Emma’s story

As a Senior Manager for Community Safety & Resilience at Allerdale Borough Council and now in the newly merged Cumberland Council, Emma leads multi-agency work with partners across the Local Authority, the Police and Fire Service, and a network of charities & community groups. She commissioned a Grit programme for staff across the partnership.

We wanted something different. We were looking for a new way of thinking, a new way of working together that would transform the way we think about and work with young people. We have some of the most deprived communities in the country with a lack of rich and exciting opportunities for our young people. We absolutely see our young people as our assets and our future, to support change we needed to try something different. We needed to be brave.

So, I commissioned Grit - and wow!

In a Grit workshop you leave your veil at the door and come into a very safe space where everyone can be vulnerable, everyone can be authentic. It was such a new experience for everyone who took part and it wasn’t always easy. We opened up as human beings, did a lot of reflection, found new ways to connect. People felt accepted, understood, seen. And that’s made so many different things possible.

People I’ve been working with for years, and people I’ve not worked with before, feel free to challenge, bring ideas to the table, think creatively. There’s lots more reaching out to each other. Partnerships are much more solidified. Instead of 15 emails about why something isn’t possible, why it can’t be done, people ‘cut to the chase’ and look for solutions. There is a persistence, a willingness to solve dilemmas, an appetite to innovate. I feel like I’ve got so many more allies and critical friends.

We’re redefining what it means to lead - leadership not as a title but as an essence of what it means to be human. Partners on the ground feel stronger, clearer, more focused about what they are doing. They have the courage, the confidence, the conviction, to challenge ‘business as usual’ – whether it’s with an elected member, a service provider, or a local resident. Mind sets have shifted.

And this has led to a step change in our relationships with the community. At a recent event we  engaged with more than 150 residents, got lots of new insights and jointly created an action plan that starts by tackling the most immediate concerns. Already we’ve seen the relationship between the police, partner agencies and the community transform which has led to some massive, practical breakthroughs.  Trust is developing. We’ve got a platform to build on.

We’ve put a support network in place – regular pit stops to re-fuel our grit – that keeps it fresh and alive. We’re working on how each person can bring more of themselves into work everyday, to keep focused on the bigger perspective. We’re working on how to stay empowered in face of the mountain.

As a commissioner I’d describe Grit as professional, as driven. Requests are listened to and Grit staff always stay true to themselves and the approach. I’ve been in the public sector for 17 years and, let me tell you, this can be quite a force.

As a model Grit can be applied to every scenario that comes across your desk. It is one of the hardest, most amazing things that you’ll ever do. It is something that you’ll never forget.