Future County Finance Leaders Programme

Developing tomorrow’s finance leaders - a programme in progress

Phil Rook, SCT President

In this short piece, I wanted to share some reflections on our Future County Finance Leaders Programme. Now at the halfway point, the programme has already built real momentum, and I am confident it will play an ongoing role in how the sector develops its finance leaders of tomorrow. 

Before I do so, I want to acknowledge Rob, our outgoing SCT President, who has been instrumental in establishing and designing the first cohort of FCFLP. He leaves behind a legacy that I am excited to build on. My ambition for taking it forward is straightforward: a stronger pipeline of future finance leaders who feel equipped for what their evolving roles ask of them.

Reflections from Rob Powell, outgoing SCT President

“Over the past few months, I’m most proud that we have mobilised something of real quality, with such support from across SCT and the wider local government community.

I am getting really positive feedback from people that they are learning, growing and being challenged, and I sense improved confidence about what they can do in the future. 

I hope the legacy FCFLP leaves is a stronger pipeline of future finance leaders for the sector and wider public service ecosystem, and that individuals feel able to thrive, grow and develop.” - Rob Powell, outgoing SCT President

The pipeline challenge of future Section 151 officers is not new, but it is intensifying

When I think about the pressures facing local government right now, I keep coming back to one question: who is going to lead us through it? 

Finance leadership now demands far more than technical expertise. Today’s S151 officer helps shape the organisation’s future direction, working with senior leaders to ensure it is sustainable, outward-looking, and focused on outcomes for residents.

That demands a different kind of capability. You need to be able to make finance accessible to non-financial people: members, communities, colleagues across the council. You need political awareness. You need to be comfortable holding difficult conversations and, occasionally, saying no, whilst always looking for the route that gets the organisation to the outcome it needs.

And you need your team. The best S151 officers are not necessarily the most technically brilliant individuals in the room. They are the ones who build the right team around them, who bring different strengths together, and who create the conditions for good decisions to be made. That is a leadership skill, not a finance skill.

LGR adds a further layer of complexity. As authorities reorganise, experienced leaders may take the opportunity to step away, while new structures will need people ready for a broader mix of skills, spanning county and district functions, from revenue and benefits to housing revenue accounts, alongside the major service responsibilities that county authorities carry. There are always S151 roles being advertised in the sector; LGR will only sharpen that challenge.

The question is not just whether there are enough candidates; it is whether they are ready for the breadth of what the role now demands. Getting the next generation ready is not just a workforce planning issue; it is a strategic imperative for the sector. FCFLP is designed to help address this - though it is one part of a wider response the sector will need.

FCFLP is not a technical finance course. It is a leadership programme for finance professionals, and that distinction is deliberate.

Co-designed by SCT and Newton, with support from Grant Thornton UK, FCFLP is helping high-potential finance professionals grow into the leadership the sector needs. It is about giving people the tools, the confidence and the network to take that next step - and to feel ready when they do.

FCFLP provides a different set of tools to help participants progress in their careers and open their eyes to different experiences.  This includes both a range of leadership tools to navigate the national and local challenges, alongside the technical tools to identify and focus on the greatest challenges across a local area

Each partner has brought a critical aspect to the programme. In addition to guiding the design and delivery of the course, SCT have focussed on financial leadership and immersing individuals in the day-to-day experience of what it’s like to be a leader in today’s rapidly changing landscape. I am hugely grateful to our SCT members who have offered their time as programme mentors.

Newton has brought their experience in data-driven transformation to the fore, which will help the programme meet its objectives around organisational and change leadership, and the need for whole-council and system-wide approaches to the complex issues we are grappling with. 

And GT have supplemented this with expertise in what good financial governance and leadership practically looks like.

It is much easier if you can retain and develop, rather than recruit. 

At the halfway stage, the feedback has been genuinely encouraging, not just in volume, but in what participants say they are taking away. So far, every single respondent to our post module surveys have agreed or strongly agreed that the content covered the learning objectives.

“It’s helped me realise – and given me the confidence – that my overall knowledge is wider than I thought.”

What strikes me is that it is not one thing participants value; it is the combination. The structured learning, the space to think away from the day job, and the peer relationships and genuine connections being built.

FCFLP…“gives me time to think and connect with colleagues across the sector. Explore new ideas and refresh knowledge.”

One of the most encouraging signs has been seeing participants stay connected between modules. That is exactly what we hoped would happen, and those relationships will matter long after the programme ends.

What I value is….“hearing that I’m not alone and others are going through the same.” 

Looking ahead my job is to make sure FCFLP continues to deliver, and to think about how we build on it.

The cohort has momentum, and I am looking forward to seeing what the second half of the programme produces. 

Taking on the SCT presidency with FCFLP already in progress is, genuinely, a privilege. Rob has done the hard work of getting something of real quality off the ground: the vision, the partnerships, the credibility. 

The sector needs this. The financial challenges facing local government are not going away. LGR will reshape the landscape significantly. But I take confidence in the success of cohort one, and we are committed to running additional cohorts to ensure we are supporting the Section 151 officers of the future, who will help local government navigate what comes next.