Jessica Studdert

Public Service Reform | LinkedIn Public Service Reform | 688 followers on LinkedIn. A multidisciplinary team leading public service reform from the Cabinet Office. | We are working to reform public services so they are more people-c...

www.linkedin.com/company/publ... been meaning to cross post this on here. First PSR newsletter! Please share @pollymackenzie.bsky.social @simonparker.bsky.social @jesstud.bsky.social @jamestplunkett.bsky.social

Here we go…

@jesstud.bsky.social & @vibrantkatiekelly.bsky.social open #StrongerThings 2025 🌟

“We gather at a time when the outlines of change have been drawn, but now it’s time for us all to bring some colour to the canvas.”

Five reasons the Government should launch Total Place 2.0 - New Local John Denham and Jessica Studdert make the case for Total Place 2.0 - to shift public investment for better outcomes.

“There is one policy option open to the Government which would lay the groundwork for a deep shift in how public investment secures better outcomes”.

@jydenham.bsky.social‬ & @jesstud.bsky.social‬ set out 5 reasons the Government should launch Total Place 2.0.

Great summary of the case for Total Place. As the article says, there's a wide coaltion of organisations who support this.

This was @instituteforgovernment.org.uk's contribution from earlier this month: www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/publication/...

It’s a very big day for me – @wearenewlocal.bsky.social launches Where People Meet: Where People Meet: How We Celebrate, Sustain and Reimagine Community Centres.

www.newlocal.org.uk/publications...

English devolution white paper: Public service reform The English devolution white paper outlines ambitions to join up public services, hand mayors more influence over arms length bodies and give them a bigger role in other public services. What does…

What does the English Devolution White Paper mean for public services?

What is needed to make it work?

@jesstud.bsky.social on this ➕ more on The Local Authority Podcast 🎙

“There is a deeper and more sophisticated conversation to be had about cost and spend across a place”.

Returning from unintended mini bluesky hiatus to make the niche but relevant point that the mayors of North Tyneside and Doncaster are *not the same* as the other mayors up for election on Thursday.

The radical plan for a futuristic age-friendly neighbourhood in Manchester £1.5bn of funding has been granted to transform a hospital into a neighbourhood designed for people to thrive as they age

This looks v. interesting.

This isn’t rocket science but far too few neighbourhoods do it well:

“The humble bench – improved with armrests, numbered to aid in a medical emergency, or placed strategically for wellbeing and intergenerational conversation – can be transformative…”

What an incredible, inspiring woman 💔

A new leadership model is transforming local government - New Local Jessica Studdert shares four fundamental shifts that are taking local government leadership into new territory and explains why the changing sector landscape demands a common understanding of…

"Those in leadership positions are required to work in ways which don’t have a clear rulebook."

@jesstud.bsky.social writes about a new leadership model emerging in the public sector.

Design Thinking, Digital Divides and Radical Decision Makers: An Interview with Ben Unsworth - New Local In a career spanning councils, digital agencies and central government, TPXimpact’s Ben Unsworth has been at the forefront of reshaping local government. We speak to him about why councils are ripe…

"The problems councils face are deeply interconnected. Traditional hierarchical structures don’t work well for solving these complex issues"

@benunsworth.co.uk @tpximpact.com on the revolution in local gov leadership (+ design thinking & digital transformation).

Q: What can England learn from the approaches in devolved nations?

@jesstud.bsky.social: lots to learn in England e.g. Welsh future generations act and Scottish empowerment of communities act. The scale creates better system working. Would like to see more of this at sub-regional level in England.

"It's time for Total Place 2.0": John Denham in conversation with Jessica Studdert - New Local The best policy that almost was? Former Secretary of State John Denham & New Local's Jessica Studdert discuss their new paper calling for a come-back for place-based budgeting as we saw in the Total P...

Good to hear @jesstud.bsky.social bang the drum again for Total Place 2.0.

www.newlocal.org.uk/articles/tot...

#BennettInst

Q&A

- @jesstud.bsky.social funding local govt properly leads to investment in things that matter to people – the fabric of community life
- @rodriguez-pose.bsky.social economic success stories do not always come from biggest cities
- T. Walker: need an environment that incentivises long-termism

@jesstud.bsky.social says that there is an opportunity with the devolution agenda to shift to a different way of governing.

At the moment hasn't been holistic enough. It needs to be about community-led policymaking, not just a repatriation of a function to a different level.

#BennettInst

A new leadership model is transforming local government - New Local Jessica Studdert shares four fundamental shifts that are taking local government leadership into new territory and explains why the changing sector landscape demands a common understanding of…

"National policy has a bias towards structural reform as a tool for change. Radical leadership cannot be legislated for, but the culture change it reflects no less impactful."

@jesstud.bsky.social writes about a new leadership model emerging in the public sector.

Minister for Local Government Jim McMahon MP giving a speech to the District Councils Network Conference.

Fascinating discussions at #dcnconf2025- reorganisation top of agenda- but questions re purpose & outcomes at heart.

@jimmcmahon.co.uk was clear about challenges but stressed importance of imagining the future & public service reform that combines benefits of scale w/ being rooted in communities.

Fed up with what’s going on in the world but still wanna change it? Come and work with us…

Interim Report - Think Neighbourhoods - ICON

Link to the full report here: www.neighbourhoodscommission.org.uk/report/inter...

ICON Commissioner @jonrouse.bsky.social sets out how the only level at which it is possible to join up public services, vcs & wider support that matters to people is the neighbourhood.

This cannot be done from on high, must be based on deep understanding of the dynamics of different communities.

Good to be at the launch of the Independent Commission on Neighbourhoods interim report launch with Alex Norris MP.

The report urges recognition of “mission-critical neighbourhoods”- most deprived areas that do worst on outcomes associated w/ Govt’s missions on growth, health, opportunity & safety.

Nice to see the leader of the free world being given such a warm welcome…

Really looking forward to hosting this event in Manchester with @carnegieuk.bsky.social to discuss their latest Life in the UK report and the role of collective wellbeing, with @andywestwood.bsky.social responding…

Thanks so much, and for sharing Andrew!

Radical Leadership: Power, Possibility and Public Service - New Local What does it take to lead in local government today? We’ve explored these questions alongside trusted friends in our council network. Together, we’ve identified a new model of Radical Leadership.

Great paper by @jesstud.bsky.social, Shaheen Warren, @annarandle.bsky.social.

Four shifts in local govt leadership:

1 Community as well as organisation
2 Mobilisation as well as management
3 Compassion as well as decisiveness
4 Resilience as well as efficiency

www.newlocal.org.uk/publications...

Thanks Brendan!

New Public Mobilisation is the answer Old habits die hard. While New Public Management (NPM) might have fallen out of fashion in the think-tank community, it is alive and well in Whitehall. Its core...

New Public Management is not fit for purpose (though it is alive and well in many parts of Whitehall).

We need New Public *Mobilisation* if mission-led government is to have impact.

My latest MJ column… www.themj.co.uk/public-mobil...

The rise of authoritarian democracy- can we resist? Whether we wait, fight or adapt, the reality of America's transition to a more authoritarian democracy can't be ignored. We have the power to respond- and should.

We are seeing the transition of the US from a stable to an authoritarian democracy. This means that those who believe in democracy have to act and adapt. New ‘stack exploring what this means.

open.substack.com/pub/anthonyp...

The pressures facing #localgov are real and complex- different forms of leadership are required to not just survive, but thrive in this context.

Our new report Radical Leadership: Power, Possibility and Public Service sets out the shifts we are seeing…

This month’s Prospect has a pullout on skills which covers lots of things I’ve been blogging about of late, plus interviews with @jesstud.bsky.social and MP for St Neots & Mid-Cambs @iansollom.bsky.social