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.

Essex councils back a five-unitary plan, arguing it’s key to fixing adult social care. The proposal, Creating a Local Future for Greater Essex, suggests councils serving 326k–510k residents, large enough for specialist services yet local enough for responsive care. Leaders say this structure enables prevention, integration of housing and health, and savings of up to £104m, reinvested into early help and community support, making social care more sustainable and humane.

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.

Culture is the missing metric in local government. While 92% of leaders rank culture as a top priority, only 18% have a robust way to measure it. Staff surveys track climate, not values, the foundation of culture. Our Barrett Values Centre program offers a data-led approach to measure, track, and embed values-driven strategies, helping councils build positive, resilient cultures that improve recruitment, retention, and service delivery.

Leading a Successful Restructure: What Matters Most Precision planning builds confidence, start with a clear business case and timeline. Define roles early, engage trade unions upfront, and consult openly to improve outcomes. Communicate constantly; silence fuels speculation. Show visible, empathetic leadership and provide employee support like redundancy tools and mental health resources. Above all, be transparent about role impacts to maintain trust and fix issues early.

Discover the inspiring journey of Artemis Ansell, multi-award-winning planning leader, mentor, and innovator. From pioneering the Local Authority Trading Company model to driving inward investment and championing diversity, Artemis has transformed planning and local government for nearly 30 years. Learn how her vision, resilience, and commitment to inclusion make her a role model for future leaders.

Discover how councils can use Large-Scale Interventions (LSIs) to drive transformation. Learn best practices for designing impactful events, avoiding common pitfalls, and leveraging digital tools for inclusive engagement. Explore why LSIs are essential for tackling complex challenges like housing, climate action, and community resilience in local government.

Leadership teams must ask critical questions to ensure alignment between strategy, culture, and structure. Are leaders scanning the environment effectively? Is the culture supporting strategic goals? Are systems reinforcing values? Feedback to the CEO should highlight strengths, weaknesses, and priority improvements, with actionable recommendations for transformational and quick-win changes that drive performance and engagement.

Effective organisational diagnosis in local government requires more than data collection, it demands connecting evidence with dialogue. Councils that integrate robust analytics, proven frameworks like McKinsey 7-S and Burke-Litwin, and inclusive engagement can drive transformation. In an era of tight budgets and rising demand, data-driven insights and collaborative approaches are essential for building resilient, innovative public services.

Culture in local government isn’t a “soft” issue, it’s a performance driver that shapes decisions, behaviours, and outcomes. The Organisational Culture Inventory (OCI) provides evidence-based insights into the norms that influence success. By moving beyond measurement to action engaging leaders, aligning culture with strategy, and investing in coaching, councils can create environments where staff thrive, innovation flourishes, and strategic goals become reality.

Edgar Schein’s Three Levels of Organisational Culture: artefacts, espoused values, and underlying assumptions reveal how culture truly shapes behaviour and performance. Artefacts are visible but superficial, espoused values show intent yet may not match reality, and assumptions form the hidden core. Successful cultural change starts by diagnosing and challenging these deep beliefs, not just redesigning offices or rewriting mission statements.

Discover how Hofstede’s Cultural Dimensions can transform UK local government leadership. Explore Power Distance, Individualism, and other cultural factors shaping council mergers, partnerships, and service delivery. Learn why diagnosing culture before designing change is critical, and gain practical insights for embedding cultural awareness into transformation programmes. Avoid conflict, make culture your strategic advantage.

The Competing Values Framework (CVF) by Cameron and Quinn is a leading model for assessing organisational culture, widely used across public and private sectors. Supported by the Organisational Culture Assessment Instrument (OCAI), CVF helps local authorities identify cultural strengths and gaps, enabling better change management and strategic alignment. By balancing Clan, Adhocracy, Market, and Hierarchy values, councils can foster innovation, accountability, and resilience

Discover why up to 74% of UK local government transformation programmes fail and how councils can succeed. Explore key challenges like siloed structures, unclear outcomes, and technical debt, plus actionable strategies for smarter change. Learn from real-world examples such as Strata Service Solutions, which saved £7.6m through shared services. Make transformation continuous, data-driven, and people-focused.

Ready to step into your first Head of Property role in local government? Discover 10 essential lessons from our 90-minute roundtable with sector leaders. Learn how to build a strategic narrative, master stakeholder engagement, navigate political dynamics, embed sustainability, and develop commercial acumen. Packed with expert quotes, actionable insights, and data, this guide will help you secure the role and thrive from day one.

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.

Hull is transforming into a city of opportunity with bold plans for infrastructure renewal, cultural investment, and inclusive growth. Discover how Councillor Mike Ross is driving change through a £40M infrastructure plan, a thriving cultural economy, and a push for devolution. From National Geographic’s Top 25 Places to Visit in 2026 to its role in green energy, Hull is redefining its future resilient, ambitious, and ready for investment.

Discover the pros and cons of internal vs external organisational design (OD) consultancy in UK local government. Explore how councils are navigating transformation, reorganisation, and devolution by blending internal OD teams with external expertise. Learn from case studies including Somerset, Luton, and Hillingdon, and understand when to use Big Four firms, SMEs, or in-house capability to drive sustainable change, build internal capacity, and deliver long-term value.

Explore the difference and synergy between organisational design and organisational development in UK local government. Learn why both are essential during transformation, with case studies from Hillingdon, Suffolk, and Essex councils. Discover how aligning structure with strategy and investing in people leads to resilient, responsive public services. Ideal for council leaders, HR professionals, and transformation teams navigating change.

Councils spent £420m on senior interim roles in 2022–23, with costs projected to rise to £483m by 2026 due to inflation and reorganisation. Typical daily rates range from £600–£850 for Heads of Service, £750–£900 for Assistant Directors, £900–£1,200 for Executive Directors, and up to £1,500 for Chief Executives. Agency margins average 23%, adding significant cost. Nationally, margins could reach £111m annually, with recruiters earning £11m–£22m in commission.