Explorez tous les épisodes du podcast Public Sector Executive Podcast

There have been countless conversations about how to improve transport in the north of England in recent times, with the cancellation of HS2 removing an important potential transport link to the south, and subsequent discussions about improved road and rail connections between the north’s most important cities.

Discussing some of the most important aspects relating to the futureproofing of transport in the north of England, some of the challenges involved, and how Transport for the North are supporting this drive, TfN’s Head of Major Roads Owen Wilson joined host Dan Benn on the Public Sector Executive Podcast.

When looking into the future of transport, Owen was asked the introduction of new technology, and how it can support transport improvement. Answering by touching on the future of tech, Owens said:

“No-one can predict the future can they? That brings me onto the need actually not to be fixated on a particular future, or how that’s going to pan out… We need to be adaptable and flexible and plan for different scenarios in terms of the uptake of technology, but also how that impacts people’s behaviours.

“It’s a bit of a cliché, but the smartphone has really changed the way people behave in the last two decades. Thirty years ago could that have been predicted?

“So, we need to be adaptable and flexible to changing technologies.”

Transport systems around the UK, especially in the north, have seen their fair share of challenges in recent years. Owen expanded on some of challenges faced by authorities, and what can be done to help organisations overcome them, saying:

“Policy certainty is critical. We’ve seen a bit of chopping and changing over recent years in terms of policy and investment in transport, so it’s really important to have greater certainty in terms of what the ambitions and outcomes we’re aiming for are.

“I think the critical challenge is reshaping how we appraise investment in transport in the future.”

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Transport, as an enabler, can play an integral role in many of the priorities that government of all levels are trying to achieve. Whether it is connecting communities to the services that their lives revolve around, or bringing trade into economic centres, the transport network is an important place to start.

Chief Executive of Transport East, Andrew Summers, spoke to host Dan Benn about the organisations Annual Review for 2023-2024, commenting on achievements, goals, and some stumbling blocks that have been encountered in the region.

Expanding on the importance of transport in driving improvement around the country, Andrew said:

“Transport is ultimately one of a number of enablers that support economic growth, a better environment and better outcomes for society, and indeed, part of our transport strategy was to try to articulate what those priorities were for us, and to then determine how we went about our work.”

Considering the makeup of the East as a region, Andrew also touched upon the importance of keeping rural communities connected to both each other, and to the economic hubs nearby, saying:

“One in three people in the East live in a rural community, and for us that’s about 1.2 million people. So that’s a significant amount of our population.

“We’ve done a lot of analysis about their accessibility and it’s pretty concerning. Two thirds of those live in what we class as a transport desert – that is, they have no access to education, training, skills, work by any means apart from the private car – and we have explored this a bit further. This creates significant transport-related social exclusion.”

To hear more from Andrew on the successes and challenges of being responsible for transport developments in one of the most rural regions of the country, as well as what the future holds for transport in the East, listen to the latest episode of the PSE Podcast now.

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It is the role of local government leaders to make the decisions that will best deliver for the communities that they represent. That much is obvious.

How can they do this, however, if they are not accurately representative of those very communities?

Great strides have been made in ensuring that everyone, regardless of their ethnicity, race, gender, or social class is represented in some way within local government. Chief Executive of Westminster City Council Stuart Love joins host Dan Benn to talk about why this work is important, the different work that is being done in Westminster, and how his background influences his stance on equality and diversity.

Touching on his leadership model, Stuart said:

“I do wear my heart on my sleeve as a leader, and that’s not for everybody. I get that. I don’t think that there’s a one-size-fits-all approach to this.

“The most important thing for me, though, is this has got to be led by the people at the top of the organisation… The whole thing around EDI (equality, diversity, and inclusion) is not something that can be farmed out to somewhere else.”

Stuart also discussed how success in diversity and inclusion can be measured within the public sector:

“The public sector is not very good at talking about why this is such an important thing. But if you look at the changes in our organisation, that fact that our organisation is now much more representative of our communities… the organisation has increased by 10% in terms of our global majority staff over the last six years.

“That means we’ve gone from being around 32% to now 42% of our organisation and, because of that, we have much greater resident satisfaction and residents feel more engaged.”

To make sure you get Stuart’s expert insight on such a key issue for leaders around the country, listen to Episode 51 of the Public Sector Executive Podcast.

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In the 50th episode of the Public Sector Executive Podcast, Leader of the East Riding of Yorkshire Council Cllr Anne Handley talks about the upcoming devolution deal for the region and what it can bring to East Yorkshire.

Councillor Handley delved into the potential that East Yorkshire holds, ongoing transport issues and, touching on just how important the deal is for the region, said:

“It’s really important. We are the last part of Yorkshire to actually have any kind of deal…

“…We need the funding like everybody else, and why shouldn’t we have it?”

Whilst discussing some of the challenges that the deal poses, including the consultation around it, Cllr Handley added:

“We need to let as many people know as we possibly can, and do some myth-busting, explain what the positives of this will be and get the local residents on board so that they’re talking about it and know about it. There’s a job to be done to start with because you say the word combined authority and it’s such a misnomer.

“I really wish it wasn’t in purely and simply because we’re not combining.”

To hear more about the devolution deal for East Yorkshire, listen to the latest episode of the Public Sector Executive Podcast.

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On the latest episode of the Public Sector Executive Podcast, Councillor Amanda Hopgood joins host Dan Benn to discuss the devolution deal that has been secured for the North East of England.

As the Leader of Durham County Council, Amanda is brilliantly placed to talk about all of the main facets of such an important deal, especially with £4.2 billion of investment coming into the region. Speaking on this investment, Amanda said:

“[It’s] absolutely immense for a region like ours that sadly, on many of the indexes and scales, is top of all the wrong ones. Where we can make huge inroads is around adult education, housing, jobs, and health, all of which will hopefully change aspirations and the future of our residents in a positive way.

“That, for me, is the most important thing that we’re doing here. Bringing that power and money to local decision-makers who know what the residents in the North East need. We know what skills we need, as opposed to someone in Whitehall or Westminster telling us.”

Speaking about some of the potential challenges of the devolution deal, Amanda went on to say:

“Most people are sceptical of another tier of possible bureaucracy in local government, so the biggest challenge we have is to make sure that, when the mayor - whoever they may be - is elected next year, we hit the ground running and have some things that can be delivered quickly so people see the benefit.”

To find out more about the exciting possibilities of this devolution deal, as well as some of the real challenges that councils in the North East face, listen to the latest Public Sector Executive Podcast.

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As central government aims for the UK to be net zero by 2050, councils around the country make plans for how to reduce emissions. This episode’s guest, Oldham’s Councillor Abdul Jabbar outlines the importance of coming together to reduce the nation’s carbon footprint, the benefits of achieving net zero, and how Oldham Council are working to do just that.

Touching on the role that the public sector can play in sustainability, Cllr Jabbar said:

“I think it’s really important that the public sector gives true leadership in this space. I think something like one third of the carbon emissions in the country come from the public sector, so obviously we’re a big polluter in terms of the emissions.”

Councillor Jabbar also spoke about challenges being faced by organisations:

“I think the biggest one has been finance. Clearly the local government sector in particular has had its grants cut from central government by a huge amount and that’s had a very big impact in terms of our plans to take forward projects in relation to climate change, so that’s a major issue.”

To hear what Cllr Jabbar has to say about the mission to achieve net zero carbon emissions, listen to the latest episode of the Public Sector Executive Podcast.

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The Leader of Liverpool City Council Liam Robinson spoke to PSE’s Dan Benn about the importance of transport links being decided locally, the homelessness crisis that is only worsening across the country, the financial pressure that many councils find themselves under and lots more.

Speaking about the cancellation of HS2, Liam said: “I think we’ve found the process predominantly over the course of the last six to seven years very, very frustrating with the way that the North of England, particularly big cities like Liverpool, haven’t been equal partners in the conversation, the planning and the delivery of that. The way that Rishi Sunak decided to, sort of, obliterate the plans we found was completely and utterly unacceptable.”

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In 2020, most of the world stopped. People were forced to stay at home and many people were furloughed.

This episode's guest, however, was thrown into the forefront of the government's response to to the Covid-19 pandemic, leading the tracing system and working alongside local and central government bodies.

Host Dan Benn is joined by Tom Riordan, Chief Executive of Leeds City Council, to discuss loyalty, the pressures of Covid-19, and the importance of transport to a city like Leeds.

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In this episode of the Public Sector Executive Podcast, host Dan Benn is joined by Martin Cresswell (Chair of the Lampton Group) and Shantanu Rajawat (Leader of London Borough of Hounslow Council) as they discuss the importance of innovation in the public sector.

Shantanu, Martin and Dan also touch on the topic of Local Authority Trading Companies, their effectiveness, and how they support innovation and development.

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On episode 44 of the Public Sector Executive Podcast, host Dan Benn was joined by former Lord Mayor of Manchester, Carl Austin-Behan OBE. Carl spoke about everything ranging from his time in the RAF, being Manchester’s first openly gay Lord Mayor, and the important work he does now, with the LGBT Foundation.

Speaking on his time in the Royal Air Force, Carl said “they just sat me down and said ‘ do you have homosexual tendencies?’ In that split second I had to make my decision, whether I was going to be true to myself and this was the moment where I could be, or I could lie.

“I think If I’d said no, the Air Force would have been like ‘thank you very much, we just had to ask’ but they asked again, and I burst into tears.”

Carl also touched on the improvements that have been made in workplaces, since that time, saying that “Because of the way that a lot of organisations have moved on, I think they also realise that they’ve got to treat the LGBTQ community in their workforce, with respect. Also, we’ve now got things like LGBT History Month, which we never used to have, and everyone knows about.

“It does frustrate me sometimes because, if you’re a business or organisation that are bringing people in to do a talk – which is great, but it doesn’t have to just be during LGBT History Month or Pride Month. For me, permanent visibility is permanent acceptance.”

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On episode 43 of the Public Sector Executive Podcast, Lucy Trueman, Managing Director of Trueman Change, joined host Dan Benn to discuss all things relating to organisational culture.

Lucy touched on everything from how to identify the culture within your organisation and how to be aware of the messages you are sending to other employees, to the shifting culture of the modern workplace. Touching on how to work on changing a culture's organisation, Lucy said:

"Step one is definitely to get awareness of it and that awareness needs to come from staff, from customers, and from other people. It doesn't just come from the leadership team."

To hear more from an expert in organisational change, make sure that you listen to the Public Sector Executive Podcast.

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Conservative borough councillor, 19-year-old Harrison Allman-Varty. They discussed the importance of politics to young people, his priorities, and taking a common-sense approach to planning.

 “I think conservative councillors are in a tricky position.” Harrison said when talking about one thing that he regards as one of the most important things for councillors to do.

“They’re in a tricky position because they want to protect the green belt as a fundamental thing and they want to conserve those spaces, but the conservative party also embodies the whole entrepreneurial homeownership, buy your own home. The two actually struggle to go hand in hand.

“I think what that means, when it comes to planning, is that there’s got to be a bit of give and take.”

To hear more from the next generation of local government leaders and gain important insight into some of the most pressing public sector issues in 2023, make sure that you listen to the Public Sector Voices podcast.

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At the beginning of July, it was announced that we would be getting a Labour government for the first time since the Conservatives won the 2010 General Election. This saw Sir Keir Starmer become Prime Minister, replacing Rishi Sunak – who subsequently announced his intention to step down as Leader of the Conservative Party.

In the short space of time since they came into power, the new government has been getting to work to deliver on some of its key priorities, including furthering devolution, prioritising clean energy, and nationalising our railways. But what does this mean for local government?

On hand to answer that question, and reflect on the results of the general election was Cllr Sam Chapman-Allen, Chair of the District Council Network, who joined host Dan Benn on the 59th episode of the Public Sector Executive Podcast.

When discussing what would be on his wishlist for the new government, and its relationship with local government, Chapman-Allen said:

“We’ve had a good relationship with government, but actually we’ve seen external pressures outside of the UK Government’s control – which has either slowed programmes and activities, or caused activities to be paused because other programmes have taken that attention. Actually, we need a grown-up conversation around certain areas, such as asylum and immigration so we will ensure that that those individuals who comes to England are provided safe, appropriate homes and housing….

“I think the second part is around our finances and making sure we actually have a robust conversation, understanding where their appetite is to support local government on the day-to-day expenditure, but also where is our appetite to support some of those big intervention pieces around regeneration, levelling up…?”

To hear more from Sam on how the new government can work alongside councils, and how this changing of the guard can bring benefits to communities, listen to the latest episode of the PSE Podcast now.

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In the 40th episode of the Public Sector Executive Podcast, host Dan Benn spoke to Cllr James Jamieson about all things local government.

As Chairman of the Local Government Association, James took us through some of the most pressing issues being faced by local government at the moment including the housing crisis, meeting housing targets, achieving net zero carbon emissions, and issues with a lack of funding impacting the services that councils provide. Speaking about the effort councils are making to continue providing for their communities despite dwindling funding, James said:
“Every council is doing its damnedest to support its residents. No two places are alike and that means that the pressures that different places face are different.”

To hear James’ expert insight into the struggles being faced by local councils in 2023, as well as other insightful guests, make sure you tune into the Public Sector Executive Podcast.

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The public sector, naturally, holds immense amounts of data to help make informed decisions on how to deliver key services for people. With these huge amounts of information, spread across different departments and all levels of governance, it is clear to see where there may be issues with how data is shared around. Considering the sheer amount of the data available, there are many barriers that will stop departments easily sharing data around. James explained some of these barriers, saying:

“During the pandemic, sharing data became more important than ever, as you can well imagine. One thing that it shone a light on was the complexities of doing so. Access restrictions and boundaries between organisations have always posed challenges for onward sharing of data and analysis of data, and analysts working within government have often had to navigate complex legal frameworks and isolated working.”

Not only does there need to be a solution that effectively allows access to the data in a way that helps users interpret it so they can make a decision, it also needs to remain secure due to the nature of the data involved. This security element intrinsically has a link to a change in the data-sharing culture of government departments. 

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Artificial intelligence is one of the most exciting technology developments in recent times.

Whilst it has seemingly endless possible uses across a number of sectors, AI can also bring major improvements for local authorities. 

To discuss the potential benefits, risks and challenges of authorities utilising artificial intelligence, Kent County Council’s Fil Kamps joined host Dan Benn for the latest episode of the PSE Podcast.

Discussing some of the benefits of AI for the public sector, especially when it comes to productivity and efficiency which has been a hot topic in recent months, Fil said:

“There’s a number of benefits to the customers and residents of these organisations… the end users will benefit. I think the primary way they’ll feel it is actually not the most obvious; it’s the changes to backend processes that will improve delivery times against services, the processing of requests that come in.

“AI is helping to improve and streamline a lot of those processes in the backend whilst keeping human decision making at its core.”

Fil also touched upon the skills that the public sector workforce might need as it embraces AI, saying:

“I think we started to see this shift in public sector workforces when Covid hit and everything went from being in person in the office, to being online and digital… That change in working practices really placed an emphasis on people’s ability to pick up technology and to have a decent level of digital literacy to be able to work in a public sector organisation.” 

To hear more from Fil about how organisations across the sector can use AI to drive major improvement, as well as some of challenges that may be faced along the AI journey, listen to the latest episode of the Public Sector Executive Podcast now.

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“Often, the legacy of a leader is talked about in terms of their achievements. However, in public services, the job is never done.

“You constantly strive towards your goal for a better service, a better life or a better experience for people who you serve. You can only do that effectively if you drive a culture where others can develop to the best of their potential.”

That was the view of Rajesh Nadkarni, Executive Medical Director at Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne & Wear NHS Foundation Trust, as he discussed with host Matt Roberts the advice he would offer fellow leaders having undertaken the NLC Accelerate Programme.

Joined by Tosca Fairchild, Delivery Director for Equality & Health Inequalities and Intensive Support for the East of England at NHS England and NHS Improvement (NHSE/I), it was clear despite such different journeys to their current positions, there was a consensus of desire to improve their skills not only for their own benefits, but the benefits of their colleagues, organisations, and service users equally too.

That dictates a strong, conscientious public service leader and is one of the end targets of the NLC Accelerate Programme, which has striven to provide the skills and environment necessary to encourage and develop these skills within their cohort.

With the NLC Accelerate Programme now open to new applicants for the 2021/22 cohort, both Rajesh,Tosca and the other participants of this four-part miniseries strongly recommended that leaders consider the benefits the NLC could offer.

Tosca explained: “The network that we’ve created, through being part of the programme, is going to be in my view invaluable for all 20 of us on this programme.

“As we go forward, we have been introduced to people that we would not ordinarily have come across, we will have action learning sets and people to call upon when, as leaders, things get tough and you need to run something past someone.

“We now have a network of people that I know with confidence, I can pick up the phone and say ‘Rajesh, I’ve got this in mind, can I have a conversation with you to help me?’ [and they’ll support me with that].”

The NLC Accelerate Programme brings together 20 high-performing ethnic minority leaders from across public services, who are currently working at Deputy CEO level and aiming to become CEO-level leaders within their respective fields.

Applications for the new 2021/22 cohort of the NLC Accelerate are open until September 24, 2021. Those keen to take part in this year’s course can register their interest here.

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Most of us can identify the qualities that make a good public sector leader, but what turns a good leader into a great one? In particular, what can we learn from other leaders around us to help take advantage of opportunities and deliver greater services to the public?

As part of our four-part podcast miniseries with the National Leadership Centre (NLC), Public Sector Executive is delving deeper into what helps make a great leader’.

Joining host Matt Roberts on the podcast, Parveen Yaqoob, Deputy Vice-Chancellor at the University of Reading and Shantha Dickinson, Deputy Chief Fire Officer, discuss their leadership journeys and the experiences that helped propel them forward in their careers.  For Parveen, there was one particular moment which represented a turning point in her career progression.

“About five or six years ago, I was asked to take part in a STEM event for Year 9 girls. I was one of six role models, women representing different areas in STEM, and at the start of the event the facilitator asked each of us to stand up and explain why we were there. I stood up and found myself saying that there weren’t enough women in senior positions in universities and I wanted to see change.

“As soon as the words were out of my mouth, it just hit me like a thunderbolt. I realised I couldn’t say something like that, and yet have no intention of doing anything about it.”

That drove Parveen to make the most of opportunities, and to help guide and support others to come through too. But equally, it also taught her to take pride in her achievements and recognise the success she had achieved in her career, and how she could then turn that into a shareable experience for others.

There are many different ways that a leader can go from having a good career to a great one, with guests Parveen and Shantha’s very different experiences demonstrating as much, but one thing comes across immediately clear: the growth of a great leader doesn’t just benefit themselves, but it benefits everyone across their organisation and in the case of the NLC Accelerate delegates, it benefits the recipients of the public service their organisations provide

Listen to the full discussions with Shantha and Parveen and discover what truly took them to that next stage of personal, professional, and collaborative success, and how the NLC Accelerate Programme has impacted their leadership journeys.

The NLC Accelerate Programme brings together 20 high-performing ethnic minority leaders from across public services, who are currently working at Deputy CEO level and aiming to become CEO-level leaders within their respective fields.

Applications for the new 2021/22 cohort of the NLC Accelerate are open until September 24, 2021. Those keen to take part in this year’s course can register their interest here.

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As ethnic minority leaders, there have been many barriers and challenges to overcome to reach the career heights that our guests from the NLC Accelerate Programme have done, and in the second of our four-part miniseries with the National Leadership Centre (NLC), we hear about some of these challenges and how the delegates have managed to surmount them.

Joined by Mohit Venkataram, Executive Commercial Director at East London Foundation Trust, and Acosia Nyanin, Regional Chief Nurse for the South East at NHS England & NHS Improvement (NHSE/I), our host Matt Roberts was able to delve into some of the root experiences and explore very honest, candid answers from the guests.

One of the biggest elements, and one which the NLC Accelerate Programme was able to directly intervene and help with, was the construction of strong, valuable networks of like-minded, driven public leaders; leaders who often otherwise might not have crossed paths.

Through both the building of connections among the course cohort, and the implementation of a mentor system, the NLC Accelerate delegates were able to connect, learn and share in confidence.

As Mohit explained: “I think it’s often felt that one is alone in the room. It has felt like that for a long time.

“It is incredibly important to feel in your heart that you have a network, where you can bounce off ideas and where you can feel comfortable, and there’s a safe space to have an open discussion.

“The pandemic made a difference. It taught us that our strength comes in being a group, a collective and in not competing with each other but recognising the experiences we bring in together as a group which makes a difference to the lives of people that we are here to serve.”

Listen to the full conversation with Mohit and Acosia and discover how these two inspirational public sector leaders have overcome barriers and challenges in their career, with the support of the NLC Accelerate Programme,

The NLC Accelerate Programme brings together 20 high-performing ethnic minority leaders from across public services, who are currently working at Deputy CEO level and aiming to become CEO-level leaders within their respective fields.

Applications for the new 2021/22 cohort of the NLC Accelerate are open until September 24, 2021. Those keen to take part in this year’s course can register their interest here.

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“It is fundamentally important to work with people, understand what motivates them and what their lived experience has been.”

Those were the words of Salma Yasmeen, Executive Director of Strategy and Change at South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, as she joined two of her fellow NLC Accelerate Programme delegates on the first of a four-part miniseries being ran between the National Leadership Centre (NLC) and PSE’s Public Sector Voices podcast.

For Salma and her fellow Accelerate programme delegates, one of the biggest strengths of the programme was connecting the experiences of a diverse, varied group of public sector leaders to learn from one another and build up valuable connections.

One of the ways that was achieved was by sharing people’s stories up until then, the challenges and successes they had experienced in their careers and their general feelings within their roles; helping to reveal common sentiments among leaders.

Joined on this episode by Gurpreet Jagpal, Pro Vice-Chancellor, Business and Entrepreneurship at the University of Suffolk and Buki Adeyemo, Medical Director and Deputy CEO at North Staffordshire Combined Healthcare NHS Trust, the three fascinating leaders shared their own journeys and experiences up to that point.

From experience working in the voluntary sector and in the Middle East, through to a transformative experience in Nigeria, and hard-working summers in their youth, each of the NLC Accelerate Programme members had a unique, rich story to share with our podcast host Matt Roberts.

Jump in and listen to the full stories and learn about some of the transformative benefits that the programme has given these rising public sector leaders.

The NLC Accelerate Programme brings together 20 high-performing ethnic minority leaders from across public services, who are currently working at Deputy CEO level and aiming to become CEO-level leaders within their respective fields.

Applications for the new 2021/22 cohort of the NLC Accelerate are open from September 1-24, 2021. Those keen to take part in this year’s course can register their interest here.

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Waste management may not always get a reputation as a glamorous or innovative area of public sector and local authority management, but there are huge opportunities yet to be achieved; much of it involving data science and digital technology.

On Episode 31 of PSE’s Public Sector Voices podcast, we sat down with Peter Hutt, Environment Manager at OpenSky Data Systems, who specialises in helping local authorities realise this potential. And for him, the impacts are often able to felt far beyond the waste management team.

“It’s very much something that’s been part of the waste team’s remit to look at their data and to use it where they can, even if it’s not always recognised because you can see it fairly easily if you have a look. Down to the basic, ‘Oh it’s the summer, we have more people flocking to our beaches, so we need more trucks to empty the waste bins’.

“Data has always been part of it, even when they don’t recognise it themselves.

“The collection of the detailed waste data, the movement from one place to another, gives them a big resource that they could use for planning; and not just for their own planning, but for the planning of other parts of the council.

“For themselves, it’s looking at how valuable would an extra incinerator be for us, in our waste stream, or do we need another recycling centre because we have a big population building up in this area.

“But there’s other parts of the council that could also benefit from the waste data. If you consider the planning department for the new buildings and houses. If we can model what an increase of 5,000 extra people in a particular area looks like in terms of waste, we can look at that and say ‘here is what that would look like if the houses were all semi-detached, here is what it is like if it’s all high-rise. Here is what it looks like if you have 10 acres of green space, and here if you only have five acres.

“It can build into the planning processes as well, so it’s not just restricted to the waste team which would use this data.”

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On this week’s episode of Public Sector Voices we are joined by two key members of the National Association of Local Councils, Chief Executive, Jonathan Owen and Chair Sue Baxter.

NALC has been supporting town and parish councils since 1947, by lobbying Government, advising councils and improving and developing the sector, but their challenges now are perhaps greater than ever. 

Sue and Jonathan approach their roles from different angles giving a rounded account of the landscape of local councils, from their relationships with Ministers to local business owners.

With around 10,000 parish and town councils across England, their size, and diversity vary greatly, but the pandemic has shown that the importance of having these councillors on the ground, responding directly to the public is making the sector “as relevant as it has ever been, if not more than ever.”

The pandemic has accelerated what was already happening in the sector, which is that councils are doing much more, raising much more funds to support their local communities, getting involved in things they might not have got involved with in the past and Jonathan believes that local councillors should be at the centre of building back stronger and more resilient local communities.

Devolution, digital development and desires for a restructure, Jonathan and Sue covering everything from the perspective of the first tier of local government. 

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On this week’s episode of Public Sector Voices we are joined by Martina Kane, Policy and Engagement Manager, at The Heath Foundation. She is calling for young people’s future & current health to be taken seriously by eliminating stress and uncertainty surrounding work and housing. 

Martina explains how young people’s health is heavily influenced by the wider things that’s around them and why getting people off to the best possible start in life is so crucial. 

She also illustrates through her organisations research the barriers young people face when trying to find secure work and secure housing. 

Following Rishi Sunak’s implementation of the furlough scheme and focus on youth employment, Martina said it was welcomed but hopefully when the economy opens up again a lot of these young people can go back to their workplaces. 

She also discusses how London Youth reported a third of services might not reopen after the Covid-19 outbreak. 

This podcast will tell you all you need to know about ensuring young people are protected for the future with regards to health, work and housing. 

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Digitalisation is a big part of the future of the public sector, however organisations need to make sure that their digital ambitions don’t leave communities lagging behind, or unable to access the services they need.

Discussing how organisations across the sector can transform digitally, bring communities with them, and his career in digital inclusion, Cambridgeshire County Council’s Will Plant joined host Dan Benn on the latest episode of the Public Sector Executive Podcast.

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On this week’s episode of Public Sector Voices we are joined by Cllr Mandy Clare from Cheshire West and Chester Council. As the Leader’s champion of Poverty and Inequality, she is calling for the full Cabinet to declare a Poverty and Inequality Emergency.

Councils around the country have been declaring climate emergencies and taking steps to mitigate against it, but Cllr Clare is hoping that now, local authorities will turn their attention to the pressing issue of poverty, and that Central Government will step in too.

The Poverty Truth Commission has been working to enable these conversations between the lived experience of poverty and the professional experience, to de-stigmatise what it means to be living in poverty in England in 2020.

Using a data driven and evidence-based approach, Cllr Clare wants her council to lead the way and give a voice to communities who are being disproportionately impacted. 

Foodbank use and cost of living have gone up but benefits and employment haven’t, leaving many people in England on the brink of poverty, and with the pandemic only adding to financial pressures, many people need support. 

With shame and stigma surrounding the poverty conversation, children and young people are unable to ask for help or share their experience with others, perpetuating the cycle even further. 

“We talk about weight issues, eating disorders, gender, sex and drugs in schools now but we don’t talk about poverty”

This podcast will tell you all you need to know about ensuring your council is on the right side of history with the Poverty Emergency, and no one in your region is being unnecessarily left behind. 

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This week’s episode of Public Sector Voices, covers a hydrogen transport revolution, with Centre for Policy Studies researcher, Eamonn Ives. 

Eamonn specialises in the environment, devolution and business and regulatory policy and recently authored a report on how hydrogen can fuel a transport revolution.

While the UK economy has reduced its emissions by around 43% since 1990, transport remains the single biggest source, having only reduced by 2% in the same year.

Eamonn talks us through the sectors that are yet to decarbonise and the potential the country has to be ‘first movers’ in hydrogen energy, and reach the countries net zero carbon goals using this ‘miracle fuel’.

His position at CPS makes him primed to have a hand in influencing Ministers and policy on this topic, and he believes they are starting to wake up to the possibilities of hydrogen.

HGVs, Buses and the Railway all stand to benefit from this change but does hydrogen mean bypassing electric?

“The end goal of zero emission transport is what we should be focussing on and it doesn’t matter how we get there as long as we’re getting there.”

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On this week’s episode of Public Sector Voices, Emily is joined by Sir David Bell, whose career in local government spans almost four decades.

Sir David is the current Vice Chancellor of the University of Sunderland and believes universities have a vital role to play in supporting the social and economic bounce back from coronavirus. 

Exams, assessment and teaching have all had to innovate around travel restrictions, but could new practices be the thing that transforms higher education for good?

Sir David talks us through his new role in social housing, higher education as economic anchor institutes and the skills that are going to drive the green economy. 

Above all, the resounding message of the podcast, was the immense importance of local authorities and organisations, who have been the glue keeping communities together through this pandemic.

“I think, as the pandemic has demonstrated, you ned people who know their local areas extremely well they know how to make local services work how to join them up, how to coordinate them – you can’t do that sitting in Whitehall.

“I think it’s really important that we don’t penny pinch when it comes to supporting local authorities.”

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On this week’s episode of Public Sector Voices, Emily is joined by the Director of National Innovation Centre for Data, Steve Caughey, to highlight the potential of using data to it’s full potential within the public sector and beyond.

At less than two years old, the centre is at the start of its journey to equip the public and private sector with the skills needed to harness the unlimited power of data. 

With just under half of Europe’s organisations currently struggling to fill data analytics role - which incidentally are handsomely paid - Steve explains how we are a long way from being able to satisfy the demand.

Steve warns of the dangers of outsourcing your data, saying that ‘outsourcing your data is the same thing as outsourcing your innovation’ and if you take a look at the world today, we need innovation now more than ever.

With real examples of using data to make the lives of the people better, the podcast is there for people who know all there is to know about data, and those who don’t. 

Particular emphasis is put on the potential of using data on the interface between health and social care, to create a more integrated and efficient service. Not one to be missed. 

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This week, Leader of Isle of Wight Council, Dave Stewart, Joined host Emily Rodgers on the Public Sector Voices podcast. The Island has received national attention throughout the coronavirus crisis for piloting the Government’s controversial track and trace app.

With a modest population of 140,000 people, 40% of which are retired, how did this beautiful hub for beaches and tourism get 54,000 people to join the fight?

Leader Dave Stewart attributes the Island’s success to communication, between Central Government and themselves, themselves and their residents, and everyone in between. He also praises the island for being ‘digitally well advanced’, something he was very grateful for once the lockdown kicked in.

Council finances, beach safety and compliant communities are all covered in this week’s podcast, as Cllr Stewart divulges the council’s financial reserves and the fortunate position they are in, compared with others.  

The Isle of Wight, having successfully pioneered the track and trace scheme, is now ready to welcome back visitors to the island, with a ‘safety first’ approach, and is focused on “reengaging and reenergising our economic position.” 

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This week leader of Malvern Hills District Council Sarah Rouse joined host Emily Rodgers on Public Sector Voices after being recognised in the #EverydayHeroes campaign for her leadership since taking over the council.

The area suffered from severe floods that devastated businesses only to be hit with the pandemic as they began to recover, making Cllr Rouse’s first year as leader go from crisis to crisis.

Being a small market town has its benefits, but it also means you have to ‘shout a little louder’ to get the support needed to survive, and with Malvern’s unemployment figures tripling since April, they’re going to need all the support they can get.

Cllr Rouse talks of rescued chickens, emergency planning courses and the importance of putting party politics aside to work for the residents. 

A podcast to celebrate the good work being done and still to do in the Malvern Hills District and across all councils fighting the same battle. 

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Marvin Rees was elected as Bristol Mayor in 2016 and has taken the city on a transformative journey through climate change action, social mobility and more recently an energised conversation around race inequality. 

Rees joined host Emily Rodgers on the Public Sector Voices podcast this week to discuss the events of the last few weeks and the wider problems the country faces when true diversity is neglected. 

He calls it ‘a big time of self-reflection for Bristol’ as people deal with the symbolic removal of the Colston statue, whilst advocating for the delivery of a full education of Britain’s history. As he puts it; ‘half the truth is no truth’.

Rees talks about the dilemma of being a black politician, under representation of minorities in local Government and the importance of good leadership to tackle institutional racism. 

But as the Mayor points out it’s not about guilt, it’s about open lines of communication to shape a country that works for everyone. 

Listen to this week’s episode of Public Sector Voices for a frank and honest portrayal of the landscape of the city and what can be done to improve it. 

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Sir Richard Leese, long-standing leader of Manchester City Council joins Public Sector Voices host, Emily Rodgers to discuss the events throughout his 24-year reign and the future landscape of the city.

It is a task that is still ongoing, but rebuilding Manchester up from where is was all those years ago has taken the industrial city, with a falling population, to the thriving, buzzing hub it is today – all under the watchful eye of Mr.Leese. 

A huge part of the vision for Manchester going forward, is the 2038 zero emissions target, something the Council is keen to beat. Making the next five years absolutely critical.

Retrofitting, active travel and a green Council fleet are among the key drivers of reaching that goal, as well as promoting healthy lifestyles across the region to build a strong and healthy population and build an economy of the future ‘using the real strengths that we already had.’

There is already an abundance of good news coming from the city, with Manchester being one of the healthiest places for people to return to work, but as Mr.Leese says “It’s not time to go wild yet.”

Join us on a journey through Manchester’s history and feel part of its future on this week’s episode of Public Sector Voices. 

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On this week’s episode, Executive Member for Children and Families and Leeds City Council, Cllr Fiona Venner, joined host Emily Rodgers on Public Sector Voices to discuss how families in Leeds are being supported through the crisis.

As more school children are sent back to school, a lot of anxiety is apparent among children and families, uncertainty and mixed messaging have made it difficult for parents to know if they are making the right decision. 

Cllr Venner tells us about the support available in Leeds and what schools in the area are doing to support their students back into education.

For those families who have found themselves at the centre of more arguments over the past few months as a result of Covid-19 pressure, this podcast aims to provide you with the support and advice to help you through it, as Cllr Venner reminds us the importance of not turning your home “into a warzone” when home schooling. 

With figures showing 25% of children that were in need of mental health support didn’t have access to support during the crisis, it begs the question ‘what is the extent of the damage from this virus?’

Read more at Public Sector Executive 

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On this week’s episode, Leader of Newcastle City Council, Cllr Nick Forbes CBE joined host Emily Rodgers to highlight his ambitions for the future of his city. 

Nick has been instrumental in representing local government and their economies through a decade of austerity and has worked to secure devolution packages City Deals through the combined authority. 

The first thing noted by the leader is that the last ten years have been ‘the most extraordinary period in local government’ but that doesn’t stop him referring to his 11 years as leader as a privilege. 

Newcastle has implemented many examples of where they have pivoted and repurposed their resources to support the city through this crisis, with amazing results.

Cllr Forbes’ ambitious plan for the future is a green one, with talks of growing your own food and not letting cars back into the city centre after this crisis, Nick is ready to support a whole generation of jobs created from the carbon neutral journey. 

A champion for local government, devolution and building a greater society, Cllr Forbes shares his council’s best practice and leaves you feeling inspired, certain that the coronavirus crisis poses opportunity for positive change.  

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Decision making is a crucial part of leading in any industry, never mind the public sector. With decisions being made that can have life changing consequences for entire communities it is vital that leaders are accountable, able to make decisions under pressure, and able to foresee the challenges that they might face in the future.

To talk about making decisions under pressure, the journey that the organisation has been on, and his personal career, Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service’s Mark Smyth joined host Dan Benn on the latest episode of the Public Sector Executive Podcast.

Talking about some of the challenges that the fire and rescue service faces over the course of the next year, Mark said: “There’s many major threats when you start to look at the national risk registers and you look at dealing with climate change. We’re getting more flooding, we’re getting longer periods of wetness. You’re starting to see the large wildfires and gorse fires that hit the Southeast of England last year.”

Challenges don’t stop with climate change, however, as Mark expanded: “There’s challenges in and around the operational side of our culture and changing, that’s major for us. You’ll know that financially and under budget restraints that we have in the world we’re in now, there’s really big challenges around that, and providing the service that the public want with the limited financial resources we have.”

To learn more about the type of training that is available for councillors, why it is so important, and the role that central government can play, listen to the newest episode of the Public Sector Executive Podcast.

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On this week’s episode, Lord Robert Kerslake joined host Emily Rodgers to discuss the recent UK2070 Commission on levelling up UK towns and cities. He has been listed as one of the most influential people in the public sector thanks to his services to Local Government that span from Council Chief Executive to President of the Local Government Association and member of the House of Lords.

One of the key points made by Bob was that the UK is one of the most unequal countries in the developed world, and more devolved powers are needed in places in localities to help level parts of the UK outside the Southeast. 

With the coronavirus crisis putting even more financial pressure on local authorities, now is the time for the Government to ‘go big or go home’ and support councils more than ever to get out of the current crisis. 

Where does the coronavirus leave HS2? Lord Kerslake argued for a connectivity revolution but what will the future of the transport network look like? 

Listen to this week’s Public Sector Voices podcast ‘A gradual erosion of local autonomy’ and find out what is needed to level up the UK after coronavirus and beyond. 

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East Hampshire District Councillor Paula Langley joined Emily Rodgers on Public Sector Voices this week to give us insight into the role of a Councillor at a very local level, and how the community is pulling through the crisis.

Paula represents the most deprived ward in East Hampshire, and was inspired to enter local politics after realising what is was lacking – Deeds not words.

Alton Aid is a volunteer service that has propped up the local area and protected its most vulnerable residents with food deliveries, tech support and a friend to turn to, and Paula is right at the heart of that service. 

With discussions on food banks, education, libraries and more, Paula’s love for her ward shines through the discussion and leaves you feeling inspired by her rapid response, at a time when rapid response has been critical. 

Find out what local authorities are missing, and why Paula thinks that despite being ‘locked inside our houses’, we’ve never been so connected, on this episode of Public Sector Voices.

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Director of Core cities UK Chris Murray joined Emily Rodgers on Public Sector Voices this week to discuss how the 11 key cities, that sit at the centre of wider economic areas, could prosper as lockdown restrictions are lifted.

Belfast, Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, Glasgow, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester, Newcastle, Nottingham and Sheffield make up the Core Cities group and work to make each region a more economically and socially rich place.

Chris is passionate about the need for locally devolved powers from Central Government, and the importance having local policy can have on the economy now and in the future. 

With emphasis on skills, the labour market and untapped potential, this discussion brings about hope for UK productivity levels, which if all regions performed at the national average, would see £70bn a year put into the economy and £100bn a year if they matched performance levels of their counter parts in Europe or North America. 

Find out how we can re-imagine UK cities post-pandemic and bring about positive change as restrictions ease to safeguard local economies to weather this storm and any future storms to come. 

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Sacha Lord, Night-time Economy Advisor for Greater Manchester and Mayor Andy Burnham joined host Emily Rodgers on Public Sector Voices this week to discuss the region’s recovery from the coronavirus crisis, underpinned by its rich music heritage.

Sacha brought events like Warehouse Project and Parklife to the region and in the absence of traditional events, while we try and slow the spread of coronavirus, he is live streaming to the masses and raising money for Greater Manchester.

Manchester has always been famous for its nightlife, something which will be instrumental in the region’s economic bounce back and Sacha is the man to lead the fight. His latest efforts reaching nine million viewers and raising £260,000 and counting for the hospitality sector.

He uses Altrincham as an example of how the food and drink economy can save the local area, a man who is absolutely confident that we will come back stronger.

Sacha’s positive disposition left us extremely hopeful for the future with the words ‘rebuild, rebuild, rebuild’ ringing in our ears.

Find out what the region has to look forward to in the next five years and how the greatest challenges will be tackled on this week’s episode of Public Sector Voices. 

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