850 people were waiting for an Older People and Physical Disability care assessment. By July, this number had fallen to just 1,075 a reduction of over 40%. Importantly, the number of people waiting more than 28 days has dropped by 48%, reflecting our commitment to delivering more responsive care.
We’ve also seen an 8% increase in the number of completed care reviews compared to the same period last year. This ensures that people’s care plans remain up to date and continue to meet their evolving needs.
To support these improvements, we’ve strengthened our workforce. Since February, we’ve welcomed 53 experienced social workers, 14 occupational therapists and 18 social care support officers into permanent roles. This investment in our teams is helping us deliver better outcomes for residents and build a more resilient service for the future.
New team
We’re currently working on a lot of important projects, including our efficiency review, transformation programmes, proposals for local government reorganisation (LGR), and keeping day-to-day services running. To help manage this busy period, we’re setting up a new Delivery Unit in the Resources Directorate. This team will focus on key priorities such as improving services in Adults and SEND, supporting the efficiency review, and helping strengthen our corporate functions.
The Delivery Unit will be supported by secondments into specialist roles where needed and will work closely with teams across the organisation and within the Directorate. We’ll share more details soon, but we hope this gives reassurance that we’re increasing capacity to support the areas that matter most.
Preparing for LGA Peer Review – Children’s Services
We are preparing for a Local Government Association (LGA) Peer Review of our Children’s Services. This is a voluntary process where experienced colleagues from other councils will review key areas of our work. These include leadership, governance, early help and our Children in Need and Child Protection cases.
It is a chance to reflect on our progress since the last Ofsted inspection, share good practice and identify areas for improvement. Case sampling begins the week starting Monday 29 September. Around 150 cases will be sent to the LGA and about 60 will be audited. Some staff may be contacted to discuss individual cases.
The review team will be on site from Tuesday 21 October. They will hold meetings and focus groups, visit offices, speak with staff and audit cases.
I am proud of the work we do and know that this is a great opportunity to showcase this and highlight our commitment to continuous improvement.
Special Educational Needs and Disabilities update
I am pleased to share a significant milestone in our journey to improve SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities) provision across Lancashire. The recent Senior Officials Meeting (SOM) with the Department for Education and NHS England to discuss progress was a moment of reflection and recognition. The feedback was positive, acknowledging the substantial progress made over the past six months and the strong foundations now in place to reshape the future of SEND.
The full impact is still emerging, but the work already done is starting to improve outcomes for children and young people with SEND in Lancashire.
This is a moment to pause and appreciate the collective effort and relentless dedication of everyone involved. I want to thank everyone who has been involved in this.
Key achievements and highlights:
- Educational Psychologist allocations have increased by 637% between April and July.
- EHCPs issued monthly rose by 87% in the same period.
- Backlog of annual reviews reduced by 16% from June to August.
- Special school places increased by 5% year-on-year.
- Specialist SEND unit places increased by 92%.
The strongest sign of the hard work and dedication across the SEND partnership is the growing wave of positive feedback from parent carers and professionals. Their recognition reflects the real progress made in just six months, a time marked by transformation, collaboration, and a shared commitment to change.
Recognition
I like to end my emails with a few shout-outs to colleagues who’ve gone above and beyond. It’s always great to celebrate the brilliant work happening across our services.
Firstly, congratulations to Tony Crook from our Road Safety Team, who has made history by winning the Kevin Storey Award for Outstanding Commitment to Road Safety at the UK Fleet Champions Awards 2025. Tony is the first public sector winner of this prestigious award, which is a huge achievement and a reflection of his dedication to keeping our roads safe. (Pic in inbox)
Well done to our Customer Access Service, who recently won an Impact Award at the Stronger Together Awards. The team was recognised for improving phone access for residents with learning disabilities, making it easier for people to get the support they need. It’s a great example of how listening to residents leads to better services. (Pic in inbox)
Thank you to Christina Astle-Alvarez from the Exchange Team and David Ryan from Digital Services for their support at our recent employee conference. There was some nervousness about using Town Hall for the first time, but thanks to their calm and capable handling everything ran smoothly.
A special shout-out to Fran Taylor, a Mobile Support Officer in Facilities Management, who discovered three large nitrous oxide canisters on the flat roof of Longridge Family Hub during routine security checks. These posed a serious risk to young people and staff, and Fran acted quickly to have them safely removed. A brilliant example of vigilance and care - thank you Fran.
Thank you to Rebecca Dean, Brendan Greaves and Elizabeth Kinson from Queen Street Mill.
Their first aid skills were recently called into action when a visitor collapsed. They provided immediate care and stayed with the individual and their partner until the ambulance arrived.
Their kindness and professionalism will no doubt have made a lasting impression.
Finally, thank you to our Public Health Team and the PHIL van, who were outside County Hall during Know Your Numbers Week offering free blood pressure checks. One staff member took the opportunity to get checked and discovered dangerously high blood pressure, which led to urgent medical treatment. Thankfully, they’re now recovering well. This is a powerful reminder of how important these outreach efforts are. If you’re on social media, do follow our Lancashire County Council Facebook page and share posts when the PHIL van is in your area, it could make a real difference.
Thanks again to everyone mentioned, your work is making a real impact.
Take care,
Mark