UK councils are under immense pressure, and overlooking neurodivergent talent is no longer an option. The Canary Code shows how participation, flexibility, and psychological safety can transform culture, strengthen decision‑making, and unlock the strengths of diverse thinkers. Neuro inclusion isn’t just compassionate, it’s essential for resilient, effective public services.

Local government change is never just structural, it’s deeply human. The SCARF model shows how status, certainty, autonomy, relatedness and fairness shape staff reactions during transformation. By understanding these neurological triggers, leaders can reduce threat responses, build trust and create psychologically safe environments where change lands with clarity, compassion and purpose.

This blog explores the transition from Director of Place to Corporate Director in UK local government, examining the shift from technical expertise to strategic, whole‑council leadership. It outlines how aspiring leaders can prepare, build political acumen, strengthen system‑wide influence, and decide if corporate leadership is the right step. A practical guide for senior officers seeking broader impact.

Discover the 2026 Workforce Guide for Local Government HR Leaders: Nine Hard Questions and How to Answer Them with Data, Design and Delivery. This essential resource tackles recruitment, retention, pay strategy, legal compliance, wellbeing, AI ethics, equality, apprenticeships, IR35, and workforce analytics. Equip your council with actionable insights, metrics, and toolkits to navigate structural change and build a resilient, future-ready workforce.

Discover the 10 essential competencies every local government leader needs to thrive in 2026. From political partnership and financial resilience to data confidence, prevention, and community trust, this framework helps you assess your strengths, identify growth areas, and take action. Download your scorecard and 90-day plan to lead with impact.

Discover insights from Averil Price’s book The Legacy Coach: Your Next Chapter, Your Legacy, Your Way and our Truth About Local Government podcast. Explore why legacy isn’t about hierarchy but humanity, practical steps for navigating career transitions, and evidence on how coaching boosts resilience, performance, and wellbeing. Learn actionable strategies to clarify your control, leverage weak ties, and start small for intentional change.

Discover why horizon scanning is essential for UK local authorities. Learn what it is, explore methods like the Three Horizons Framework, PESTLE and SWOT analysis, and understand how councils can anticipate future trends, risks, and opportunities. Includes practical steps, common pitfalls, real-world examples, and a checklist to embed foresight into governance for proactive, future-ready leadership.

Optimise local government culture with Barrett Values Centre tools. Truth About Local Government helps councils measure culture, identify leadership gaps, and embed values into recruitment and systems. Our 12-month programme builds engagement, retention, and performance, with annual diagnostics for sustainable change. Transform culture into a strategic advantage and deliver better outcomes for staff and residents.

Discover why systems thinking is essential for local government leaders tackling complex challenges like housing, health, and climate change. Learn key traits of systems thinkers, practical steps to embed this approach, team structures that support collaboration, and the best resources for self-development. Build a culture that sees the bigger picture and delivers sustainable, long-term solutions.

Employee engagement surveys alone don’t change culture. UK councils face unique challenges, financial pressures, policy shifts, and collaboration demands, that require more than sentiment checks. Discover why values assessments uncover the real drivers of behaviour, reduce resistance to change, and build trust. Learn practical steps for HR leaders to embed values, monitor cultural health, and transform local government workplaces.

Barrett Culture Score: A Powerful Metric for Cultural Health. Move beyond Gross Margin, NPS, and Market Share, now leaders can measure culture with the Barrett Culture Score. This comprehensive metric combines key cultural drivers to reveal organisational health, track evolution, and benchmark across industries. It’s actionable, insightful, and a proxy for strong leadership, engaged employees, satisfied customers, and community care.

Default cultures emerge unconsciously from past leadership, lacking intentional values management. In contrast, a values-driven culture is consciously shaped by leaders who align systems, policies, and incentives with desired values. By actively managing cultural capital and removing outdated influences through structural realignment, organizations create a thriving, purpose-led environment that reflects their vision.

The Barrett Model is a globally recognised framework for unlocking human potential and transforming organisational culture. Used by thousands of organisations across 94 countries, Barrett Analytics helps leaders build healthy cultures that drive performance and stakeholder success. At its core, the model addresses fundamental human needs and creates environments where people and organisations thrive.

To build a high-performing, values-driven organisation with strong Cultural Health, engagement and low Cultural Entropy, you need an ongoing cultural transformation process, not a one-off project. Using Barrett Values Centre’s Cultural and Leadership Values Assessments annually helps monitor alignment, mission focus and employee needs, driving engagement and sustainable success.

Explore how cultural capital impacts financial performance. This paper reviews research showing that while cultural capital isn’t directly measurable, proxies such as cultural alignment and Cultural Entropy® reveal a strong link to sustained revenue growth. Is your organisation’s culture driving business success? If not, discover why it should be central to your performance strategy.

Discover the Seven Levels of Ethical Business Practice, a values-based framework for creating cultures where ethics is everyone’s responsibility. Learn how organisations can move beyond compliance to foster integrity, transparency, and sustainability. Explore strategies for building trust, empowering employees, and aligning purpose with social responsibility to achieve long-term success and positive impact.

Discover 7 science-backed strategies for building trust in local authority teams. Explore proven frameworks like the Trust Equation, Lencioni’s Five Behaviours, Radical Candor, SCARF, Covey’s Five Waves, Psychological Safety, and the Neuroscience of Trust. Learn how councils can boost collaboration, reduce stress, and improve outcomes through evidence-based practices that create resilient, high-performing teams.

Local government in England faces its biggest transformation in 50 years. By 2028, district and county councils will be replaced by consolidated structures, impacting £100bn budgets and 1.3m employees. Culture, not just structure, will determine success. Research shows 70% of change initiatives fail due to cultural resistance. Strong, values-driven cultures boost engagement, performance, and resilience, making culture the ultimate catalyst for sustainable change.

Jonathan Stephenson, Chief Executive of Brentwood and Rochford Councils, shares key lessons on transformation in local government. From values-led leadership and strategic digital reform to evidence-based reorganisation and sector-wide collaboration, his approach offers a blueprint for change. As councils face rising agency costs and structural reform, Stephenson reminds us: transformation is cultural, not just structural. “We’re not just building councils. We’re building com

Discover how inclusive governance can unlock the leadership potential of neurodivergent professionals in UK local government and LATCOs. Explore insights from executive coach Sara Harrup, practical strategies for board chairs and chief executives, and the legal and cultural shifts needed to support autistic, ADHD, dyslexic and other neurodivergent leaders. Learn how training, structure and psychological safety drive performance and retention.