A former head of the Commission for Social Care Inspection is the new champion of best practice in local government at the IDeA.
Dame Denise Platt has been confirmed as new chair at the new awards and knowledge transfer scheme at the Improvement and Development Agency (IDeA).
She said her top priority would be ‘getting good practice into place quickly'. The move comes after five years as chair of the CSCI where she was a vocal campaigner for involving service clients in quality improvement work.
Dame Denise said: ‘Best practice has always been an interest of mine so I am very pleased to be doing this job.'
In her role, she plans to maximise on the good work already going on in councils with the help of central government and council leaders.
She said: ‘Councils have really good ideas and there are lots of good things going on out there. This scheme is about how we get these taken forward – and develop them.
‘I will be focusing on cutting-edge practices in local government with a big emphasis on knowledge transfer and getting good practice into place quickly. This scheme is being taken forward by the CLG, the LGA and the IDeA, so it is something we are all involved with.'
She will continue her work as a member of the Audit Commission and a member of the committee looking at the inquiry into MPs' expenses. She will work in the role for 30 days a year.
‘This is an exciting time for local government. There is not a lot of money, local communities are stretched, and there is unemployment. That is just the kind of thing local government can help with, strengthening them through the bad times,'
