The Council’s ongoing commitment to staff development and support has paid dividends at this year’s South West Challenge.

The annual event, held in Taunton, is an opportunity for aspiring senior managers to have the chance to experience life as a leadership team by running a fictitious council for the day, and is attended by teams from across the South West.

This year Mid Devon sent two teams and came away double winners, with one team winning the award for best presentation, while the other team were crowned the overall winners of the competition.

The winning Mid Devon team impressed judges with their strong teamwork, smart decision making and ability to stay calm under pressure. The six-member team all undertake different roles within the council, across many departments including, leisure, people services, climate resilience, democratic services and performance. Their diverse roles also reflect their different career paths, with some joining the council part way through their careers and others joining the authority as school leavers and apprentices.

Two of the team began as apprentices, with one member now undertaking further qualifications towards a level 7 apprenticeship. Another has recently embarked on their NEBOSH health and safety qualification and all staff are also offered regular in-house training opportunities from management training to mental health awareness. The Council also helps staff outside of academic qualifications, with peer support from colleagues through the Council’s mental health and menopause champions.

Laura Woon, Democratic Services Manager, who was part of the winning team said:

“It was a great day representing the Council and provided a valuable opportunity to exchange ideas and test our skills in a highly competitive environment. We were challenged to innovate and it was great to be part of such an inspiring atmosphere that supported our learning and growth with our peers. We were all extremely proud to have come away with the winning trophy.”

Presenting the trophy to the team, Chief Executive, Stephen Walford, said:

“This was a fantastic opportunity for our colleagues to test themselves in a safe space designed to replicate some of the more interesting challenges that senior managers can face. It is testament to the talents of this team that they brought home the win for Mid Devon; their capability and motivation absolutely shines through in the roles they deliver every day in service to the people of Mid Devon.

“Importantly, in a system constantly evolving to face the needs of a changing society, it also speaks to our approach of supporting and developing the wider workforce to ensure that tomorrow’s experts, managers, and organisational leaders are regularly exposed to challenge and opportunity throughout their careers, so that they feel ready and able to take on some of the most interesting and complex roles in the delivery of vital public services to our communities in future.”