The South East Centre of Excellence brings together chief executives from across the region, bringing benefits to all. Stephen Weigel explains how they operate

It's hard to miss Andrew Larner, director of the South East Centre of Excellence (SECE). At 6ft 6in, he towers above most people.
And behind the beard and gentle exterior lies a steely determination and strong belief in partnership working and helping councils make efficiency gains.
The South East is the biggest of the Centre of Excellence's nine regions, with 74 councils. It covers an area stretching from Kent to Milton Keynes, and includes Berkshire, Hampshire and Sussex.
Andrew has worked in local government for the last 20 years, in China, Africa, the Middle East and across Europe. He became director of the South East Centre of Excellence in November 2004.
The SECE management board is made up of South East chief executives, and chaired by Peter Gilroy, chief executive of Kent CC. The board was determined from the outset that the centre should be collectively owned by, and based among, the authorities in the region. 
To achieve this, the SECE team recently changed its work style to home-based working, combined with ‘hot desking' in South East authorities.
Hot desks had been provided by Kent CC, SECE's host authority, and Brighton and Hove Council. But Andrew's PA needed an office base, with hot desking and access to meeting rooms in a convenient location in the region.
For these reasons, Andrew approached Tandridge DC in Oxted, Surrey. The new location offers excellent links to the M25 and M23, as well as a direct train service to London. 
Andrew's PA and my PA also provide office cover for each other. The combination of hot home-based working, hot desking and a base in Tandridge not only means SECE can work with councils throughout the region, it also provides excellent value for money. Tandridge's human resources, finance and ICT teams have been involved in helping SECE relocate.
Talking about the move, Andrew says: ‘I have found Tandridge staff to be very responsive and helpful. We have had no problems moving into the offices, and it has been a very smooth transition.
‘Like Kent CC, there is very much a can-do culture, providing an efficient, friendly and customer-focused service.'
Some of the initiatives SECE has already been involved in include: