Update from Chief Executive Mark Wynn, 3 March 2026

How are we in March already? Time really does seem to be flying past. Last month, I had the honour of attending the PROUD Awards, where we recognised and celebrated the achievements, resilience and talents of around 120 children and young people in care or care leavers. It was a truly inspiring event, and it was wonderful to hear directly from the young people themselves.

I have also been delivering briefings on Local Government Reorganisation. It was good to meet many of you and hear your questions. Managers are responsible for making sure information is shared clearly and consistently across their teams. If you have not already used the documents on the Local Government Reorganisation intranet area and the staff section of our website, you must do so to ensure your teams are fully informed.

Employee Conference

Tomorrow I will be hosting our Employee Conference from 2pm until around 4.30pm. We hold these twice a year and it gives me and directorate representatives a chance to let you know about key things going on around our organisation. It also features a really useful question and answer session, where you can ask us any questions you might have. This time we will cover:

  • Budget
  • Combined County Authority
  • Corporate Peer Review
  • Improvement and transformation work in Adults, Health and Wellbeing
  • Children's Transformation
  • Placed based working
  • Volunteering scheme

We will record the session but if you would like to watch the conference you can use the link on staff news.

If you would like the team to ask a question on your behalf, please email it to: internal.communications@lancashire.gov.uk.

Pre-election period

As you may be aware, on Thursday 7 May 2026, there will be elections taking place in Lancashire. Although there are no elections for Lancashire County Council, elections are being held in seven of Lancashire's district areas. More information about each election can be viewed on the relevant district council's website.

  • Burnley
  • Chorley
  • Hyndburn
  • Pendle
  • Preston
  • Rossendale
  • West Lancashire

We will enter the pre-election period from Friday 27 March. We must exercise caution in any communication or publicity, particularly if it involves county councillors.

We can continue with normal council publicity, as long as it is factual information. It is better to use officers or someone in a politically neutral role, rather than politicians, to make any statements during this period.

It is also acceptable to correct misleading or factually wrong public statements, including in controversial areas, as long as we stick to the facts.

We must not do anything that could be seen as supporting any candidate or political party. More information can be found in the pre-election guidance available on the intranet.

Budget

Full Council approved our 2026/27 budget on 26 February.

It includes investment to improve Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND), strengthen Adult Social Care and expand early help for children and families. This will help teams manage rising demand and improve the experience of residents who rely on our support.

The budget also funds work to improve our internal systems, strengthen financial controls and support efficiency and transformation activity across the organisation. These improvements will make it easier for staff to access reliable information, manage resources and deliver services effectively.

You can find the full budget papers on the council area of our website.

Corporate Peer Review

Between 17 and 20 March 2026, we will take part in a Local Government Association Corporate Peer Challenge. This is not an inspection. It is a supportive health check that helps us understand what we are doing well and where we can improve.

A team of peers, including elected members and senior officers from other councils, will visit us to build a clear picture of how we work. They have already received background information and evidence. While they are on site, they will meet staff, partners and elected members.

The team will assess our performance in five areas of good corporate governance:

  • local priorities and outcomes
  • organisational and place leadership
  • governance and culture
  • financial planning and management
  • capacity for improvement

They will also look at:

  • how we are changing the way we work
  • the development of the new Place Directorate
  • how we work with local communities as we prepare for changes to local government arrangements

We will use information we already have about our workforce, including feedback from staff surveys. Some colleagues will be invited to take part in sessions during the review.

At the end of the visit, the team will give us verbal feedback. This will be followed by a written report with recommendations. We will share the report with staff once it has been agreed with the LGA. A formal progress review will take place around six months later.

Stop means stop

Our Road Safety Team held a ‘STOP means STOP’ day of action across Lancashire. The aim was to remind motorists that when a school crossing patrol officer asks a driver to stop, they must do so. Our school crossing patrol officers do an amazing job, and many of our young people will have fond memories of them. This work helps to keep children, families and our school patrol officers safe during the school run.

You can find out more about this campaign on our digital news room.

Royal recognition

Jenny Ashton, Manager of the SEND Partnership, and Josh Mynott Head of Democratic Services, attended a reception at St James’s Palace on Tuesday 3 February 2026. The event, hosted by Their Majesties The King and Queen, brought together people working across local government to talk about the challenges they face and the work they are doing. Jenny met colleagues from other areas to discuss practical priorities such as improving partnership working, strengthening early help, supporting inclusion, and making sure children and families continue to shape how services are designed.

Have a good week.

Mark