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Councils must ‘innovate or die', the chief executive of one of the country's largest local authorities has warned. The chief executive of Kent CC, Peter Gilroy, advised council leaders that innovation is no longer optional. ‘Without innovation I don't think we would survive. We have to look at the best of what is being done in the private sector. Quite often the answer is not more professionals or more money but innovation. Professionals need to be trained to let go. We, too, often want to hold on to too much,' he said. Mr Gilroy used the council's £1.4m internet television station, www.kenttv.com, which provides information on council services such as how to find a residential home for an elderly parent or how to get the council's social care payment card. Some of the videos are created by the public, covering issues from art to politics. The Kent chief executive said: ‘When we started, some of my peers said it was something we should not be doing. But if working for a council is not about promoting quality of life, why are we in this business? It is anxiety-provoking to innovate but for ordinary people it is about communicating in a way we have never done before.' He also urged other chief executives to take negative situations like the credit crunch and make them positive. He said: ‘When things go wrong everyone runs for cover, but that is the very moment in leadership when you have to stand up and say you can't innovate without resources. What you don't do is say you won't take risks anymore. If you are going to do this, don't bother getting up in the morning.'

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WHITEHALL

'Innovate or die' says Kent chief executive

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