Adult Social Care is entering a period of fundamental reform. The emerging National Care Service could reshape funding, workforce, commissioning, prevention and the relationship between councils and the NHS. For DASS leaders, the challenge is managing today’s pressures while preparing for tomorrow’s system. This will also reshape recruitment, increasing demand for leaders who combine operational grip with transformation, integration, financial and system leadership.

Reunification is moving to the heart of children’s social care reform. Families First creates an opportunity to treat returning home not as an exit from care, but as a supported permanence pathway. With 20% of reunified children historically re-entering care within a year, councils must strengthen assessment, post-return support and family networks. Success will also depend on workforce stability, multidisciplinary skills, strong supervision and strategic recruitment.

Councils hold rich data across children’s services, adult social care, health, housing and education, but rarely connect it across a person’s life. Creating a secure “golden thread” could show which early interventions prevent later crisis, strengthen invest-to-save decisions and reveal where savings emerge across different services, turning fragmented data into shared prevention infrastructure.

Should local government be constitutionally protected? In this episode of The Truth About Local Government, Matthew Masters interviews Professor Jonathan Davies to explore one of the biggest questions facing English governance. From devolution and metro mayors to Andy Burnham's push for greater local autonomy, the discussion examines whether constitutional reform is essential to creating stronger, more accountable and sustainable local government.

Local government cannot recruit its way out of workforce shortages. This practical guide shows councils how to improve employee retention through better workforce data, leadership, management, career development, workload, flexibility, inclusion, reward and employee voice. It includes a nine-strand Retention Maturity Model, seven-stage Retention Health Check, scorecard, key metrics, governance framework and implementation roadmap for building a stable workforce.

What makes a workplace adjustment reasonable? This article explores reasonable adjustments under the Equality Act 2010, explaining why there is no universal right or wrong answer. For local government HR leaders, managers and employees, it examines how individual needs, role requirements, effectiveness, practicality, cost and operational context should shape fair, evidence-based decisions.

England’s local government reorganisation programme has undergone a major reset. This article explains what changed in September 2026, why decisions were withdrawn or paused, what is still going ahead, and what happens next. It examines the evidence behind the reforms, the financial costs and projected savings, implications for councils, staff, services and residents, and the key decisions still to come.

Local government workplaces must evolve to support hybrid working, digital transformation and changing workforce expectations. By aligning people, place and technology, councils can improve productivity, wellbeing, collaboration and service delivery. The most successful organisations focus on outcomes rather than office space, using workplace strategy to attract talent, reduce costs, strengthen culture and create more resilient, high-performing services.

Neurodivergent councillors can face barriers in meetings, committee papers, technology, casework and council environments. Yet elected members are not employees, so workplace policies cannot simply be applied to them. Councils need a dedicated approach that combines accessible-by-default democratic services with confidential individual adjustments, clear governance and practical support enabling every member to participate fully and independently.

Local government needs talented people who think differently, yet autistic candidates and employees can still face unnecessary barriers. This practical guide explores how councils can attract, recruit, retain and support autistic talent through inclusive recruitment, reasonable adjustments, better management and workplace cultures that enable people to thrive, develop and progress.

Neuro-inclusion is easy to endorse but difficult to measure. Research with councils across the UK and Gibraltar found no authority with a formal mechanism for evaluating the effectiveness of its neuro-inclusion policy. This article proposes a practical, evidence-based framework to help councils move beyond activity measures and demonstrate reduced barriers, greater psychological safety, fairer access and better outcomes for neurodivergent employees and residents.

Executive hiring in local government often fails not due to capability, but because leaders are appointed without understanding the system they enter. With 40–50% of executives failing and 89% of failures driven by cultural or political misalignment, councils must assess their leadership team first. Diagnosing behaviour, cognition and values ensures new leaders complement the team, strengthen officer–Member dynamics, and improve stability and performance.

Japan’s local governance model blends decentralisation, fiscal equalisation and strong data systems to deliver resilient services. Long‑term reforms strengthened autonomy, while national dashboards boost transparency. Facing population decline, Japan advances regional revitalisation, municipal mergers and cross‑prefectural cooperation. Its experience shows that data, equity, collaboration and sustained reform are essential for effective local government.

England’s local government reforms mirror global trends in consolidation and devolution. International evidence shows larger authorities can boost strategic capacity but risk weakening local identity if not paired with strong citizen participation. Durable reforms require clear purpose, cultural alignment, investment in transition, and robust governance frameworks. Global lessons show structure alone is insufficient, democracy and long‑term vision must guide change.

Development corporations are increasingly used to drive regeneration, but few models exist and many challenges are misunderstood. The document argues that success depends on clarity of purpose, powers, funding, governance and risk allocation. Simply creating an MDC won’t fix financial, regulatory or political barriers; detailed early planning, transparent decision‑making and long‑term commitment are essential.

Central government’s U‑turn on paused elections exposes the strain sudden policy shifts place on local authorities already navigating reorganisation, budget pressures, and workforce shortages. Stop‑start decisions create operational waste, public confusion, and intense pressure on election teams. Councils can manage complexity, but not avoidable uncertainty. They need clear, timely, consistent direction to deliver democracy effectively.

Cook for Good shows how food can transform communities, building confidence, connection and dignity through shared meals, skills programmes and volunteering. Backed by major housing associations, Cook for Change is scaling this impact across London. With proven outcomes and a sustainable model, it’s a blueprint for community engagement that works. The G15 now has a clear opportunity to join and strengthen this movement.

Poor-quality housing is a major public health issue driving avoidable illness, NHS costs and pressure on local systems. In this episode, Matt Masters and researcher Faye Sanders explore how damp, cold and insecure homes harm physical and mental health, why quality must sit alongside quantity, and how stronger cross-sector partnerships can deliver healthier, safer homes for communities.

Local authorities face intense workforce shortages, and traditional recruitment alone can’t meet modern expectations. TikTok, Instagram, LinkedIn and Facebook offer powerful ways to showcase culture, purpose and impact. By using platform‑specific content, empowering employees, partnering with local businesses and measuring real outcomes, councils can strengthen attraction, widen talent pipelines and boost retention.

Happiness is a biochemical state driven by dopamine, serotonin, oxytocin and endorphins, each shaping motivation, mood, trust and resilience. Their activation through recognition, connection, wellbeing routines and movement boosts performance, engagement and stress tolerance. Workplaces that intentionally support these systems improve productivity, creativity, retention and overall organisational resilience.