Search this site

Daniel MouawadChief Executive < Speakers < Previous Next > Daniel Mouawad Chief Executive Spelthorne Borough Council Daniel was appointed Chief Executive of Spelthorne Borough Council in 2017 and has been at the forefront of pioneering initiatives that the authority has delivered for its communities. In 2021, Spelthorne became the first local authority in the country to convert part of its active civic building into affordable housing for residents. Annually, the council's commercial property investment work has invested over £10 million pounds into key community support services. This autumn, the authority will be opening the world's largest… Show More

< All sponsors Govmetric Stand 23 www.govmetric.com Customer engagement solutions built for the public sector. Harness the power of the customer voice to design services that meet the needs of your citizens and communities.

Sarah HealeyPermanent Secretary of the Department < Speakers < Previous Next > Sarah Healey Permanent Secretary of the Department The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) Sarah Healey was appointed Permanent Secretary of the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) on 7 February 2023. Prior to this, she was Permanent Secretary of the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) from 2019 and before that worked in the Cabinet Office where she was the Director General overseeing the development and implementation of economic and domestic policy following two and a half years working on negotiations and preparations for the UK to leave the… Show More

Stand TBC < Back Hill www.hill.co.uk Our vision is to be the UK’s leading and most trusted housebuilder, creating exceptional homes and sustainable communities. Since we were founded in 1999, we have established ourselves as the country’s second largest family-owned house builder with a reputation as the partner of choice for local authorities and housing associations. We deliver around 3,000 new homes per annum as well as mixed-use development which helps to regenerate town centres providing a catalyst for further investment. Being financially robust gives our partners further confidence we will deliver on any promises made. Investment Partnerships Hill has adopted an innovative Investment Partnership approach to jointly develop land with local authorities and is delivering at scale. Why: It was established to provide solutions for local authorities to optimise opportunities from their property assets as well as from land jointly acquired What: It generates long-term council revenue, affordable housing and regeneration at pace Where: It is a tried and tested model that is delivering across the south-east Solohaus Our fully modular Solohaus, Duohaus and Familyhaus homes are a low-carbon, quick-install solution for tackling the issue of homelessness. Through the Foundation 200 project we are also donating homes to local authorities. Sustainability We collaboratively deliver environmental and socio-economic actions to improve the health, well-being and lifestyle of residents and communities to support a Just Transition. Social Value Hill places people at the heart of everything it does, working with local authorities to create tangible social value that positively impacts communities. Our strategy targets education to employment, local business support, and community health and belonging.

Sarah WarrenSEND/EHCP Advisor < Speakers < Previous Next > Sarah Warren SEND/EHCP Advisor Agilisys Sarah is the SEND/EHCP Advisor at Agilisys Transform, on the EHCP Plus solution. Before joining Agilisys, Sarah spent over 14 years working in local authority SEND teams as a Caseworker and EHC Plan Writer, as well as previously as a teacher in a SEND school. Work has been for over 15 different local authorities, giving insight into different ways of working and EHC Plan styles and formats. Sarah has been working closely with the team at Agilisys to help develop and optimise… Show More

Day One Day Two Previous Next Thursday 16 October 2025 Aire Suite, Royal Armouries 15:45–16:25 Roundtable Local Government Reorganisation: Practical Advice and Support Speaker/s Simon Allsop B.Com, CPFA, Managing Consultant, CIPFA John O’Halloran, Director of Consultancy, CIPFA Let’s be honest: Local Government Reorganisation isn’t easy. But done right, it can lead to stronger, more sustainable services for your communities. In this session, CIPFA will offer practical tools and guidance to help you navigate the financial side of reorganisation. You’ll get a first look at the new CIPFA financial template – developed to bring consistency, clarity, and confidence to your proposals. Whether you’re deep in the middle of structural change or just starting to scope the options, this session will show you how to make your financial case clearly and credibly. You’ll hear how the framework, co-designed with F3 Consultancy, supports transparency, helps uncover hidden costs and savings, and provides the evidence base central government wants to see. This session is for you if you want to drive local government reform that’s not just politically viable, but financially sound too. Takeaways Understand how CIPFA’s new financial template can support your reorganisation business case Learn how to present cost/saving data in a way that builds confidence with stakeholders and government Explore real-world examples of how councils are approaching financial planning through reform Take home practical guidance you can apply immediately in your own local context Delivered by

Professor Catherine StaiteEmeritus Professor of Public Management < Speakers < Previous Next > Professor Catherine Staite Emeritus Professor of Public Management University of Birmingham Professor Catherine Staite LLB, MBA, FRSA is an Emeritus Professor of Public Management at the University of Birmingham. She is involved in research and consultancy, specialising in leadership and governance. She currently works with Darlingburn Ltd, providing specialist consultancy in governance, especially where councils are at high risk of failure. She is a former Director of the Institute of Local Government Studies (INLOGOV) and a former Director of the Office for Public Management. Between 2001 and 2005 she worked for… Show More

All Speakers Craig Barker Senior Manager, Digital and Customer Experience, Cumberland Council A local government digital leader and advocate for user centred service design and collaborative working. Cumbria Local Government Reorganisation  workstream lead for Website, Customer Contact Centres and Digital Service delivery. Craig is now responsible for leading and supporting Cumberland Council to meet the digital expectations of all users by utilising processes, cultures, AI and all technology of the Internet era. Thursday 16 October 2025 15:00–15:40 Navigating Local Government Reform: Lessons from the Digital Frontline of Devolution Pearl Suite, Royal Armouries Go to session

Day One Day Two Previous Next Thursday 16 October 2025 Pearl Suite, Royal Armouries 14:15–14:55 Sub Plenary 1.5 Million Homes: Ambition, Action, and Accountability Chair Jon Rouse CBE, Chief Executive, Stoke on Trent City Council and Solace Policy Lead for Housing, Planning and Infrastructure Speaker/s Joanna Key, Director General for Regeneration, Housing and Planning, MHCLG Local authorities are central to delivering the Government’s 1.5 million homes target, one of the most ambitious housing targets in a generation. This session explores how planning reform, local leadership, and community-focused development can turn national ambition into local impact.

All Speakers Kathryn Rees Executive Director Corporate and Support Services, Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council Kathryn has extensive experience of leading transformation and change in Local Government through several roles in Stockport and Wigan Council. She is passionate about improving the lives of people and communities. She joined Stockport Council as the Director of Strategy in June 2019 and is currently the Executive Director for Corporate and Support Services, where she has responsibility for finance, legal and democratic services, workforce, communications, strategy, digital, data, partnerships and community engagement. She also led the development of Stockroom, a project to transform vacant retail units into a new innovative space for creativity, discovery and learning. Kathryn plays a key role in the Health and Care partnership, providing leadership for enabling programmes including workforce, data, digital, estates, communication and engagement. She also chairs the Greater Manchester Smart Cities Board. Kathryn previously worked for 9 years in Wigan Council where, as Assistant Director of Transformation, she played an integral part in the design and delivery of the Wigan Deal which transformed the way the council worked with communities. Kathryn joined Mencap as a trustee in January 2022. In addition to the board, she is a member of the Delivery and Strategic Impact Committee. Since May 2024 Kathryn has also sat on the board of Care City, a community interest company delivering health and social care transformation. Thursday 16 October 2025 15:00–15:40 Cross-party Working Against a Backdrop of No Overall Control Hall A, Royal Armouries Go to session

All Speakers Kamal Patel Partner in EY-Parthenon’s Infrastructure Advisory Pactice, EY Kamal is a Partner in EY’s Infrastructure Advisory practice, having joined from the Department for Transport, where he was the head of Corporate Finance, Real Estate and shareholding.  At EY, Kamal’s primary focus is on working with regional and national public sector clients to unlock economic growth by leveraging private finance to accelerate the delivery of infrastructure.  Kamal has over 25 years’ experience bringing together his unique background of being an advisor, lender and Government transactions principal for infrastructure projects. Thursday 16 October 2025 15:00–15:40 Investing in Place to Build Financial Resilience Aire Suite, Royal Armouries Go to session

All Speakers Robin Tuddenham President of Solace and Chief Executive, Calderdale Metropolitan Borough Council Robin has been Chief Executive at Calderdale Council, in West Yorkshire, since June 2017, previously the Accountable Officer for NHS Calderdale Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) since October 2020 and is Calderdale's Place Lead for West Yorkshire Integrated Care Board . He is responsible for leading both the Council's and Calderdale place's workforce, supporting system leadership across the area with public, private and voluntary sector leaders in support of Calderdale Vision 2024 and overseeing a £600m capital programme across the borough's market towns. Robin is Place Lead for Calderdale for West Yorkshire Integrated Care Board and is joint SRO of the Improving Population Health Programme. He was elected lead spokesperson for Solace for Economic Prosperity in October 2020; having been deputy lead for Health and Social Care for the previous two years. Robin was previously Director of Communities and Business Change for Calderdale, leading the redevelopment of the multi-award-winning restoration of the Piece Hall and new Central Library in Halifax and prior to that worked in local government and the Probation Service in East London. Robin is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, an honorary life member of the Faculty of Public Health and a Trustee of the Lankelly Chase Foundation . Thursday 16 October 2025 11:15–11:25 Presidents Opening Speech Main Stage, New Dock Hall Go to session Friday 17 October 20225 12:50–13:00 President's Closing Speech Main Stage, New Dock Hall Go to session