Age should never define leadership in local government, says Graeme McDonald, Managing Director of Solace. Instead, councils should invest in inclusive, skills-based development for officers and councillors to deliver effective public services.
Local government leadership – at both an officer and elected member level – is always in the spotlight in one way or another. Recently there have been some headlines focused on age – but fixating on a number in isolation misses the point about what effective local leadership at a time of intense of challenge and change for the sector really requires, because knowledge, skills and lived experience are not monopolised by any particular age group or demographic.
Local government is at its best when its leadership—officers and councillors alike—reflects the communities it serves. This isn’t about ticking demographic boxes for the sake of appearances. It’s about ensuring diverse demographic and cultural perspectives inform policy and service delivery. Communities are not homogeneous, and neither should their leadership be.
That’s one reason so many councils and organisations—including Solace—have committed to the Age Friendly Employer Pledge. It reflects a shared determination to value workers for their knowledge, skills and experience, regardless of age. The pledge is about challenging ageism in recruitment, development and progression practices. It makes clear that age should never be a barrier to opportunity, contribution or advancement in local government.
This principle must extend to councillors too. Age should not be an obstacle to standing for office, but nor should it be used as a lazy shorthand for capability or commitment. If we want greater diversity in the sector, we must tackle the real barriers people face. That includes affordability, flexibility, time commitment, and access to mentoring and development.
We should be fostering truly inclusive councils where people of different ages, gender, and race, as well as backgrounds and experiences, work collaboratively together to deliver for their communities because, at its heart, local government is a collective endeavour. The roles councillors and officers fulfil are incredibly important as commissioners of vital services, as corporate parents, and as place shapers. Local authorities works best when councillors and officers understand their distinct but complementary roles—and, crucially, when both are properly supported to fulfil them.
Solace’s Policy Lead for Leadership & Learning Kim Wright has spoken about the need for “radical, capable and agile leadership” at all levels of an organisation to not only meet the challenges of today but to chart a path to a more optimistic future in which service delivery and outcomes for our residents are improved. She is also right to point out that that having quality leaders in post to successfully guide us through periods of flux cannot be left to chance.
Solace already co-ordinate a wide range of programmes to support the workforce—from apprentices and graduates to aspiring and current chief executives. Initiatives such as AMPlify – specifically designed to nurture and uplift diverse talent –, Ignite, Springboard, Total Leadership, and our new Chief Executive Development Framework – delivered in conjunction with the LGA – are designed to build strategic agility, strengthen partnership skills, and develop the confidence and networks needed to lead through complexity and change.
These programmes provide both practical learning and the reflective space leaders need to grow personally and professionally. In addition, there are regional schemes that have been operating successfully for several years, and where there is much to build on, while individual councils should be proud of the efforts many already make to offer training and leadership development for councillors and officers alike. But there is so much more we could do with demand continually outstripping supply – as evidenced by the fact that the programmes Solace offers are all heavily oversubscribed.
Unfortunately, what local government receives for training and development pales in comparison to other parts of the public sector – the NHS in particular, which receives £6bn a year for such activity. The Government has rightly recognised local government’s crucial role in delivering national missions while the sector has been tasked with making a success of a challenging range of much-needed change programmes. To do all of that and do it well, local government leadership development should be seen as essential, planned, and properly funded so that officers and councillors are equipped with the necessary skills and confidence to deliver in a reframed local government landscape.
Investing in member and officer development isn’t just a bureaucratic duty; it’s a democratic one. Because ultimately, every community deserves leaders who are not just reflective of the people they serve but supported and prepared to meet the challenges of today and embrace the opportunities of the future too. When it comes to creating confident, curious, and capable leaders, to have the best, you need to invest.
