Antisocial behaviour (ASB) continues to place significant pressure on local authority services, particularly where incidents are concentrated among a small number of households. ASB encompasses a wide range of disruptive and harmful activities from vandalism and intimidation to noise complaints, substance misuse, and aggressive begging. These behaviours often reflect deeper social challenges such as poverty, trauma, mental health issues, and intergenerational disadvantage. In

Discover how Somerset Council’s updated Target Operating Model (TOM) offers a bold, values-led framework for transformation in local government. Learn key lessons from its five strategic themes people, digital, service design, data, and governance and compare with Cornwall Council’s commissioning-led TOM. Ideal for councils facing reorganisation or seeking to optimise operations. A practical roadmap for change, culture, and innovation.

Discover how UK local government officers and councillors can effectively handle angry residents. Explore causes of public frustration, rising abuse trends, and best practice strategies including SHIELD principles, complaint handling, safeguarding policies, and resilience training. Learn how councils can foster a culture of safety and support while protecting democratic engagement.

Thinking of leaving your local government role? This guide helps officers evaluate when it’s time to move on, how to take emotion out of the decision, and how to clarify career motivations. Explore values alignment, impact, growth, and wellbeing through a decision matrix. Whether you stay or go, make the choice with clarity and purpose. The sector needs energised leaders, not just loyal ones.

Discover what it takes to become a Director of Education in UK local government. This guide explores essential leadership skills, strategic priorities, and insights from current Directors on what they wish they knew from day one. Learn how to navigate SEND pressures, build strong partnerships, and avoid common pitfalls. Perfect for education leaders ready to shape policy, practice, and outcomes for children and young people.

Discover what it takes to become a Head of Democratic Services in UK local government. Learn essential skills, hear insights from current postholders, and avoid common pitfalls. This guide offers practical advice on governance, scrutiny, political acumen, and leadership perfect for aspiring professionals ready to lead local democracy with integrity and impact.

This blog guides aspiring Directors of Transformation in UK local government, outlining essential skills like strategic visioning, emotional intelligence, and governance. Drawing on real council case studies and survey insights, it highlights what current leaders wish they’d known on day one, common pitfalls to avoid, and strategies for success. It closes with practical advice and a reflection piece for those already in post, reinforcing transformation as a journey of impact

Becoming a Director of Policy in local government is a bold step into strategic leadership. This guide explores the essential skills you’ll need from political acuity to emotional intelligence and outlines what to prioritise in your first 100 days. With insights from senior officers and key statistics on sector challenges, it’s a practical roadmap for turning ambition into impact. Lead with clarity, compassion, and confidence.

Stepping into the role of DPH means leading with vision, navigating political complexity, and driving change across systems. This guide offers aspiring leaders a clear roadmap: the essential skills to develop, what to focus on in your first 100 days, and the common pitfalls to avoid. If you're ready to lead with courage, compassion, and clarity, this role might just be your calling.

Becoming a Director of Adult Social Services is one of the most demanding and rewarding roles in local government. It requires strategic vision, emotional intelligence, political skill, and a deep commitment to improving lives. This guide explores what aspiring leaders need to know, what to focus on in their first 100 days, and what pitfalls to avoid. If you're ready to lead with purpose and put people at the heart of care, this could be your next step.

Being a Director of Children’s Services is more than a job it’s a calling. You lead with purpose, shaping lives and safeguarding futures. As Yvette Stanley said, “Great leadership in children’s social care goes hand in hand with great social work. It’s a golden thread from the top of the department to the frontline.” If you’re ready to lead with courage, compassion, and clarity, then the future of children’s services might just be yours to shape.

The Head of Property role in local government is more than managing buildings it’s about shaping places, enabling services, and delivering public value. With estates worth hundreds of millions, strategic leadership is essential. From compliance and sustainability to stakeholder engagement and digital transformation, success demands vision, resilience, and collaboration. If you're ready to lead, ask: how can our estate better serve our people, our services, and our future?

Stepping into the role of Director of Highways and Infrastructure isn’t just about managing roads it’s about leading with vision, shaping communities, and delivering public value. From strategic planning and stakeholder engagement to climate resilience and workforce development, this blog explores what aspiring leaders need to know, think about, and avoid to thrive in one of local government’s most impactful roles.

The Golden Triangle of governance: Monitoring Officer, Section 151 Officer, and Head of Paid Service, is the foundation of council success. When these statutory roles collaborate effectively, councils achieve financial stability, legal compliance, and public trust. But when cohesion breaks down, the consequences can be severe. This blog explores what each role needs to excel, how to foster collaboration, and why getting it right is essential for resilient local government.

The Director of Housing is one of the most influential roles in local government combining strategic leadership, technical compliance, and community impact. Success means mastering financial oversight, political navigation, and resident engagement, while avoiding pitfalls like rushed change and micromanagement. It’s not just about managing homes it’s about shaping lives with empathy, integrity, and purpose. Lead with confidence, grounded in truth and fairness.

The Director of HR in local government plays a vital role in shaping the future of public service. This is a leadership position that demands strategic thinking, emotional intelligence, and a deep understanding of workforce transformation. From using data to drive decisions to leading cultural change and championing inclusion, today’s HR leaders must be proactive, resilient, and people-focused. If you are ready to lead with purpose, this could be your next great chapter.

Public procurement now accounts for nearly a third of UK public spending, placing Directors of Procurement at the heart of public service delivery. With the Procurement Act 2023 in force, councils need leaders who combine strategic insight, commercial acumen, and a commitment to transparency and social value. This blog explores the skills needed to succeed, what to prioritise from day one, and the common pitfalls to avoid offering a roadmap for those ready to lead procurement

Digital transformation in local government is more than technology. It is a leadership challenge that demands bold thinking, inclusive design, and strategic vision. Directors of Technology must lead change that improves lives, from tackling legacy systems and building cyber resilience to driving data-led decisions and digital inclusion. With public expectations rising and satisfaction falling, the sector needs visionary leaders now more than ever.

Stepping into the Head of Planning role is both a privilege and a challenge. In 2025, planning departments face high application volumes, recruitment struggles, and low public trust. This blog offers practical, anonymous advice from experienced leaders covering strategic leadership, emotional intelligence, and operational efficiency. A must-read for those shaping places and leading planning services with purpose.

This blog offers practical, experience-based advice for new and aspiring Directors of Place in UK local government. Drawing on sector insights and anonymous reflections from seasoned leaders, it explores strategic leadership, relationship-building, cross-directorate collaboration, and the importance of bold decision-making amid financial and structural reform. Readers are invited to share their own tips via info@truthaboutlocalgovernment.com.