{"id":68926,"date":"2026-02-26T15:40:16","date_gmt":"2026-02-26T15:40:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.devon.gov.uk\/news\/?p=68926"},"modified":"2026-03-09T16:59:58","modified_gmt":"2026-03-09T16:59:58","slug":"devon-county-council-shortlisted-two-national-mj-awards","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.devon.gov.uk\/news\/devon-county-council-shortlisted-two-national-mj-awards\/","title":{"rendered":"Devon County Council shortlisted for two national MJ Awards"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

We have been shortlisted in two categories at the 2026 MJ Awards, the national awards programme recognising excellence across local government.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Winning an MJ Award acknowledges the tremendous effort of those in local government dedicating themselves to supporting local communities, facing challenge after challenge, but never giving up in the face of adversity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We have been nominated in the categories of Workforce Optimisation (which specifically acknowledges councils that have developed and engaged employees in a service to improve performance and delivery, making a positive impact on the experiences of residents) and Finance Team of the Year (which recognises a team\u2019s impact on organisational performance, business partners and client groups).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Winners will be announced at the ceremony in London on Friday 19 June.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nomination for Workforce Optimisation:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is a joint nomination for our Children Services and People and Culture teams who have strongly collaborated over two years to stabilise and strengthen our social care teams.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A new People Strategy and tailored recruitment and retention plan sharply reduced reliance on temporary staff and created a sustainable pipeline of permanent social workers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Improvements in leadership, induction, supervision and wellbeing have contributed to more consistent practice and better experiences for children and families.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nomination for Finance Team of the Year:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This reflects a far\u2011reaching transformation of our financial management, driven by the replacement of our 30\u2011year\u2011old finance system. Delivered in just 18 months, the upgrade became the foundation for wider organisational change \u2013 strengthening governance, improving data transparency and reshaping our approach to financial stewardship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The finance and public value team redesigned our chart of accounts, simplified financial structures and introduced new digital workspaces to give budget holders clearer, faster access to financial information.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A disciplined \u201cadopt not adapt\u201d approach ensured processes were modernised to reflect best practice. Collaboration was central to the programme\u2019s success, with finance staff working closely alongside ICT and service teams across the organisation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Despite major in\u2011year financial pressures, strengthened planning and interventions helped us close the year in balance and deliver our accounts on time with a clean audit opinion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n

\r\n\t
\r\n

Councillor Julian Brazil, Leader of Devon County Council, said:<\/p><\/div>\r\n \t\t

\u201cThese shortlists reflect the relentless work of our teams to strengthen services for residents – improving the foundations of how we manage public money and putting children at the heart of our priorities.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\r\n\t<\/blockquote>\r\n

\r\n\t
\r\n\t\t\"Councillor\r\n
\r\n Councillor Julian Brazil, Leader of the Council<\/a><\/figcaption>\r\n <\/figure>\r\n <\/div>\r\n \r\n <\/div>\n\n
\r\n\t
\r\n

Councillor James Buczkowski, Cabinet Member for Finance, said:<\/p><\/div>\r\n \t\t

\u201cPublic finance is about trust: trust in the numbers, trust in the advice, and trust that decisions serve communities\u2019 long\u2011term interests. This team has shown that finance is a leadership discipline – investing in stronger systems, better information and honest conversations that protect services and rebuild confidence.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\r\n\t<\/blockquote>\r\n

\r\n\t
\r\n\t\t\"Councillor\r\n
\r\n Councillor James Buczkowski, Cabinet Member for Finance<\/a><\/figcaption>\r\n <\/figure>\r\n <\/div>\r\n \r\n <\/div>\n\n
\r\n\t
\r\n

Chief Executive Donna Manson added:<\/p><\/div>\r\n \t\t

\u201cThis recognition is a real milestone in our improvement journey. It reflects the commitment, resilience and professionalism of our staff across the organisation. We have asked a great deal of our teams as we\u2019ve modernised systems, strengthened practice and built a more stable workforce, and they have consistently stepped up. Being shortlisted for these awards shows how far we have come – and reinforces our determination to keep improving for the people of Devon.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\r\n\t<\/blockquote>\r\n

\r\n\t
\r\n\t\t\"Donna\r\n
\r\n \t Donna Manson, Chief Executive of Devon County Council <\/figure>\r\n <\/div>\r\n \r\n <\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":34,"featured_media":68935,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[24],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-68926","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-dcc-homepage"],"acf":[],"featured_image":{"ID":68935,"title":"Resizing pics for News Centre (23)","alt":"Shortlisted finalists for the MJ awards stood outside County Hall, Exeter","description":"","caption":"Shortlisted finalists for the MJ Awards, joined by Chief Executive Donna Manson (left) and Cabinet Member for Finance, Councillor James Buczkowski 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