Universities sit at the frontline of shaping the next generation of public sector officers and leaders, but what does that responsibility look like in a world defined by digital transformation, shifting values, and rising complexity?

In this episode, Matt Masters sits down with Claire Taylor, Vice‑Chancellor and Chief Executive at Plymouth Marjon University, to explore how higher education can build a pipeline of graduates who are not only digitally capable, but grounded in humanity, purpose, and public value.

Together they unpack the evolving expectations of public service, the skills and mindsets future leaders will need, and how universities can create learning environments that nurture curiosity, resilience, ethical leadership, and digital confidence. Claire shares her perspective on aligning values, embedding digital literacy across disciplines, and preparing graduates to lead with integrity in a rapidly changing world.

This is a conversation for anyone thinking about the future of public leadership, from council CEOs to early‑career officers, educators, and policymakers.

In this powerful episode of The Truth About Public Sector, Hannah Quinn-Hill sits down with Simon Clarke, Managing Director of Procurement for NHS Birmingham, the Black Country & Solihull — a leader who is proving that procurement isn’t paperwork. It’s power.

What unfolds is an inspiring and deeply human conversation about how one NHS system is redefining what public money can achieve. From tackling entrenched health inequalities to building community resilience, Simon shares how his team is using procurement as a strategic engine for social value — and why every public‑sector leader in the UK should be paying attention.

Together, Hannah and Simon explore ground breaking initiatives such as the Match My Project platform, innovative partnerships with the third sector, and the real‑world impact on families experiencing poverty, trauma, and long-term inequality. These aren’t theories — they’re lived outcomes: families rehoused, survivors supported, children lifted out of bed poverty, early cancer detection expanded, and thousands of essential items distributed with dignity.

This episode is a call to ambition. A reminder that public procurement can save lives, shape futures, and transform communities when purpose meets purchasing power.

If you’ve ever wondered what’s truly possible in the public sector — this is the story you need to hear.

“Risk, Creativity and Collaboration: Rethinking Urban Infrastructure with CIVIC” dives into how engineering can become a catalyst for better, more human‑centred places. Matt Masters sits down with Stephen O’Malley, Chief Executive of CIVIC, to explore how their philosophy of “civility from civil engineering” challenges long‑held conventions in the built environment.

In just 20 minutes, Stephen unpacks why intelligent risk‑taking matters, how creativity emerges when disciplines fuse rather than compete, and what true collaboration looks like when public and private partners share purpose rather than process. The conversation cuts through technical jargon to focus on what really counts: designing towns and cities that enhance quality of life, respect the natural environment, and work with, not against, the geography and character of a place.

This episode offers a sharp, practical look at how the public sector can rethink infrastructure delivery to unlock better outcomes for communities.

In this episode, Matt Masters sits down with Andrew van Doorn, Chief Executive of HACT, to explore what social value really means in practice, beyond procurement scoring, compliance frameworks, and glossy reporting. Together, they unpack why the sector still struggles with the concept, how organisations can shift from transactional activity to meaningful community impact, and what it takes to embed social value into everyday decision‑making.

Andrew reflects on HACT’s role in shaping national thinking, the evolution of the Social Value Roadmap, and the cultural and leadership shifts required to move from “doing social value” to living it. This conversation challenges assumptions, reframes impact as a long‑term relational endeavour, and offers practical insights for leaders across housing, health, and public services.

For years, the national housing debate has been dominated by one metric: quantity. How many homes can we build, how quickly, and at what scale. But that fixation on numbers has pushed a more fundamental question into the background, are the homes we build, manage, and retrofit actually good for people’s health?

In this episode, Matt Masters is joined by Faye Sanders, Doctoral Researcher in Housing and Health, and Co‑Chair of both the Healthy Homes Research Network and the Housing Studies Association. Together, they explore why housing quality is a public health issue, how poor‑quality homes drive avoidable costs for providers and the NHS, and what it really takes to build cross‑sector partnerships that improve outcomes for residents.

Faye brings insights from her research, examples of effective collaborations between housing and health, and reflections on how the sector can shift its mindset, from “how many” to “how well.”

In this episode of The Truth About Public Sector, Matt sits down with Andrew, Chief Executive of HACT, the charity at the heart of social housing innovation for over 60 years. Together, they explore how housing can act as the backbone of cross‑sector collaboration, from health and financial inclusion to data standards and community investment.

The conversation digs into the societal problems no single organisation can fix alone, poor health outcomes, inequality, carbon reduction, and the widening trust gap between institutions and communities. Andrew shares how HACT’s work on social value, data excellence, health‑and‑housing integration, and retrofit innovation is helping housing providers partner more effectively with councils, the NHS, and voluntary sector organisations to create real, measurable impact.

This is a candid, practical, and future‑focused discussion about what it will take to build systems that genuinely work for people, not just organisations.

In this episode, Matt Masters sits down with Tony Mallaghan MSc CIHCM, Chief Executive of Yorkhill Housing Association and former strategic lead for Scotland’s largest council housebuilding programme. Together they explore why collaboration across public bodies, housing associations, utilities, and the private sector is no longer optional, it’s the only way to deliver homes, tackle homelessness, and meet net zero ambitions in the modern era.

Tony reflects on his leadership in North Lanarkshire, where a 5,000‑home programme demanded innovative partnerships with developers, Scottish Water, the Scottish Government’s More Homes Division, and local Housing Associations. He shares the lessons learned from brownfield regeneration, turnkey acquisitions, and the Strategic Housing Investment Plan process.

The conversation then shifts to Yorkhill, where the challenges look very different: homelessness pressures in Glasgow, the complexities of tenemental retrofit, and the need for a coordinated national approach to clean heat and energy efficiency.

This is a grounded, honest, and practical discussion about what collaboration really looks like, the tensions, the breakthroughs, and the opportunities for a more joined‑up future.

In this episode of The Truth About Public Sector, host Matt Masters sits down with James Walder, Chief Executive of North Star Housing Group, to explore what it really takes to build and sustain resilient communities in the modern public sector landscape.

Drawing on North Star’s long-standing commitment to social purpose, community investment, and trauma-informed practice, Matt and James unpack the practical realities behind “community resilience”, what it means, how it’s built, and why Housing Associations are uniquely positioned to lead this work.

From the pressures of the current economic climate to the deep-rooted strengths within communities themselves, this conversation goes beyond strategy and into lived experience, organisational culture, and the power of long-term relationships.

Expect honesty, challenge, and a grounded look at what works, and what doesn’t, when trying to build stronger, safer, more connected places.