Truth about Local Government

Truth about Local Government

di Matt Masters
Governo
Mapping the Future: Local Government Reorganisation, Political Change and Development Delivery
Local Government Reorganisation is reshaping the local government landscape across England, creating new authorities, redefining political relationships and raising important questions about how places will be planned, governed and developed in the years ahead. In this episode of The Truth About Local Government, we explore DevComms' new interactive LGR mapping tool and discuss what it reveals about the changing geography of local government. We examine how political leadership, decision-making structures and stakeholder relationships may evolve as new councils emerge, and what this means for developers, investors, communities and public sector partners. The conversation also explores the practical implications for housing delivery, infrastructure investment, regeneration projects and planning policy. As councils prepare for one of the most significant periods of change in local government for a generation, we consider whether reorganisation will create barriers to progress or unlock new opportunities for growth, collaboration and place-making.
3 ago 2026
22:45
Creating Space for Reflection: Supporting Wellbeing Through Schwartz Rounds
Public service can be incredibly rewarding, but it can also carry a significant emotional burden. Every day, local government employees support vulnerable residents, navigate difficult situations and make decisions that have a profound impact on people's lives. In this episode, Matt Masters is joined by Anna Syson, Head of Workforce Policy and Wellbeing at Cambridgeshire County Council, to explore how the council is creating safe spaces for colleagues to reflect on the emotional realities of their work through Schwartz Rounds. We discuss what inspired the council to adopt this approach, what has made it successful, why reflection is so important for workforce wellbeing and what other councils can learn from their experience. Together, we explore how creating opportunities for honest conversation can strengthen resilience, connection and compassion across local government.
3 ago 2026
19:31
What Must Be True? The Six Conditions for Sustained Change in Local Government
Local government leaders are being asked to achieve something unprecedented: maintain frontline services under intense financial and workforce pressures whilst simultaneously redesigning organisations for a rapidly changing future. In this episode of The Truth About Local Government, Matt Masters is joined by Paul Knight, Co-Founder of RPNA and author of What Must Be True?, alongside Adam Hill, Chief Executive of Rushcliffe Borough Council. Together, they explore the six conditions that RPNA argues must be present for meaningful and lasting organisational change: collective leadership authority, strategic and financial reality, decision-making and governance, organisational capability and capacity, change and delivery discipline, and trust, narrative and communication. Drawing on Adam's experience leading a local authority, the discussion examines whether these themes resonate in practice, why change programmes so often struggle to deliver their intended outcomes, and what local government leaders can do differently to build organisations capable of sustaining change in an era of financial constraint, workforce pressures, technological transformation and local government reorganisation.
28 lug 2026
19:44
What Good Looks Like: Delivering Housing Through Public–Private Partnership
In this episode, Matthew Masters sits down with Faraz Baber to explore what great public–private partnership really looks like in practice and why it is critical to unlocking housing delivery and economic growth across the UK. Drawing on his experience working across both local government and the private sector, Faraz shares a candid view of where partnerships succeed, where they fall short, and what genuinely drives delivery. The conversation moves beyond theory to focus on the practical realities of collaboration: trust, leadership, shared ambition, and the balance between commercial drivers and public value. Bringing this to life, Faraz reflects on two major regeneration schemes he played a central role in: Grand Union in North West London and Canalside South in Wolverhampton. These case studies demonstrate the transformational impact that effective partnerships can have, turning underused or derelict land into thriving communities, delivering thousands of new homes, creating jobs, and driving long-term economic growth. The discussion provides honest insight into the challenges that still exist, from planning and funding constraints to the complexity of aligning stakeholders; but also offers clear, actionable advice for senior leaders on how to create the conditions for success. This episode is essential listening for Chief Executives, Directors, and leaders across the public and private sectors who are serious about accelerating housing delivery and making regeneration schemes a reality.
24 giu 2026
18:26
Leading Public Sector Organisations Successfully: A Conversation with Steve Moore
In this episode, I sit down with Steve Moore, former Chief Executive of NHS Devon and a senior NHS leader with more than 15 years’ experience operating at board and system level across complex, highly regulated environments. We explore what it really takes to lead public sector organisations successfully: setting direction in ambiguity, balancing performance with purpose, leading through financial and operational pressure, building trust with stakeholders, and creating cultures that can sustain improvement. This is a conversation about leadership in the real world: how to make difficult decisions, carry people through change, and keep outcomes for communities at the centre.
1 giu 2026
22:06
Taking Control of Your Money – A Neurodivergent Perspective
In this episode of The Truth About Local Government, Matthew Masters speaks with Esther Bangura, a Neurodivergent Money Coaching expert, about a topic rarely explored openly in the public sector, our relationship with money. The conversation unpacks how neurodivergence can shape financial behaviours, from avoidance and overwhelm to impulsivity and perfectionism, and why traditional approaches to budgeting and financial planning often fail to resonate. Esther shares practical, realistic strategies for building systems that work with, not against, how neurodivergent individuals think and operate. They also explore the wider implications for workplace wellbeing, performance, and inclusive leadership, highlighting why financial confidence is not just a personal issue, but a professional one. This episode offers both reassurance and actionable advice for anyone looking to take greater control of their finances in a way that feels achievable and sustainable.
29 mag 2026
20:26
Early Help, Real Lives: Why Children Still Fall Between the Gaps
In this episode of Truth About Local Government, Matthew Masters speaks with Natashia Leader, Founder and CEO of BrightPaths Support CIC, about why so many children and young people still struggle to access the right emotional wellbeing support early enough. Public descriptions of BrightPaths Support CIC say the organisation provides early intervention support through one-to-one mentoring, group workshops, and family-centred approaches, working with children facing challenges including anxiety, behavioural issues, and neurodiversity-related needs. Together, they explore why children can fall between the gaps in statutory provision, why school avoidance and unmet emotional needs are rising pressures for councils and schools, and what happens when support only arrives once problems have escalated. The conversation also looks at what effective partnership really means, not just between local authorities and schools, but with community-based organisations that can offer earlier, more flexible, and more relational support. This is a conversation about prevention, capacity, and what local government and its partners can do differently if they want better outcomes for children and families.
6 mag 2026
23:09
Upstream by Design: The Corporate Role in Making Prevention Real
In this episode of The Truth About Local Government, Matt Masters is joined by Simon Higgins to explore why local government must focus on prevention, and why corporate services have a critical and often underestimated, role to play in making prevention succeed. While prevention is often associated with frontline services, Simon and Matt argue that sustainable, effective prevention only works when it is led, enabled and protected by corporate leadership. Drawing on Simon’s experience of preventative work at Cumberland, the discussion examines how corporate services such as finance, HR, policy, commissioning and data can either unlock or unintentionally undermine preventative approaches. The conversation explores why too many councils intervene only when people reach crisis point – when outcomes are worse, costs are higher and options are limited – and why shifting upstream is essential for supporting communities, managing demand and protecting public services. This episode offers practical insight for Chief Executives, Corporate Directors of Resources and senior leaders on: Why prevention must be treated as a corporate and system‑wide responsibility The conditions required for preventative strategies to work in practice How leaders can move beyond short‑term pressures to embed long‑term preventative thinking What success in prevention actually looks like, and how to sustain it A timely and candid conversation for leaders who want to ensure local government supports residents before crisis hits, not after.
27 apr 2026
20:51
Power‑Sharing and the Future of Councils: A Conversation with Abigail Gallop
This episode explores how power‑sharing is reshaping the political and operational reality of local government. Matthew speaks with Abigail Gallop, Head of the Independent Group at the Local Government Association (LGA), about the rapid rise of multi‑party councils, the decline of single‑party dominance, and what these shifts mean for leadership, accountability, and democratic culture. Drawing on examples such as Runnymede’s, Abigail explains how councils are four co‑leader model adapting to new political landscapes, what makes shared leadership succeed or fail, and why collaborative governance may become the defining feature of the next decade. The conversation cuts through assumptions and gets to the practical truth of how councils function when no one party holds all the power.
19 apr 2026
23:05
Stepping Up, Stepping In: Lessons from Interim Leadership with Steve Gibling
Interim leadership is often seen as a holding pattern, a bridge between what was and what comes next. But for organisations in transition, an interim chief executive can be a stabiliser, a strategist and a catalyst for clarity. In this episode, Matt Masters speaks with Steve Gibling, Interim Chief Executive of Selwyn District Council and former Interim CEO at Buller District Council, about what it really means to step into the top job on a temporary basis. Drawing on more than 25 years across local government, tertiary education and the not‑for‑profit sector, Steve shares a grounded, practical view of how to lead when time is limited, expectations are high and the organisation needs both continuity and confidence. The conversation explores how to approach an interim role, whether stepping up internally or arriving from outside, and how to balance stewardship with the opportunity to make meaningful impact. Steve reflects on how to read culture quickly, how to maintain momentum on critical programmes, and how to decide what is appropriate to change when your mandate is temporary. He also unpacks the unique learning value of interim roles and why they can be career‑defining for leaders who embrace them with clarity, humility and intent. This episode is essential listening for leaders navigating organisational transitions, preparing for executive succession, or wanting to understand how to lead well in periods of uncertainty.
13 apr 2026
18:02
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