Zina Etheridge: “We’re an ambitious place, and this is an ambitious role.”

Buckinghamshire Council’s Chief Executive, Zina Etheridge, explains why the authority’s next Corporate Director of Children’s Services will have the opportunity to shape the future of one of local government’s most ambitious places.

When Zina Etheridge talks about Buckinghamshire, she doesn’t start with statistics or organisational charts. Instead, she talks about opportunity.

“It’s a wonderful place,” she says. “People know Buckinghamshire for its quality of life, its beautiful countryside and its strong communities. Those things are absolutely true. But what excites me is the opportunity we have to make an even bigger difference to the lives of our residents.”

That sense of opportunity sits at the heart of Buckinghamshire Council’s newly published Corporate Plan and, according to Etheridge, it is also central to the appointment of the authority’s next Director of Children’s Services.

“This isn’t a role where someone is coming in to rescue a failing service,” she explains. “It’s about taking a service that’s already moving in the right direction and asking how far and how fast we can go next.”

Recent external feedback recognised positive progress within Children’s Services, highlighting strong leadership, a workforce that is engaged with the improvement journey and a clear understanding of where further work is required. For Etheridge, that creates a particularly attractive proposition.

“There are some jobs where virtually all of your energy goes into stabilisation. This isn’t one of those jobs. Of course there are challenges, there always are in children’s services, but we have momentum, we have investment and we have a council that genuinely believes in the importance of this agenda.”

What makes the role particularly exciting, she says, is the scale and complexity of the leadership challenge.

Buckinghamshire is one of the country’s largest unitary councils. It serves a diverse and growing population, oversees an extensive education estate and is tackling many of the same issues facing children’s services nationally, from SEND pressures and placement sufficiency through to workforce sustainability and implementation of reform.

“This is not a small-scale leadership role,” Etheridge says. “Whoever joins us will be operating across a very significant portfolio. They’ll need to be comfortable dealing with complexity. They’ll need to understand systems leadership. They’ll need to be able to think strategically whilst never losing sight of the impact we’re trying to have on children and families.”

She pauses before adding: “But for the right person, that’s exactly what makes the role exciting.”

What becomes clear during the conversation is that Etheridge sees Children’s Services as being central to the council’s wider ambitions for Buckinghamshire. The authority’s developing vision is built around helping residents
access opportunity whilst providing targeted support where it is needed most. It’s a philosophy that increasingly shapes thinking across public services in the county.

“We’re fortunate that many people in Buckinghamshire have access to opportunities and strong personal networks and support systems,” she says. “But we also know there are communities where that isn’t always the case. Our responsibility is to understand where support is needed and to organise ourselves in a way that helps people to thrive.”

That thinking sits behind initiatives such as Opportunity Bucks and the council’s growing emphasis on place-based working, integration and community resilience.

“Some of the most exciting conversations we’re having are about how public services work together around communities rather than around organisational boundaries,” Etheridge says. “Health colleagues tell us we’re ahead of many other areas in terms of integration, and I think there’s a real opportunity to build on that.”

The incoming director will therefore be expected to think beyond traditional service boundaries.

“This is absolutely a corporate leadership role,” Etheridge says. “It’s not a job for someone who sees themselves simply as leading a department. It’s a job for someone who wants to help lead Buckinghamshire.”

It is a theme she returns to several times.

“The best senior leaders I’ve worked with are curious about the whole organisation and the whole place. They understand that children’s outcomes are connected to housing, health, economic opportunity, communities and everything else that contributes to a good life.

“I want someone who brings that perspective.”

Fortunately, she believes the successful candidate will find themselves joining an organisation that is determined to help them succeed.

“We have strong political leadership. We have stability. We’ve put significant investment into children’s services, and we’re continuing to invest. But just as importantly, we’re trying to create the kind of culture where good people feel trusted to lead. That means empowerment alongside clear accountability, less unnecessary bureaucracy, more innovation and a willingness to listen to the people closest to the challenges. My commitment to the successful candidate is that they will be backed to succeed and encouraged to be ambitious.”

Asked what she will be looking for when candidates come forward, her answer is immediate.

“Ambition.”

Not ambition in the narrow career sense, she quickly clarifies, but ambition for children, families and place.

“The Leader and I have high aspirations for Buckinghamshire. We want somebody who shares that sense of purpose. Someone who sees the potential here and wants to help us realise it.

“This is a growing county. The demands will continue to grow. The expectations will continue to grow. We need someone who is excited by that.”

And ultimately, she says, that is the most compelling reason to apply. “Opportunities like this don’t come along very often. This is a chance to lead at scale, to work with talented people, to influence the future of a major county and, most importantly, to improve the lives of children and young people.

“If that excites you as much as it excites me, we’d love to hear from you.”

Share this page: