WORKFORCE

View from the Hill

Greg Hayes explains how a focus on people can help councils navigate the upheavals of reorganisation.

© Andrey_Popov / Shutterstock.com

© Andrey_Popov / Shutterstock.com

As local government reorganisation looms, the focus is often drawn to technical challenges such as new operating models, governance arrangements and financial restructuring.

Yet, the success of any transformation rests on the people who will make it happen.

For staff, it raises questions about job security, changing roles and workloads. Members must adapt to new responsibilities and governance dynamics, often while navigating heightened expectations. Residents may worry about how services will retain a local focus. In this period of uncertainty, councils must prioritise the human side of transformation to keep people motivated and connected to a shared vision.

Communication is at the heart of this effort. Engagement should be open and honest, acknowledging there will be uncertainties while sharing progress and listening to feedback. People are more likely to stay engaged when they feel informed, valued and involved. Councils that foster this two-way communication will build trust and maintain morale.

Equally important is creating opportunities for people to thrive amid the change – staff taking on new and different responsibilities, or members benefiting from guidance to adjust to uncertainty, evolving roles and new portfolios. Celebrating contributions can help individuals see reorganisation as an opportunity, not a threat.

Wellbeing will be key. Change fatigue is a real risk, particularly when reorganisation is layered onto significant existing pressures. Practical steps such as manageable workloads, clear role expectations and access to wellbeing support can make a significant difference in sustaining engagement.

The success of reorganisation will be measured not only by new structures and financial efficiencies, but by the spirit of the people who deliver them. By keeping people at the heart of the process, councils can turn uncertainty into an opportunity for renewal and progress.

Greg Hayes is a director at Tile Hill Executive Recruitment

WORKFORCE

Government to set out SEND deficit plans

By Martin Ford | 03 April 2025

The Government is to set out how it will tackle the £6bn special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) deficit crisis later this year.

WORKFORCE

A bird's eye view of rough sleeping

By Becky Rice | 03 April 2025

A new tool brings together data to provide a more sophisticated analysis of both London’s rough sleeping patterns and individual journeys through support ser...

WORKFORCE

People, purpose and power for a new era

By Rebecca Murphy | 03 April 2025

New partnership approaches are needed to tackle the challenges at the heart of local government, say Alison McKenzie-Folan and Rebecca Murphy

WORKFORCE

Taking a test, learn and grow approach in Camden

By Jess McGregor | 03 April 2025

Jess McGregor says that as Camden LBC tests its neighbourhoods approach to empowering people, it has focused on nurturing five key changes, including a shift...

Greg Hayes

Popular articles by Greg Hayes