Strategic, Not Standard: Rethinking Interim Resource Use in Local Government

In the ever-evolving landscape of local government, interim resource has become a familiar fixture a tool often turned to in times of flux, urgency, or transformation. Yet, familiarity must not breed complacency. The presence of interim professionals should not be normalised to the point where their use becomes routine, unchallenged, or embedded into the day-to-day running of services. Interim professionals bring undeniable value. They offer critical expertise, inject fresh perspectives, and provide stability during periods of organisational change. Whether it's leading a turnaround project, managing a complex programme, or stepping in during leadership transitions, their contribution can be pivotal. But this value is maximised only when their deployment is strategic, purposeful, and time-limited.

Interim staffing should be reserved for specific, outcome-driven projects or to bridge short-term gaps while a robust recruitment process is underway. It is entirely reasonable and often necessary to use interims to cover vacant posts. However, this should be a temporary measure, ideally not exceeding six months. Beyond that, without a clear plan to recruit permanently, the risk is that interim use becomes business as usual (BAU). This shift from strategic to habitual use carries consequences. It can undermine workforce stability, inflate staffing costs, and dilute organisational culture. Permanent staff may feel unsettled by a revolving door of temporary colleagues, while leadership continuity and long-term planning can suffer. Moreover, in a climate of acute financial pressure where councils are being asked to do more with less unchecked interim spend can quickly become unsustainable. In this blog, we explore:

• The current scale of interim spend in local government

• Strategic commentary from sector experts

• The risks of over-reliance

• The financial pressures councils face in 2025

• A call for a more intentional, time-limited approach to interim use

Key Stats and Insights

Current Interim Spend

The scale of interim and agency staffing spend across local government remains significant and increasingly scrutinised. A case in point is Surrey County Council, which reported an expenditure of £32.6 million on agency and interim staffing in 2024/25. While this represents a £4 million reduction from the previous year, it still reflects a substantial investment in temporary resource. Notably, the council reduced its number of interim posts from 41 in September 2024 to just 13 by year-end, signalling a deliberate shift towards more sustainable workforce planning.

This trend is not unique to Surrey. Across the sector, councils are grappling with how to balance the need for agility and expertise with the imperative to control costs and build internal capacity. Interim professionals are often sourced via specialist agencies particularly when internal frameworks or talent pipelines cannot meet urgent or niche demands. This can be efficient, especially in high-stakes scenarios, but it also highlights a deeper issue: the need for strategic workforce planning. Without a forward-looking approach to talent management, councils risk becoming reactive relying on interim solutions to plug gaps rather than proactively developing their workforce. A strategic plan should anticipate future needs, identify critical skill shortages, and invest in leadership development and succession planning. Interim resource should complement this strategy, not compensate for its absence.

Strategic Commentary

Interim recruitment, when deployed with intention, is far more than a stopgap. It can be a catalyst for innovation, a mechanism for managing organisational risk, and a vital tool for enhancing resilience during periods of uncertainty or transition. Councils navigating complex challenges whether implementing transformation programmes, responding to inspection outcomes, or redesigning services often turn to interim leaders to inject pace, expertise, and fresh thinking.

These professionals bring with them not only technical skills but also the ability to operate in ambiguity, build momentum quickly, and deliver results under pressure. Their value lies in their agility and their capacity to make an immediate impact. However, this value is only realised when interim use is outcome-focused, time-bound, and strategically aligned with organisational goals.

Sector experts consistently caution against the drift into habitual interim use. Without clear objectives, defined deliverables, and a planned exit strategy, interims can become embedded in roles that were never intended to be long-term. This risks creating dependency, blurring accountability, and delaying the development of permanent leadership capacity.

There is also a growing recognition that interim roles can serve as a test-bed for future talent. Councils can use interim appointments to assess cultural fit, leadership style, and delivery capability before making permanent decisions. This can be particularly valuable in politically sensitive or high-profile roles. However, this approach must be embedded within a broader talent strategy one that includes succession planning, leadership development, and a commitment to building internal capability. Interim recruitment should never be a workaround for indecision, delay, or avoidance of difficult conversations. Ultimately, the strategic use of interim resource is about intentionality. It’s about knowing why you’re hiring, what success looks like, and how the organisation will transition once the interim assignment ends. In a sector facing mounting financial and operational pressures, this clarity is not just desirable it’s essential.

Policy and Guidance

While there is no single, universal policy across the UK that limits the use of interim staff in local government, there is a growing emphasis on structured workforce planning and strategic deployment of talent. The Local Government Association (LGA), among others, encourages councils to ensure that interim appointments are not only necessary but also aligned with organisational goals, service priorities, and long-term workforce development.

This means that every interim hire should be underpinned by a clear rationale: What is the purpose of the role? What outcomes are expected? And what is the pathway to permanence or project completion? Interim resource should never be a default solution it should be a deliberate choice, made in response to a specific need, with a defined timeline and exit strategy.

In the current climate shaped by local government reorganisation, devolution deals, and widespread transformation programmes councils are under increasing pressure to demonstrate value for money, accountability, and sustainability in all staffing decisions. This applies not only to permanent recruitment but also to temporary and interim arrangements.

The justification for interim resource must go beyond cost. It must consider impact, legacy, and how the appointment contributes to the organisation’s strategic direction. Councils must ask: Does this interim role build capacity? Does it transfer knowledge? Does it leave the organisation stronger than it found it? As scrutiny intensifies and budgets tighten, the case for interim use must be robust, transparent, and rooted in a broader workforce strategy. Anything less risks undermining trust, stability, and long-term effectiveness.

Financial Pressures in 2025

The financial backdrop in 2025 adds a critical layer of urgency to the conversation around interim resource. Councils across England, Wales, and Scotland are facing a combined £4.3 billion funding shortfall in the 2025/26 financial year. This is not a marginal overspend it represents a structural crisis that is impacting core services, strategic capacity, and the ability to plan for the future.

So far this year, 30 councils have required Exceptional Financial Support from central government to remain solvent. Among the most notable cases:

• Birmingham City Council – £180 million

• Bradford Council – £127 million

• Croydon Council – £136 million

These figures are stark. They reflect not only the scale of the challenge but also the fragility of local government finances. Rising demand in adult and children’s social care, inflationary pressures on contracts and staffing, and legacy deficits from previous years are combining to create unsustainable budget positions.

In this context, every staffing decision including the use of interim professionals must be subject to rigorous scrutiny. Councils must ask whether each appointment delivers strategic value, contributes to long-term resilience, and aligns with financial recovery plans. The days of unchecked interim spend are over; what’s needed now is a disciplined, evidence-based approach to workforce deployment. Interim resource can still play a vital role particularly in transformation, turnaround, and capacity-building but only when its use is justified, time-limited, and outcome-driven. Anything less risks exacerbating financial instability and undermining public trust.

Conclusion: A Strategic Imperative

Interim professionals are and will continue to be a valuable part of the local government workforce. Their ability to step into complex situations, deliver rapid results, and bring specialist expertise makes them an essential tool in a council’s strategic arsenal. But like any tool, their effectiveness depends on how and when they are used. Councils must resist the drift toward normalising interim use as a default solution. Instead, they should adopt a disciplined, intentional approach that ensures interim appointments are purposeful, time-limited, and aligned with broader organisational goals. This means:

• Limiting interim cover for vacancies to no more than six months, with a clear recruitment process underway from the outset.

• Ensuring every interim hire has defined objectives, measurable outcomes, and a planned exit strategy that supports continuity and knowledge transfer.

• Embedding interim use within a wider workforce strategy, one that prioritises internal capacity-building, succession planning, and long-term resilience.

In a time of financial constraint, political uncertainty, and organisational change, strategic interim use is not just good practice it is a governance imperative. Councils must be able to demonstrate that every staffing decision contributes to stability, sustainability, and service excellence. Interim professionals can help achieve that but only when their use is intentional, accountable, and part of a bigger picture.