June Leadership Conference focuses on Wellbeing

Senior managers from across North Ayrshire Council gathered at Saltcoats Town Hall on Wednesday, 3 June, for our latest Connected Leadership Conference.

This conference is a quarterly event which allows colleagues to share best practice as we continue to strive to deliver the best possible service for our communities.

Chief Executive Craig Hatton kicked off proceedings by praising staff for their ongoing work, followed by an update from Head of Finance Mark Boyd on the Council’s financial position, following on from the setting of the Council’s 2026/27 Budget.

Discussion then moved on to the main theme of the conference – Wellbeing – and how each and every one of us have the opportunity and responsibility to deliver on the Council priority.

Sam Anson, Executive Director for Education, highlighted the need for all colleagues to create an inclusive culture where everyone can thrive. Despite the many challenges we can face, he praised staff for continuing to deliver for our residents across North Ayrshire.

He highlighted how embedding a culture which promotes a Prevention, Partnership and Place can help councils move away from a reactive approach to a proactive outlook which provides tailored interventions to support local communities.

The main speaker for the event was Jimmy Paul (pictured above with Sam), Head of the Scottish Violence Reduction Unit, who spoke about Prevention and how, we as a Council, can deliver the leadership required to make a difference.

He highlighted the levers the council has available to ensure it delivers a wellbeing economy – leveraging our land and assets for social good, Outcome based budgeting and initiatives such as our pioneering Community Wealth Building strategy.

Colleagues were then invited to ask a series of questions to a panel consisting of Health and Social Care Director Caroline Cameron, Kaileigh Brown of The Ayrshire Community Trust, Child Poverty Policy officer Laura Kayes, and Regional Economy Director Louise Kirk.

Sam said: “I would like to thank everyone who participated in the leadership conference and hope it gave food for thought to everyone who attended.

“Every day, we get the opportunity to change’s people lives and improve their outcomes – we must take those success stories and ensure they become part of our everyday practice.”