Truth about Local Government

In this episode, we speak with Alex Manners, autism advocate, speaker and neurodiversity expert, about the strengths, talents and unique perspectives autistic people bring to organisations and communities.

Together, we explore how public services can move beyond autism awareness and towards genuine appreciation of neurodiverse thinking. Alex shares insights from his lived experience, discussing the value of autistic strengths such as creativity, innovation, problem-solving and attention to detail, and how organisations can create environments where neurodivergent people can thrive.

A positive and thought-provoking conversation on challenging misconceptions, unlocking talent and building more inclusive public services.<...

In this episode of The Truth About Local Government, Matthew Masters speaks with Professor Jonathan Davies about one of the most fundamental questions facing English local government: should local government be constitutionally recognised and protected?

England remains unusual among mature democracies in lacking constitutional safeguards for local government. Councils are created by Parliament and can be reorganised, merged, abolished or have responsibilities transferred with relatively limited formal protection. As devolution gathers pace through combined authorities, strategic authorities and elected mayors, questions are increasingly being asked about whether local government needs stronger constitutional foundations.

The discussion...

In this episode, Matt Masters speaks with autism expert Alex Manners about what it takes to create truly autism-friendly schools. Drawing on his own experiences of navigating education as an autistic young person, Alex shares what school was like growing up and reflects on the challenges and opportunities he encountered along the way.

Together, they explore how schools, academy trusts and local authorities can better understand and support autistic children by creating inclusive environments where they feel valued, respected and able to thrive. The conversation offers practical insights into building educational settings that recognise individual strengths, remove...

Local government has never had more access to content, research, podcasts, reports and thought leadership. Yet with leaders under immense pressure and time constraints, how do we ensure the content being produced actually helps drive innovation, challenge thinking and improve services?

In this episode of The Truth About Local Government, Matt Masters is joined by Ian Mensah-Stapleton, Founder of the Public Finance Podcast, to discuss the opportunities and challenges of creating genuinely valuable content for the local government sector. Together they explore what separates meaningful insight from noise, why authentic practitioner-led content matters, and how thought leadership...

Neurodivergent people are represented across every part of society, including local government, yet the conversation about supporting neurodivergent elected members is often overlooked. In this episode of The Truth About Local Government, Simon Bowers interviews Matt Masters about why councils should be doing more to recognise, support and develop neurodivergent councillors.

The discussion explores how better support can strengthen local democracy, improve officer-member relationships, enhance decision-making, reduce burnout and encourage a broader range of people to stand for elected office. Matt shares practical insights on creating councillor environments that enable people with different thinking styles to thrive...

Local government continues to face significant workforce challenges, yet many organisations unintentionally create barriers that prevent autistic employees from reaching their full potential. In this episode, Matt Masters is joined by autism and neurodiversity advocate Alex Manners to explore what it is really like to enter, navigate and succeed in the workplace as an autistic professional.

Drawing on his lived experience, Alex shares the challenges he has encountered throughout education, employment and everyday life, as well as the adjustments and support that have made the biggest difference. Together, they discuss how councils and public sector organisations can...

This episode kicks off our mini-series on 'powers you didn't know you had', about powers that are either unknown, not recognised, or just felt to be too difficult to use, but may offer opportunities to address problems faced by our communities. We talk with Aron Wisdom of Oxfordshire County Council about the Oxford Temporary Congestion Charge, Aron's experience of introducing the charge, and lessons others may draw from this.

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...

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...

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...

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 th...

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 ce...

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...

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...

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...

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. Th...

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, prac...

In this episode of The Truth About Local Government, we explore a bold new resource reshaping how councils think about community development: ABCD & Beyond: A Practical Guide for Local Government.

Matt is joined by two of the book’s authors, Dee Brooks, Director of the Jeder Institute and International Liaison for the ABCD Institute, and Lee Griffiths, community development practitioner, facilitator and systems bridge‑builder. Together, they’ve helped shape Asset‑Based Community Development practice across Australia and internationally.

This conversation dives into what ABCD is (and what it isn’t), why councils struggle to shift from...

In this episode, Matt sits down with Parul Singh, Founder of Parallel Minds, a neurodiversity consultancy shaping a more inclusive future for people working in tech and digital roles. Parul brings a rare combination of professional expertise, lived experience, and deep sector insight, challenging organisations to rethink how they support neurodivergent talent and to build environments where every mind can thrive.

Together, we explore how employers can better navigate and balance the conflicting needs that sometimes arise within neurodivergent teams. At a time when legislation, expectations, and understanding of neurodivergence are evolving at pace, Parul highlights the...

In this TALG episode, Matt is joined by Kev Collier, Strategic Lead – Learning & Development and Karen Roberts, Business Development Manager from North West Employers and Dr Sarah Crozier, Reader in Occupational Psychology, Department of People and Performance, Faculty of Business and Law, Manchester Metropolitan University to explore their newly released thought‑leadership report: Neurodiversity at Work – Line-managers’ Experiences of Support Provision and Skill Gaps Within North West Local Government.

Drawing on survey responses and focus groups with line‑managers across the region, the report uncovers a compelling picture: while over 75% of managers have supported neurodivergent colleagues, fewer than half...

Transport infrastructure doesn’t just move people, it moves markets, investment, and ambition. In this episode of Tracks to Transformation, Matt sits down with John Plumridge, former Director of Estates & Facilities at Birmingham City University, to explore how transport and regeneration work together to unlock the economic potential of a place.

John shares the inside story of STEAMhouse, one of the UK’s most significant university‑led regeneration projects, and explains how a neglected corner of Birmingham was transformed into a thriving innovation ecosystem. He reflects on the strategic decisions behind the business case, the funding model, and th...

This episode of The Truth About Local Government captures a pivotal moment in the evolution of public sector workforce leadership. Ben Dixon, Head of Workforce Solutions, is joined by Matt Masters, the newly appointed Head of Executive Workforce Solutions at OPUS People Solutions, for a candid and energising conversation about purpose, alignment and the future of talent in local government.

Matt reflects on the personal and professional journey that led him to OPUS and the wider Vertas Group, including the importance of finding an environment where his strengths as a neurodivergent leader with ADHD and OCD are...

In this episode, Matthew Masters sits down with Rowan Cole (COALFACE®) and Professor Amelia Hadfield (Centre for Britain and Europe, University of Surrey) to unpack the launch of the Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) Initiative, a new national partnership designed to reshape the future of local government in England.

Matt opens the conversation by exploring why the LGR Initiative has emerged now, at a moment when councils face unprecedented financial pressure, public trust is strained, and the sector is searching for a credible path forward. Rowan and Amelia outline how COALFACE® and CBE have joined forces to lead a...

In this episode, Matt speaks with David Bainbridge‑Zafar, General Manager of Operations at Gore District Council, New Zealand, about the rising challenge of sovereign citizen ideology in small communities.

Gore’s population of 14,000 means the impact is deeply personal: the individuals rejecting government authority aren’t anonymous, they’re neighbours, former colleagues, and long‑standing community members. Their refusal to recognise the legitimacy of councils, police, or the courts has led to unpaid rates, protracted legal battles, and escalating operational costs that ultimately fall on other residents.

David unpacks the operational strain, the legal complexiti...

“Risk, Creativity and Collaboration: Rethinking Urban Infrastructure with CIVIC” dives into how engineering can become a catalyst for better, more human‑centred places. Matt Masters sits down with Stephen O’Malley, Chief Executive of CIVIC, to explore how their philosophy of “civility from civil engineering” challenges long‑held conventions in the built environment.

In just 20 minutes, Stephen unpacks why intelligent risk‑taking matters, how creativity emerges when disciplines fuse rather than compete, and what true collaboration looks like when public and private partners share purpose rather than process. The conversation cuts through technical jargon to focus on what really coun...

For years, the national housing debate has been dominated by one metric: quantity. How many homes can we build, how quickly, and at what scale. But that fixation on numbers has pushed a more fundamental question into the background, are the homes we build, manage, and retrofit actually good for people’s health?

In this episode, Matt Masters is joined by Faye Sanders, Doctoral Researcher in Housing and Health, and Co‑Chair of both the Healthy Homes Research Network and the Housing Studies Association. Together, they explore why housing quality is a public health issue, how poor‑qualit...

Too many people step into elected office without a clear understanding of what the councillor role really involves, the workload, the emotional labour, the strategic responsibility, and the sheer breadth of services they’ll be accountable for.

In this episode Matt sits down with sector leader, trainer, mentor, and long‑serving Kingston councillor Liz Green to explore her 3S model, Stewardship, Strategy, and Support, and why councils should start induction before someone even becomes a councillor.

Together they unpack what early preparation could look like, how to set realistic expectations for candidates, and why better‑suppor...

In this episode, the conversation centres on how RPNA is helping councils move beyond traditional transformation pitfalls to deliver better outcomes for residents. Ashley Roper introduces RPNA’s Digital Foundations, a strategic assessment tool designed to help local authorities understand their readiness for change and identify the most impactful areas for intervention. The SA3 process was recently piloted with the London Borough of Bexley, where Chief Executive Paul Thorogood shares his reflections on its value and impact.

RPNA’s approach is grounded in the belief that transformation must be outcome-led, not technology-led. The SA3 process begins with a ba...

Matt Masters sits down with Tim Oliver, Leader of Surrey County Council, for an in‑depth conversation about Surrey’s transformation journey and what it means to lead one of the country’s most complex local government systems. With Surrey often viewed as the first major test case for large‑scale reorganisation, Tim reflects on the pressures, opportunities, and leadership choices shaping the council’s future. This episode offers a candid look at decision‑making, system change, and the realities of steering a county through uncertainty, ambition, and national attention.

Nottinghamshire County Council has become one of the sector’s standout examples of what a modern, strategic corporate landlord approach can achieve. In this episode, Matt Masters sits down with Wayne Bexton, Director of Economy, Environment and Assets, to unpack how Nottinghamshire has reshaped its estate, accelerated disposals, unlocked capital receipts, and used regeneration as a lever for long‑term place impact.

Wayne shares the thinking behind their model, the practical steps that made the biggest difference, and the cultural and organisational shifts required to make it stick. From governance to data, from political alignment to community outc...

Care in the UK is at a breaking point. With 70% of local authority budgets consumed by care services, rising costs, and profits flowing to private equity and tax havens, the system is failing the people it’s meant to serve. New research from the Centre for Local Economic Strategies, Centre for Thriving Places, Cooperatives UK and the New Economics Foundation reveals that in just three regions, private care providers extracted £256 million in profit over three years, while care workers, disproportionately women and those from global majority backgrounds are often paid below the Real Living Wage.

In this epi...

In this episode, we tackle a critical but often overlooked aspect of change management in local government: the human element. We’re joined once again by Kevan Collier, Strategic Learning and Organisational Development Lead at North West Employers, to explore how senior leadership teams can better understand the behavioural dynamics that make or break change programmes.

We discuss why technical plans and project timelines aren’t enough, and how neglecting the emotional, psychological, and cultural dimensions of change can lead to resistance, burnout, and failure. Kevan shares practical insights on how to help leadership teams see the bigg...

Surrey is about to become the national test case for the government’s latest wave of local government reform, and the stakes couldn’t be higher. With two new unitary authorities on the horizon, concerns are growing that statutory pressures and inherited financial challenges could push community services, local assets, and neighbourhood-level engagement to the margins.

In this episode, we explore Strong, Vibrant Communities, a new report from the Surrey Association of Local Councils (SALC), which argues that town and parish councils must play a far greater role in the transition. Drawing on lessons from Cornwall’s succes...

This month’s deep dive into local government reorganisation brings a timely and candid conversation with Rowan Cole, Director at Coal Face Engagement, as we unpack the shifting landscape of LGR and what the latest developments really mean for councils, leaders, and local politics.

Rowan joins me to break down what has changed, why the Government has delayed elections, and how this fits with the ambitions originally set out for reorganisation. We explore the contrast between last year’s confident narrative and the more hesitant signals emerging since December, including which parts of the programme have quietly prog...

In this episode of Truth About Local Government, we dive into how the London Borough of Newham is turning its Growth Plan into reality. With a strong focus on inclusive economy, community wealth building, and strategic investment, Newham is shaping a future where growth benefits everyone. Joining me is Darren Mackin, Director of Place-Making at the London Borough of Newham, to share what the council is doing on the ground to deliver this vision, the challenges they face, and how they’re engaging residents in the journey.

Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) isn’t just about drawing new boundaries it’s about what happens in the first 100 days when governance design, delegation, and political confidence collide with real-world planning decisions. In this episode, we talk to Rowan Cole, Thought Leader on LGR & Founder and Director of COALFACE, about what truly determines whether reorganisation improves planning outcomes. We’ll explore lessons from Dorset, Somerset, and Northumberland, the early warning signs of drift, and why public trust and democratic legitimacy become operational issues. Plus, we’ll dive into The First 100 Days Playbook and how AI could help councils navigate the chao

In this episode of Truth About Local Government, I sit down with Averil Price author of The Legacy Coach: Your Next Chapter, Your Legacy, Your Way, available on Amazon. After more than two decades as a Local Authority Director, Averil made the bold transition to running her own consultancy, Avie Consultancy, where she helps public sector leaders navigate career changes, promotions, or retirement while celebrating the impact they’ve made.

We explore the inspiration behind her book, including how a life-changing brain haemorrhage shaped its themes, and dive into what “legacy” really means beyond job titles. Averil shares...

In this episode of Truth About Local Government, Matthew Masters speaks with Professor Rafaela Neiva, Professor in Public Sociology at Liverpool Business School and a leading expert in cultural policy and social innovation. Rafaela’s work sits at the intersection of arts, health, and business, shaping strategies that have influenced European Capitals of Culture, improved public health, and driven innovation across sectors. We’ll explore what it truly takes to create a City of Culture, beyond the headlines and branding, looking at the planning, partnerships, and evidence-based approaches that deliver lasting impact for communities and economies.

Transformation in local government is often framed as a necessity driven by financial pressures, rising demand, and the need to modernise services. Yet, despite widespread efforts, success remains elusive. According to ChangingPoint, 70% of organisational change initiatives fail, and only one-third fully meet their intended goals. In this episode, Ashley Roper and Steve Mawn explore what councils could do differently to improve outcomes and embed sustainable change.

Ashley Roper, a technologist and Founding Partner at RPNA, argues that transformation must begin with a clear understanding of outcomes. He warns against the common pitfall of leading with technology rather...

In this we had the pleasure of speaking with Emma Riley, Head of Strategic Partnerships at Barrett Values Centre, to explore the transformative power of organisational culture. Emma shares insights from her work at the intersection of strategy, leadership, and values, highlighting how culture can be a driving force in successful change processes. The conversation delves into the Barrett Values Centre’s approach to cultural transformation, the role of values in leadership, and how organisations can align who they are with what they do to unlock their full potential. Whether you're leading change, navigating uncertainty, or striving for high pe...