Truth about Local Government

Matt Masters

Where Local Government Professionals Learn and Develop. https://www.truthaboutlocalgovernment.com/ #YourGrowth #YourImpact #OurPassion.

  1. Leading Public Sector Organisations Successfully: A Conversation with Steve Moore

    Jun 1

    Leading Public Sector Organisations Successfully: A Conversation with Steve Moore

    In this episode, I sit down with Steve Moore, former Chief Executive of NHS Devon and a senior NHS leader with more than 15 years’ experience operating at board and system level across complex, highly regulated environments. We explore what it really takes to lead public sector organisations successfully: setting direction in ambiguity, balancing performance with purpose, leading through financial and operational pressure, building trust with stakeholders, and creating cultures that can sustain improvement. This is a conversation about leadership in the real world: how to make difficult decisions, carry people through change, and keep outcomes for communities at the centre.

    22 min
  2. Taking Control of Your Money – A Neurodivergent Perspective

    May 29

    Taking Control of Your Money – A Neurodivergent Perspective

    In this episode of The Truth About Local Government, Matthew Masters speaks with Esther Bangura, a Neurodivergent Money Coaching expert, about a topic rarely explored openly in the public sector, our relationship with money. The conversation unpacks how neurodivergence can shape financial behaviours, from avoidance and overwhelm to impulsivity and perfectionism, and why traditional approaches to budgeting and financial planning often fail to resonate. Esther shares practical, realistic strategies for building systems that work with, not against, how neurodivergent individuals think and operate. They also explore the wider implications for workplace wellbeing, performance, and inclusive leadership, highlighting why financial confidence is not just a personal issue, but a professional one. This episode offers both reassurance and actionable advice for anyone looking to take greater control of their finances in a way that feels achievable and sustainable.

    20 min
  3. Early Help, Real Lives: Why Children Still Fall Between the Gaps

    May 6

    Early Help, Real Lives: Why Children Still Fall Between the Gaps

    In this episode of Truth About Local Government, Matthew Masters speaks with Natashia Leader, Founder and CEO of BrightPaths Support CIC, about why so many children and young people still struggle to access the right emotional wellbeing support early enough. Public descriptions of BrightPaths Support CIC say the organisation provides early intervention support through one-to-one mentoring, group workshops, and family-centred approaches, working with children facing challenges including anxiety, behavioural issues, and neurodiversity-related needs. Together, they explore why children can fall between the gaps in statutory provision, why school avoidance and unmet emotional needs are rising pressures for councils and schools, and what happens when support only arrives once problems have escalated. The conversation also looks at what effective partnership really means, not just between local authorities and schools, but with community-based organisations that can offer earlier, more flexible, and more relational support. This is a conversation about prevention, capacity, and what local government and its partners can do differently if they want better outcomes for children and families.

    23 min
  4. Upstream by Design: The Corporate Role in Making Prevention Real

    Apr 27

    Upstream by Design: The Corporate Role in Making Prevention Real

    In this episode of The Truth About Local Government, Matt Masters is joined by Simon Higgins to explore why local government must focus on prevention, and why corporate services have a critical and often underestimated, role to play in making prevention succeed. While prevention is often associated with frontline services, Simon and Matt argue that sustainable, effective prevention only works when it is led, enabled and protected by corporate leadership. Drawing on Simon’s experience of preventative work at Cumberland, the discussion examines how corporate services such as finance, HR, policy, commissioning and data can either unlock or unintentionally undermine preventative approaches. The conversation explores why too many councils intervene only when people reach crisis point – when outcomes are worse, costs are higher and options are limited – and why shifting upstream is essential for supporting communities, managing demand and protecting public services. This episode offers practical insight for Chief Executives, Corporate Directors of Resources and senior leaders on: Why prevention must be treated as a corporate and system‑wide responsibilityThe conditions required for preventative strategies to work in practiceHow leaders can move beyond short‑term pressures to embed long‑term preventative thinkingWhat success in prevention actually looks like, and how to sustain itA timely and candid conversation for leaders who want to ensure local government supports residents before crisis hits, not after.

    21 min
  5. Power‑Sharing and the Future of Councils: A Conversation with Abigail Gallop

    Apr 19

    Power‑Sharing and the Future of Councils: A Conversation with Abigail Gallop

    This episode explores how power‑sharing is reshaping the political and operational reality of local government. Matthew speaks with Abigail Gallop, Head of the Independent Group at the Local Government Association (LGA), about the rapid rise of multi‑party councils, the decline of single‑party dominance, and what these shifts mean for leadership, accountability, and democratic culture. Drawing on examples such as Runnymede’s, Abigail explains how councils are four co‑leader model adapting to new political landscapes, what makes shared leadership succeed or fail, and why collaborative governance may become the defining feature of the next decade. The conversation cuts through assumptions and gets to the practical truth of how councils function when no one party holds all the power.

    23 min
  6. Stepping Up, Stepping In: Lessons from Interim Leadership with Steve Gibling

    Apr 13

    Stepping Up, Stepping In: Lessons from Interim Leadership with Steve Gibling

    Interim leadership is often seen as a holding pattern, a bridge between what was and what comes next. But for organisations in transition, an interim chief executive can be a stabiliser, a strategist and a catalyst for clarity. In this episode, Matt Masters speaks with Steve Gibling, Interim Chief Executive of Selwyn District Council and former Interim CEO at Buller District Council, about what it really means to step into the top job on a temporary basis. Drawing on more than 25 years across local government, tertiary education and the not‑for‑profit sector, Steve shares a grounded, practical view of how to lead when time is limited, expectations are high and the organisation needs both continuity and confidence. The conversation explores how to approach an interim role, whether stepping up internally or arriving from outside, and how to balance stewardship with the opportunity to make meaningful impact. Steve reflects on how to read culture quickly, how to maintain momentum on critical programmes, and how to decide what is appropriate to change when your mandate is temporary. He also unpacks the unique learning value of interim roles and why they can be career‑defining for leaders who embrace them with clarity, humility and intent. This episode is essential listening for leaders navigating organisational transitions, preparing for executive succession, or wanting to understand how to lead well in periods of uncertainty.

    18 min
  7. ABCD & Beyond: What Local Government Needs Next

    Apr 8

    ABCD & Beyond: What Local Government Needs Next

    In this episode of The Truth About Local Government, we explore a bold new resource reshaping how councils think about community development: ABCD & Beyond: A Practical Guide for Local Government. Matt is joined by two of the book’s authors, Dee Brooks, Director of the Jeder Institute and International Liaison for the ABCD Institute, and Lee Griffiths, community development practitioner, facilitator and systems bridge‑builder. Together, they’ve helped shape Asset‑Based Community Development practice across Australia and internationally. This conversation dives into what ABCD is (and what it isn’t), why councils struggle to shift from “problems to possibilities,” and how hierarchy, risk and process shape community‑led work. We explore the eight core values of ethical ABCD practice, the difference between genuine co‑design and performative consultation, and the practical steps councils can take to embed ABCD in real‑world systems. If you’re committed to working with communities rather than simply delivering services to them, this episode offers a roadmap, and a challenge, for what local government could become. #LocalGovernment #ABCD #CommunityDevelopment #StrengthsBasedPractice #PublicSector #LocalGov #CommunityLed #CoDesign #Inclusion #SystemsChange #PlaceBasedWorking #Councils #PublicService #TruthAboutLocalGovernment

    19 min
  8. Managing Conflicting Needs between Neurodivergent Colleagues

    Apr 8

    Managing Conflicting Needs between Neurodivergent Colleagues

    In this episode, Matt sits down with Parul Singh, Founder of Parallel Minds, a neurodiversity consultancy shaping a more inclusive future for people working in tech and digital roles. Parul brings a rare combination of professional expertise, lived experience, and deep sector insight, challenging organisations to rethink how they support neurodivergent talent and to build environments where every mind can thrive. Together, we explore how employers can better navigate and balance the conflicting needs that sometimes arise within neurodivergent teams. At a time when legislation, expectations, and understanding of neurodivergence are evolving at pace, Parul highlights the importance of reflection, curiosity, and confident leadership. This conversation is a practical guide for employers and line managers who want to create workplaces where neurodivergent colleagues feel safe, supported, and able to do their best work, not just in theory, but in everyday practice.

    23 min
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Where Local Government Professionals Learn and Develop. https://www.truthaboutlocalgovernment.com/ #YourGrowth #YourImpact #OurPassion.

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