Socitm Says brings you real stories from local public service professionals, packed with insights you can use. Whether you're starting a new project or looking for fresh inspiration, these episodes help you support your team and community with ideas that work.
#12 - Putting data ethics into practice: Hackney Council's story (Diana Rebaza & Rehana Ramesh)
Diana Rebaza and Rehana Ramesh share Hackney Council's practical approach to data ethics, building public trust and ensuring responsible technology use.
1 Jul 2026TRANSCRIPT
#11 - Defend as one: Building collective cyber resilience across councils, with Justin Kuruvilla and Ishaan Patel
Justin Kuruvilla and Ishaan Patel discuss building collective cyber resilience across councils by addressing third-party supplier vulnerabilities and sharing insights.
16 Jan 2026TRANSCRIPT
#10 - Public Sector Digital Trends 2026: Cyber security with Martin Ferguson and Mary Winterhausen
In this episode of Socitm Says, Martin Ferguson, former policy and research director at Socitm, talks with Mary Winterhausen. Mary was a leading member in establishing the Socitm London Information Technology Managers Group in the 1990s and was also one of the first women heads of IT in London.
Her engineering background helped her become a pioneer inpushing technology forward in the London borough of Waltham Forest.
Enjoy hearing about the fascinating story of those early days of Socitm and the vision Mary had for the society and her career as a woman in IT.
30 Sept 2025
#9 - Hard data, warm conversations with Ben Bennetts and Darren Rodwell
Welcome to this episode of Socitm Says, where we’re diving into the world of data — not the cold, abstract kind, but the warm, human stories it can unlock. Too often, data is seen as numbers on a page or dashboards on a screen. But when used well, it can transform how decisions are made, how policies are shaped, and ultimately how people’s lives are improved.
In this conversation, we explore exactly that. Hear from our two fantastic guests: Darren Rodwell, who led Barking & Dagenham Council for over a decade, and Ben Bennetts, a true data guru who knows how to make the complex simple.
Together, they share how the council used data to shape policy, deliver outcomes, and reframe the conversation about what local government can achieve.
It’s a fascinating listen - packed with insights you can take back to your own organisation.
21 Oct 2024TRANSCRIPT
#8 - Using social progress index data with William Barker and Michael Green
This episode of the podcast is a comprehensive exploration of data, the social progress index (SPI), and how one size does not fit all when trying to use it in your local authority.
Central and local government veterans William Barker and Michael Green are asked questions by David Ogden. Listen to their conversation for ways to use SPI data to impact your strategy and activities.
See more at: www.socitm.net
16 May 2024TRANSCRIPT
#7 - Social value: A public sector perspective with Kurt Frary, Hema Patel and Tim Spiers
This Socitm Says podcast sets the scene for why social value is important for public sector – Hear from Hema Patel & Tim Spiers at Oxfordshire County Council and Kurt Frary, Norfolk County Council as we discuss what does good look like and how do we achieve better outcomes across people and place, when it comes to social value.
Sign up to our upcoming Social Value webinar (https://socitm.net/calendar/social-value-public-sector/) (22 May 2024) join the discussion.
7 Mar 2024TRANSCRIPT
#6 - Social Value with Kurt Frary, Hema Patel and Tim Spiers
This Socitm Says podcast sets the scene for why social value is an important topic to explore – starting with the Private Sector. Hear from Hema Patel & Tim Spiers at Oxfordshire County Council and Kurt Frary, Norfolk County Council as we discuss what does good look like and how these challenges vary across different types of communities
Sign up to our upcoming Social Value webinar (https://socitm.net/calendar/webinar-social-value-march-2024) join the discussion.
12 Jan 2024TRANSCRIPT
Episode 5 - Generative AI with Kurt Frary and Sam Nutt
Welcome the Socitm Says podcast. In this episode we delve into the dynamic relationship between Generative AI (GenAI) and local government.
Hosted by experts in the field, we explore different aspects of utilising GenAI, ranging from data management and ethical considerations to the potential benefits and drawbacks. As the hosts engage in insightful discussions, you will gain a nuanced understanding of how AI impacts decision-making processes within the world of local governance.
Enjoy!
12 Oct 2023
Episode 4 - Green and Sustainable IT with Alex Bardell and Nathaniel Comer
This episode of the podcast will focus on the global problem of electronic waste, the IT lifecycle emissions and the responsible disposal of electronic waste to reduce environmental impact, thereby contributing to achieving net zero targets.
28 Jul 2023
Episode 3 - Recruitment and Retention as a Trend with Jos Creese
This episode of the podcast returns to the annual digital trends report. Report researcher and author Jos Creese reflects on the common experiences and uncommon solutions to recruiting and retaining people with the skills and attitude local government needs. He also draws on personal experience from a sector that can’t compete with others on salary but can offer a complete benefits package that includes positively affecting people and communities.
Find the Public Sector Digital trends collection (https://socitm.net/resource-hub/collections/public-sector-digital-trends/) on the Socitm website.
27 Apr 2023
Episode 2 - Recruitment and Retention with Matt Lewis and Sam Hall
Our second episode is based on Socitm's recent report on staff recruitment and retention in local government technology services, with contributions from Matt Lewis, SRS Wales' chief operating officer and a Socitm vice-president, and Sam Hall, director of primary, community care and mental health digital services at Digital Health and Care Wales. It is presented by report author SA Mathieson.
Read more about our Transforming Recruitment and Retention report (https://socitm.net/resource-hub/socitm-research/transforming-recruitment-and-retention/) on the Socitm website.
21 Mar 2023
Episode 1 - Public Sector Digital Trends with Jos Creese
For our first episode, we Invite Jos Creese, Socitm Associate Director, and the CEO and founder at CREESE CONSULTING LIMITED (CCL), to talk us through Socitm's latest Collection - the Public Sector Digital Trends. Jos talks about his involvement, key points of the collection, the unexpected findings and offers word of encouragement to the listeners.
Find the Public Sector Digital trends collection (https://socitm.net/resource-hub/collections/public-sector-digital-trends/) on the Socitm website.
Inside a recent episode
#12 - Putting data ethics into practice: Hackney Council's story (Diana Rebaza & Rehana Ramesh)
Published 14 Sept 2026 · Transcript excerpt
[…] This is what the vision looks like. And this is what you can do to help us. And then the data management strategy is very much internally for the organization to understand what our vision is when it comes to data and how we want data and insight to be in the driving seat of change that's happening within local government so that we are making evidence-based decisions. And we are making that a practice because it's also a cultural thing. You know, when I think about it, data, everybody touches in the council. If you have 5,000 staff, 6,000 staff, they're either using the data in their day-to-day work. […]
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