Nazeya Hussain speaks with Tom Riordan in Leeds, one of the fastest-growing cities in the UK.

Tom was born and bred in Yorkshire and his career spans national, regional and local government. He started his journey in the Civil Service fast track before returning to Leeds to set up the Regional development agency. In 2010 he joined Leeds City Council and local government.

Under Tom's leadership, Leeds City Council won MJ Council of the year in 2016 and Digital Council of the year award in 2019.

Tom Riordan & Nazeya Hussain - Local Government Stories Podcast

Natalie Brahma-Pearl, newly appointed Chief Executive of Portsmouth City Council shares her vast experience in local government spanning over 26 years.

Natalie's career journey on ⁠Episode 6⁠ gives us a comprehensive account of her impressive portfolio in environmental health to managing large front-line services focussed on transformation and change, paving her way into local government.

From her Chief Executive position at Crawley Borough Council in West Sussex to navigating political challenges at Horsham District Council focussing on transformation, we gain insights from her perspective on managing the political landscape and leading large organizations. 

Her academic background in environmental policy and strategy led
to her first job as an Environment Officer at Lancaster Council tackling
pollution in the environmental Department, then moving to Harrow branching into policy and environmental health.

From Harrow she moved to Adur District Council working in sustainability taking on responsibilities of safety culture gaining exposure within community and regeneration.

As a Chief Executive at Crawley, she shares her dedication to
improving communities, setting up STEM programmes for schools, facing
unemployment issues and the effects of furlough during the pandemic. 
In her current role as Chief Executive of Portsmouth Council,
she has transitioned from a borough setting to leading a unitary at Portsmouth City Council and through sheer determination and resilience during personal challenges we learn how her early childhood shaped her.

Solace website:
solace.org.uk

Dedicated podcast site:
⁠⁠https://solace.org.uk/blog/local-government-stories-podcast/⁠⁠

Socials: @Solace_UK #LocalGovernmentStories

Natalie Brahma-Pearl & Nazeya Hussain - Local Government Stories Podcast

Dr Grace Vickers, Chief Executive at Midlothian Council, is a dynamic leader in local government. She has improved school performance and played key roles in addressing pandemic-related schooling issues as co-chair of the Scottish Government's National Children and Families Collective Leadership Group. In 2023, she chaired Solace Scotland, highlighting her extensive leadership experience. 


Grace's leadership journey from Head Teacher to Chief Executive at Midlothian Council is rooted in her strong academic foundation, including a postgraduate certificate in secondary education, a PhD from the University of Edinburgh Business School, SQH, and a B.Mus (Hons). 


Dr Vickers gained invaluable insights into impactful policy decisions during her time as a secondary Head Teacher at a diverse Catholic school, where she witnessed firsthand the difference such decisions can make on the ground. This experience propelled her into the role of Quality Improvement Manager at the City of Edinburgh Council, marking the beginning of her distinguished career in local government. 


Grace's leadership roles at Midlothian Council, a rapidly growing local authority specializing in life sciences, have been pivotal. She served as Education and Chief Education Officer, overseeing significant initiatives that drove positive change in education across the region. Her subsequent role as Head of Education at Midlothian Council allowed her to spearhead the implementation of a new curriculum across Edinburgh, further cementing her impact on educational development. 


Throughout her career, from pioneering educational initiatives to her current position as Chief Executive, Grace remains dedicated to delivering improved outcomes for individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds within her community. 


Tune in to Episode 7 as we explore Grace Vickers' transformative journey and her unwavering commitment to educational excellence. 

Solace website solace.org.uk

Dedicated podcast site:
⁠⁠⁠https://solace.org.uk/blog/local-government-stories-podcast/⁠⁠⁠

Socials: @Solace_UK #LocalGovernmentStories

Dr Grace Vickers & Nazeya Hussain - Local Government Stories Podcast

This episode is with Rob Walsh, the long standing Chief Executive of Northeast Lincolnshire Council. Rob has been Chief Exec of Northeast Lincolnshire for 10 years now which, in an era of quite high turnover for top local government jobs, is quite some achievement! 

Rob tells the story of how Northeast Lincolnshire is an area which has seen decline in the fishing industry - but is now embracing a new era of possibility around the decarbonisation and renewable energy market. Northeast Lincolnshire is a fantastic case study for Place Leadership: It was the first time to receive a Town Deal back in 2018; It has a long-standing section 75 agreement, which is essentially a way of pooling funding and resources between councils and the health system; and they are also part of proposal for a Greater Lincolnshire Mayoral Combined Authority. 

On top of that, within Northeast Lincolnshire itself, there's quite a lot of co-terminosity between some of the key anchor institutions, the council, and some of the key health providers, who are largely social enterprises. 

Rob is a very humble and quietly inspiring leader. And in my opinion, there is something quite special happening in Northeast Lincolnshire. I think they are quietly becoming a forerunner for what other areas in the country could aspire to.

Stronger Economies And Stronger Communities With Rob Walsh - Radical Reformers Podcast

In this episode, Matt Prosser shares his remarkable journey spanning over 30 years in local government, from his early responsibilities in the Royal Marines to his current role as a national policy leader in local government reform.

As the President of Solace and a prominent figure in the National Leadership Forum, Matt brings a wealth of experience and a unique perspective to the challenges and opportunities facing local communities. 

Key Highlights: 

Transformation and improvement strategies in delivering local efficiencies. 
National leadership roles in driving digital innovation and learning. 
Insights into managing diverse generations and EDI challenges. 
Collaboration across sectors for community support and development. 

This episode is not just about local government; it's about leadership, innovation, and the future we're building together. We invite you to listen, learn, and be inspired by Matt Prosser's vision for stronger, more resilient communities. 

Solace website:
solace.org.uk

Dedicated podcast site:
⁠⁠solace.org.uk/blog/local-government-stories-podcast/⁠⁠

Socials: @Solace_UK #LocalGovernmentStories

Matt Prosser & Nazeya Hussain - Local Government Stories Podcast

This episode is with Sarah Thomas, the Chief Executive of the Fostering Network, the UK’s leading fostering charity and membership organisation. The network provides training, support and advice to everyone involved in the fostering journey. 

This episode is part of Mutual Ventures' 2024 #PrioritisingPublicServices campaign.

Sarah has an incredible and very relevant backstory, which involved going from homeless at 16 to being a Chief Executive at 40, which is incredible. Her passion for supporting vulnerable children and parents comes across strongly, along with some completely understandable frustration at how parts of the system work. 

You won't find many people with as much knowledge about the UK fostering and children's social care system so we really get into how system is performing, what's going well and what some of the challenges are. 

Sarah and I also unpack why the system isn't improving outcomes for children and young people, and what she thinks needs to happen to make a difference. We then move on to talk about one of the big questions troubling leaders across all public services i.e. how do you move towards prevention and away from crisis response? Especially at a time when council services don't have a lot of money. They certainly don't have much in the way of reserves. Within this context, how do you make that flip towards prevention? 

We also discuss how to tackle the stigma of seeking support as a parent, and also have a detailed discussion on children's residential care and why that market isn't working. And it certainly isn't!

Homeless To CEO With The Fostering Network's Sarah Thomas

This episode is with Dr. Linda Harris, the Chief Executive and Chief Medical Officer of Spectrum Community Health a Wakefield based social enterprise, which delivers services covering a wide range of areas including prison health, sexual health and substance misuse. 

Linda describes Spectrum’s services and their incredible growth journey from an organisation of just 100 people to more than 800. We talk about the challenges and opportunities of managing a large organisation of primary care professionals, many of whom are GPs, who we know can be quite independently minded! We also talk about what Linda calls jail craft, which is all of the various precautions and processes you have to follow when you're delivering health care in a secure environment. 

Delivering these types of services on a day to day basis, Linda understandably has a tremendous interest in the wider social determinants of health and we get into a discussion about health neglect, and social issues and how a person's situation can deteriorate over time. We also talk about some of the measures that can be put in place to try and prevent this very damaging and cumulative harm being done.

Fighting Health Neglect With Dr. Linda Harris

This episode is with Rob Whiteman, the Chief Executive of CIPFA. Rob is a very thoughtful and influential commentator on local government and public service reform. He has had a hugely interesting and varied career including stints as Chief Executive at the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham and at the UK Border Agency (UKBA). 

Rob was at Barking and Dagenham when the BNP won an unprecedented number of council seats and he describes how the council worked to reengage with local communities to push back against some of the dangerous propaganda which had led to this election outcome. The learning from this is very relevant for council leaders today as many of our communities become increasingly polarised. As the former head of UKBA, Rob also provides some historical context and contemporary commentary on the small boats crisis. 

We spend most of our time talking about the state of local government and the main drivers for the financial crisis the sector finds itself facing. We discuss what the solutions could be including a return of a more radical version of Total Place, more collaboration between councils on issues like children’s social care and the potential of enhanced powers for Mayoral Combined Authorities. 

I also ask a new question “What would you do it you were Prime Minister for a day?”. Rob has a pretty radical answer!

Empowering Local Places With Rob Whiteman

With a career spanning over 28 years in Local Government, Pippa Milne brings a wealth of experience and insights. As Scotland Solace Leadership Lead, a member of the electoral management board for Scotland, a qualified coach, and now a podcast host, Pippa's journey is nothing short of remarkable.

We are excited to announce the release of Episode 9 of our podcast series, featuring an inspiring conversation with Pippa Milne, the Chief Executive of Argyll and Bute Council, the second largest council in Scotland. 

In this episode, Pippa passionately discusses the benefits of aiming for the top job in local government. She highlights the significant impact one can have on communities, the opportunity to work with a diverse range of people, and the chance to develop invaluable career-building skills. Pippa shares how the role allows for new connections, travel, and networking, making it a dynamic and rewarding career choice. 

Additionally, Pippa opens up about joining the council after a challenging period marked by a breakdown in relationships between members and officers. She delves into the strategies she employed to rebuild trust and improve collaboration within the council, showcasing her resilience and leadership during tough times.

Don't miss this opportunity to gain valuable insights and learn from Pippa Milne's experiences and career-changing moves.

Solace website: ⁠solace.org.uk ⁠

Dedicated podcast site:

⁠⁠⁠⁠https://solace.org.uk/blog/local-government-stories-podcast/⁠⁠⁠⁠
Socials:

⁠@Solace_UK⁠ #LocalGovernmentStories

Pippa Milne & Nazeya Hussain -  Local Government Stories

This episode is with Lesley Dixon. Lesley is the chief executive of PSS, a Liverpool based charity delivering adult social care services and wider support to vulnerable people in Liverpool and across the country.

Lesley is an inspiring leader who has been at the helm of PSS for nearly 15 years, which is a very long tenure in today’s age of chopping and changing jobs. We talk about how you can find a role that you really want to stick at and how it’s also important to make a quick decision if you know an organisation definitely isn’t for you.

We discuss the work of PSS and in particular the Shared Lives scheme, which facilitates community care for vulnerable people (which PSS actually invented in the late 70s!).

A large chunk of the discussion is about what makes for good commissioning and how we’d like to see a greater focus on outcomes rather than inputs and outputs and for there also to be more flexibility in the Commissioner provider relationship. Lesley would also like to see a shift in the emphasis towards preventative services and we talk about how that might happen. It is very difficult for the public sector to account for that type of early investment (something I covered with Rob Whiteman in an earlier episode).

And finally, Lesley wanted to talk about how you leave an organisation well, especially after being there for a long time. It’s a fascinating conversation and I hope you enjoy it.

Commissioning For Better Outcomes With Lesley Dixon

We are thrilled to announce the 10th episode of The Local Government Stories Podcast, featuring a special guest, Andrew Kerr, CEO of Edinburgh Council.

Andrew began his career in Leisure Services and has since built an impressive 42-year journey in local government, serving as Chief Executive across four major local councils in North Tyneside, Wiltshire, Cornwall, and currently in Edinburgh.

In addition to his professional accomplishments, Andrew is a medal-winning 400m runner who has represented Team GB and Scotland at the international level. He was honoured with an OBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours in 2021 for his contributions to public services.

Throughout his career, Andrew has held various local and national roles. His move to Wiltshire as Chief Executive drew significant media attention as he navigated some challenging political waters with redundancy after only 18 months into the position. He then moved to the Chief Executive role in Cornwall where he faced some unprecedented challenges during politically difficult times. 

Andrew later took the opportunity as the Chief Executive of diverse Edinburgh, leading through the challenging pandemic period. He has overseen significant events, including the arrangements for the Queen of England's funeral. 

Today he leads on developing positive relationships with the city’s four universities, engaging with a breadth of partners that make the city a global attraction.

Don't miss this insightful episode where Andrew shares his vast experience and unique stories from his distinguished career in local government.

Solace website: ⁠solace.org.uk ⁠

Dedicated podcast site:

⁠⁠⁠⁠solace.org.uk/blog/local-government-stories-podcast/

⁠@Solace_UK⁠ #LocalGovernmentStories

Andrew Kerr OBE & Nazeya Hussain - Local Government Stories

Solace is the representative body for senior strategic managers working in the public sector. 

We provide our members with opportunities for personal and professional development and seek to influence the debate about the future of public services to ensure that policy and legislation reflect the experience and expertise of our members.

In the Solace podcast, we aim to explore people's personal histories, what shaped them, and how they made their journey to the role of Chief Executive with some of the leading lights in local government.

Interviewer: Nazeya Hussain, Executive Director, NED

Enjoy listening!

Tom Riordan & Nazeya Hussain - Local Government Stories Podcast

Local Government Stories

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