The Local Authority Podcast

The local elections are just around the corner, with everyone in England and Wales able to vote in either council, metro mayor or police and crime commissioner elections, or a combination of the three. With the Conservatives behind in national polling, the increasing importance of independent candidates, and some bellwether mayoral and council contests taking place on 2 May, there is a lot to talk about. In this special Local Authority episode, LGC deputy editor Martin George is joined by editor Sarah Calkin and head of news Kirsty Weakley to discuss all this and more. The trio are joined by elections expert Colin Rallings who explains why he thinks the Tories could lose up to 500 seats, and by Andrew Carter, chief executive of Centre for Cities, to talk about its recent polling about the metro mayors. Find out more about sponsoring an episode of The Local Authority by downloading a copy of the media pack here, or emailing Andrew.Leggatt@emap.com.

Councils are increasingly recognising the value of involving communities in the design of services meanwhile financial pressures have seen the delivery of services such as libraries outsourced to community groups. And though new technology has provided more ways for councils to engage with their residents and businesses, misinformation through social media platforms can often undermine trust. In this episode of The Local Authority we explore what the relationship between councils and their communities should look like and how councils can build trust and democratic engagement. LGC editor Sarah Calkin is joined by: Find out more about sponsoring an episode of The Local Authority here: https://lgcplus.com/podcast

Children’s services are frequently cited as the biggest current pressure on council budgets, with costs having spiralled in recent years. But despite huge increases in spending there is concern children are often not getting the care and support they need, with shortages of placements meaning young people can often find themselves placed many miles away from the people and places they know. Furthermore placements are increasingly being provided in facilities run by private equity backed firms, sparking concerns of excessive profit making. In this episode of The Local Authority, the podcast from Local Government Chronicle, we explore what has gone wrong and what needs to happen to fix a broken system. LGC editor Sarah Calkin is joined by:

The UK is one of the most centralised countries in the world and local authorities enjoy few revenue raising powers when compared with their counterparts in other developed nations. In recent years calls have been growing for local authorities to be given the power to set new taxes or take control of elements of the existing tax base. However, central government has so far resisted these calls. In this episode of The Local Authority, the podcast from Local Government Chronicle, we want to explore the arguments for fiscal devolution, what that could look like in practice and why it is being met with resistance. Joining Sarah Calkin this month is Jamie Driscoll, metro mayor of the North of Tyne Combined Authority; Jessica Studdert, deputy chief executive of New Local and Ross Mudie, research analyst at The Centre for Progressive Policy. Available on all streaming services now!

Spiralling inflation has pushed up the cost of borrowing while the high-profile failure of some councils that took on large amounts of debt has increased scrutiny of council investments. In this episode of The Local Authority, the podcast from Local Government Chronicle, we want to explore how councils are approaching funding of regeneration in this environment and whether attitudes to commercialisation in local government have changed. Joining Sarah Calkin this month is Sarah Norman, chief executive at Barnsley MBC; Rob Whiteman, chief executive at CIPFA and Tracy Bingham, strategic director (corporate resources) at South Derbyshire DC. The episode is available for streaming on all podcast platforms now.

For the past decade, the government’s preferred model of devolution has been to combined authorities with directly elected mayors. However, more than five years on from the election of the first metro mayors, there is ongoing resistance from councils to adopting this model. In this episode of The Local Authority, a podcast from Local Government Chronicle, we explore what is behind this resistance and how the model is working in those places where it already exists. Joining LGC editor Sarah Calkin this month is Professor Carolyn Wilkins, fellow at Birmingham Leadership Institute and former chief executive of Oldham MBC; Cllr Anna Smith (Lab), former leader of Cambridge City Council and deputy mayor of Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Combined Authority and Paul Swinney, director of policy and research at Centre for Cities. The episode is available for streaming on all platforms now.

Many officers start their careers as specialists in their field, such as finance, law, social care or planning, but the nature of their job changes as they are promoted to roles that see them working closely with elected politicians and facing public scrutiny. In this episode of The Local Authority, a podcast from Local Government Chronicle, we explore how the sector can better support officers moving into more senior positions. Joining LGC deputy editor Martin George are Joanne Roney, chief executive of Manchester City Council; Bruce McDonald, leader of Elmbridge BC, and Deborah Evans, chief executive of Lawyers in Local Government. Available on all platforms now.

May’s elections saw more than 80 councils change political control with an increase in the number of councils under no overall control. Often this can mean the councillors involved in forming an administration are doing so for the first time; sometimes they can also be relatively new councillors who are still getting to grips with how the council works or forming a coalition with political opponents. In this episode of The Local Authority, we’ll explore how to best support newly elected members, and ensure the success of councils with minority or coalition administrations. Joining LGC deputy editor Martin George are William Benson, chief executive of Tunbridge Wells BC; Cllr Liz Leffman (Lib Dem), leader of Oxfordshire CC and Cllr Abi Brown (Con), chair of the Local Government Association’s innovation and improvement board and former leader of Stoke-on-Trent City Council.

For the fourth year in a row the government has handed councils a single year finance settlement, albeit with some indication of what to expect for the following year. After more than a decade of funding restraint and in the face of high inflation, the uncertainty of single year budgets adds to councils’ challenges in planning services. In this episode of The Local Authority, LGC, along with our partners TPXimpact, wanted to explore how councils are managing these circumstances. Joining LGC editor Sarah Calkin this month is Patrick Melia, chief executive at Sunderland City Council; Cllr Peter Marland (Lab), leader of Milton Keynes Council and Joanne Pitt, head of policy at the Chartered Institute of Public Finance & Accountancy. Available on all podcast platforms now.

More councils are struggling than ever before: in the past two years eight councils have been subject to formal government intervention or only narrowly avoided it, compared to five in the 12 years prior to that. The Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities recently advertised for inspectors and commissioners, suggesting there may be more interventions to come. In this episode of The Local Authority, we explore why so many councils currently appear to be struggling, the role of government commissioners and intervention and what it takes to bring about lasting improvement. Joining Sarah Calkin this month is Joanna Killian, chief executive at Surrey CC and commissioner at Liverpool City Council; Cllr Graham Chapman, former deputy leader at Nottingham City Council; Tony McArdle, chair at Croydon LBC Improvement Panel and Paul Frainer, partner at TPXimpact.

Joining Sarah this month is Robin Tuddenham, chief executive at Calderdale MBC; Sarah McClinton, president of ADASS and director of health & adult services at Greenwich RBC; Miriam Deakin, deputy chief executive, NHS Providers; Sam Raffell, partner at TPXimpact. The issue of delayed discharges and hospital capacity has dominated the headlines of late, with social care often bearing the brunt of the blame in the national narrative. In this episode of The Local Authority, we explore the complexities of the interface between health and social care and what that might mean for long term solutions to the current crisis. Crucially, we highlight the innovative approaches to addressing this issue already being taken in some local health and care systems and explore what best practice look like in reducing delayed discharges in health and care systems. All this and more on The Local Authority Podcast. Listen on all platforms now.

Across society, businesses and other organisations have woken up to the importance of diversity in the workforce and the improvements it can bring to decision making. In local government it is even more important that councils reflect the communities they serve, amongst both officers and members, yet too often, especially at senior levels, this is not the case. In the next edition of The Local Authority podcast LGC, along with our partners TPX Impact, are seeking to explore what can be done to change this, as well as how local government can do more to build cohesive fairer communities. Joining Sarah this month is Shazia Hussain, deputy chief executive at Waltham Forest LBC; Cllr Bev Craig, leader of Manchester City Council and Laura Harris, consultancy and change director at TPXimpact. Listen on all podcast platforms now!

The workforce crisis facing local government has been well documented: from planners and finance teams to social workers and housing officers, councils are struggling to recruit the staff they need. What impact are high levels of vacancies having on how councils operate? What actions can councils take now to improve retention and recruitment? How can local government better market itself as an employer of choice? In this episode of The Local Authority, our panel will explore how councils can and are seeking to both address the immediate challenge and develop the workforce of the future. Joining Sarah Calkin, LGC's editor this month is Simon Fletcher, chief executive at Lichfield DC, Cllr James Jamieson, chairman at the Local Government Association and Councillor at Central Bedfordshire Council and Emma Cheshire, senior partner at TPXimpact. Available on all podcast platforms now!

The Local Authority Podcast goes live! Joining our chair, Thomas Kohut, Principal Consultant at TPXimpact this month is Kersten England, chief executive at City of Bradford Council; Deven Ghelani, director at Policy in Practice; Paul Frainer, partner at TPXimpact and Local Government Chronicle's editor, Sarah Calkin. Recorded with a live audience at the Hilton Birmingham Metropole, the panel discuss the issue we are all facing: the ever-increasing cost of living crisis. Importantly answering, what does the rising cost of living mean for our organisations? What does it mean for the people we serve and what can local government do in response? Tune in to hear our panel dive deep into the issue, only on The Local Authority Podcast.

On Monday 5 September the next prime minister of the United Kingdom was announced, followed by the appointment of a new cabinet and set of junior ministers. In the latest edition of The Local Authority podcast LGC, along with our partners TPXimpact, consider what the new administration will mean for local government and key policies affecting the sector. What should councils expect from the new PM and their administration? Will levelling up and agreeing more devolution deals remain a priority? Will the new secretary of state be a localist? What does it mean for adult social care funding and reform? Joining Sarah Calkin for this exciting episode is, Cllr Abi Brown, Conservative leader of Stoke-on-Trent council and chair of the LGA improvement and innovation board; Cllr Chris Read, Labour leader of Rotherham MBC; Tony Travers, LSE department of government and director of LSE London and Claire Hazelgrove, community and political engagement director, TPXimpact.

It is widely accepted that the 2014 reforms to the provision of services for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities were poorly implemented and insufficiently funded. More than half of councils are significantly overspending on their high needs budgets and yet parents feel it is a battle to get the support their child needs and, worst of all, outcomes for children and young people are still poor. Ministers have recently finished consulting on a green paper setting out reforms intended to address these issues. Joining Sarah to discuss all this and more is Lucy Nethsingha (Lib Dem) leader of Cambridgeshire County Council and deputy chair on the Children and Young People’s Board at the Local Government Association; Matt Dunkley, past president of ADCS, former director of children’s services for Kent, East Sussex and Norfolk, now an independent consultant and Alex Leslie, consultant at TPXimpact.

More than a million households are currently on the waiting list for social housing and councils are struggling to build new homes to meet this demand. Meanwhile the expanded role for the Regulator of Social Housing in the wake of the Grenfell Tower tragedy means councils are facing greater oversight of their existing provision. In this edition of The Local Authority podcast LGC, along with our partners TPXimpact, explore what all of this means for the future of council housing and its role in creating sustainable places. Joining Sarah this episode is Pam Smith, chief executive at Newcastle City Council; Joanne Drew, co-chair of the London Housing Directors' group and housing and regeneration director at Enfield LBC; Jim Bennett, assistant director for policy and communications at RSH and Stuart Mackenzie, head of client experience at TPXimpact.

This episode of The Local Authority podcast features panellists Peter Stanyon, chief executive at AEA Elections; Darren Hughes, chief executive at Electoral Reform Society and Claire Hazelgrove, community and political engagement director at TPXimpact. The panel look at all aspects of how elections administered by local government could change, including how can councils encourage more people to vote, the potential for emerging technology and whether other democratic innovations such as citizens assembly and referenda enhance or diminish representative democracy. The panel also take a deep dive into local elections, including increasing attendance, the need to ensure council chambers are more representative of their local population and whether the electoral system should be changed. Listen on all podcast platforms.

Joining Local Government Chronicle editor, Nick Golding this month is: Jill Colbert, Chief Executive at Together For Children and Defence Children's Services; Steve Crocker, President for Association of Directors of Children's Services and David Ayre, Partner, Local Government at TPXimpact. On this episode the panel discuss the rising demand and cost for children and young people's services. How can councils effectively run and set a precedent for giving vulnerable children the best start in life. Are early intervention systems synergized with other council services? All this and more - listen to The Local Authority on all podcast platforms now!

In this new episode of The Local Authority, editor of Local Government Chronicle, Nick Golding speaks to the panellists about 'The Squeeze'. What can councils do to support their local population during the cost-of-living crisis, including the rise in energy bills to unprecedented levels – even before the invasion of Ukraine. How councils can work to reduce poverty, both among those in and not in work. What strategies can they adopt and which sections of the population should they focus on? Alongside Nick, this episode features Mike Brewer, Deputy Chief Executive and Chief Economics, Resolution Foundation; Helen Barnard, Associate Director, Joseph Rowntree Foundation and Research and Policy Director, Pro Bono Economics and Paul Frainer, Programme Lead - Place, TPXimpact and Director at Institute of Economic Development.