Case study: Building a Collaborative Culture at West Norfolk Council

The council is preparing for Local Government Reorganisation (LGR). To help navigate this level of change the council and the union are working together to establish a new, more collaborative employment relationship. This case study sets out the key initiatives and highlights some of the early successes.

The Borough Council of King's Lynn and West Norfolk (BCKLWN) is a district-level local authority serving a population of approximately 156,000. It is the second-largest district council in the country by area, covering 550 square miles. 

The council is currently navigating an unprecedented level of change, specifically Local Government Reorganisation (LGR), ;which will see Norfolk's current two-tier system replaced by new unitary councils by April 2028. At the same time, a council Transformation Programme, which includes a focus on workplace culture and values and digitisation is being rolled out, designed to modernise the council and ensure longer-term viability during the LGR process. This is being taken forward by a new chief executive appointed in 2024.

Against a backdrop of significant levels of organisational change, the council and the UNISON branch have begun to establish a new, more collaborative way of working. This partnership is characterised by openness, shared problem‑solving, and a commitment to co‑creation—most visibly expressed through the joint development of organisational values and the rollout of a new Change Champions network.

While this new way of working is still in its infancy, this case study explores how this collaborative model has developed, the steps taken to date to build trust, how both management and UNISON are working together to support staff through change and how employment relations at the council are underpinned by effective engagement with employees across the organisation.

The council recently completed a major piece of work to define a new organisational values framework. This work was led by a project group of 20 colleagues from across the council and featured 19 staff workshops. In these workshops, staff worked together to identify the organisational values that were important to them as employees and as residents. Following the workshops, a council wide vote was held for colleagues to select the six values that were most important to them, these were:

• Community focused
• Respect for everyone
• Empowering individuals
• Achieving as teams
• Trust in each other
• Engaging in all we do.

Making the CREATE acronym was a helpful way to promote and remember the framework.

UNISON played an important role in this process with a trade union representative leading one of the staff workshops and supporting several others, ensuring trade union perspectives were integrated from the outset. The process to develop the new values framework signalled a shift toward openness, involvement, and shared ownership and is foundational for deeper collaboration on future initiatives.

In February 2026 the council held its first ever staff conference. The event was employee-led, and staff nominated and voted for recipients of staff awards. UNISON actively participated in the event, hosting conference activities and contributing to discussions - helping to embed the behaviours that will underpin the CREATE values.

Both managers and the union highlight how the arrival of a new CEO and new senior managers have shifted organisational culture. The council is moving from a historically traditional, transactional, sometimes distant management style, to one that is characterised by: 

• an open-door access to leadership
• willingness to have informal and early conversations to help avoid unnecessary escalation of issues
• transparent negotiation processes
• a commitment to kindness and inclusion; and shared ownership of change.

UNISON representatives say they can now “pick up the phone” to senior HR colleagues and resolve issues quickly. Likewise, senior HR colleague feel able to have informal conversations with TU colleagues. Both sides acknowledge this is still a journey, but positive momentum is clear.

One of the most visible developments in collaborative working is the emerging Change Champions network.
UNISON nationally originally proposed Change Champions (also referred to as Champions for Devolution and LGR) as part of its workplace organising strategy for LGR. The key responsibilities include:

• Team representation: Acting as an active UNISON point of contact within specific teams to feed into broader reorganisation discussions.
• Information sharing: Helping colleagues understand how structural changes—such as the abolition of district councils—might impact their jobs and services.
• Engagement: Participating in UNISON briefings and webinars to stay updated on the latest devolution developments.
• Campaigning: Supporting the union's stance that reorganisation must protect local jobs and prevent service outsourcing.

At the same time, the council was establishing its own change support mechanisms, such as organisational roundtables. Rather than running parallel systems, both sides identified the need for alignment.

Through discussions between HR, the UNISON branch, and the L&D team, change champions were combined into a single, integrated network. UNISON was invited to feed into the role profile and training requirements. The change champions cascade information relating to all change within the organisation and have a wider scope than LGR.

Of the 40 change champion volunteers, up to a quarter are UNISON change representatives, ensuring the network includes both formal TU voices and broader peer support from across the organisation.

The emerging role of the Change Champions includes:

• acting as trusted points-of-contact for colleague concerns
• supporting the flow of two way communication across the council
• helping colleagues navigate LGR, digital transformation, and cultural change
• contributing to corporate communication strategies
• modelling the new CREATE behaviours
• building confidence among staff to apply for roles in any future unitary authority.

Importantly, the champions will work across teams, breaking down silos and helping build a shared organisational narrative around change.

Both management and UNISON see this as a tangible expression of the new collaborative culture - one that would not have been possible without the work undertaken by the organisation in relation to communications and engagement and the earlier values project and the trust it created.

This shared approach to change is beginning to influence the wider ER climate. The council is involving TUs early in policy reviews, consultation processes, and decision making, with open, honest, and constructive conversations taking place. Staff pulse surveys show rising levels of positivity and engagement across the organisation.

Examples of early 'quick wins' that have helped build trust include the ending of rigid clock in/clock out requirements, trusting staff over flexitime and removing restrictive dress codes. In addition, previously stalled negotiations on protected pay and redundancy were reopened, leading to a 75 per cent membership approval for the final deal, and an agreement was reached for the council to join national pay arrangements (NJC) following constructive negotiation.

While it is acknowledged that the trust is still young - 'too early to test it'- all colleagues agree that the direction of travel is positive, purposeful, and more collaborative than at any time in recent memory.

The collaborative working between the Borough Council of King’s Lynn and West Norfolk and UNISON represents a significant cultural shift rooted in shared values and practical cooperation. The joint development of the CREATE values and the co designed Change Champions initiative stand out as flagship examples of this new approach.

Although the relationship is still developing, we heard about genuine progress: more trust, better communication, informal problem-solving, and a willingness to work together in service of staff and the wider community.

The council’s experience demonstrates how meaningful partnership between management and trade unions can support staff wellbeing, strengthen organisational culture, and create the conditions for successful transformation during a period of profound change.

For more information, please contact Julie Cooke via email: [email protected]