Great to sit down with Helen to discuss the challenges facing town councils at the present time.

Today I sat down with John Sadler - Head of Property at Derby City Council to explore his career in local government. What excellent career opportunities there are for people with the right mind set in local government; and finally, the challenges John and his team tackle and what he takes from the job. If you are interested in supporting SUSO - please email [email protected]

Really enjoyed sitting down with Cathy Palmer to discuss how she has helped lead Wirral Council's regeneration schemes. Lots of exciting opportunities at the Wirral and a great example of how funding can help future proof communities by ensuring that the area retains its identity and gives tourist a reason to visit.

I had a fantastic experience sitting down with Alison North - Deputy Chief Executive at Director Internal Operations at Somerset West and Taunton Council. She has a really interesting proposition, change and continuous improvement is most effective when you focus on specific and detailed outcomes, that are simple. If you do this both members and officers can work together to bring together some really exciting outcomes.

A fantastic way to start the week! Sitting down with Eugene Minogue - Executive Director of Play England and Local Government Executive Interim Consultant to discuss the causation behind the decline of playgrounds in the UK and the solutions to resolving this important issue.

Really interesting discussion with Peter Holt, Chief Executive at Uttlesford District Council exploring the 2023 National Risk Register. We explore national trends, the local challenges Uttlesford face and discuss the need for clear communication from central government.

It was great to sit down with Chris O'Brien today - Recruitment Manager at Derbyshire County Council to talk about his journey and the way in which Derbyshire approaches recruitment to attract the best talent.

S114s, what are they? What has been done to prevent them and what do we need to do moving forwards?

On this weeks weekly update, we look at:

• The four day working week
• The infrastructure levy journey through the house of lords
• The housing crisis
• The importance of local economy development
• The Illegal Migration Act
• The Asylum hotels plea

Today I spoke with Kelsie Wall to explore the role that SEN Caseworkers have in local government. Really interesting episode, particularly regarding the cost of engaging independent schools to step in where there are not enough spaces within local authority run schools.