Business & Technology
Why CIOs should be prioritising stability as the foundation for transformation
Local Government Reorganisation is coming, and with it one of the biggest structural shifts the sector has faced in decades. The temptation is to treat reorganisation as a catalyst for sweeping digital transformation, but the immediate challenge is far more fundamental. When vesting day arrives, residents will still expect services to work as they did before. Bins must be collected. Planning applications must progress. Benefits must be processed. Behind the scenes, the technology environments must support those services to transition seamlessly.
For local authority leaders and their CIOs, stability becomes the real priority; large-scale transformation can follow once the foundations are secure.
Maintaining that stability, however, is rarely straightforward in local government. Technology leaders are responsible for some of the most complex operational environments in the public sector. Years of incremental system deployments, legacy platforms, departmental applications, and manual workarounds have created IT estates that are rarely well integrated or efficiently designed.
Even under normal circumstances, managing that complexity is already a challenge, but local government reorganisation raises the stakes significantly. Multiple councils will need to combine services, processes, and technology environments, often with limited clarity about the final organisational structure or system landscape.
For CIOs, this creates a difficult balancing act. There is pressure to modernise and improve digital services, but there is also a growing need to ensure operational stability as structural change approaches.
Learning from experience
Cumberland Council offers a clear example of what local government reorganisation looks like at the operational frontline.
When Cumbria’s seven councils were reorganised into two new unitary authorities in April 2023, Cumberland inherited a technology environment already operating at considerable scale. ICT teams managed more than 90 projects concurrently while handling around 22,000 service incidents in a single year.
Supporting the organisation meant keeping systems running for over 9,000 users across what were effectively three operating organisations. Alongside this, the council was delivering a £1 million data centre refresh and responding to thousands of cyber defence events over the same period. All of this was happening while services to residents had to continue without interruption.
Rather than attempt to rebuild every system or redesign every process immediately, Cumberland adopted a pragmatic approach. The council used a rapid application development platform to separate data inside shared systems while maintaining a single operational workflow.
As Craig Barker, Senior Manager for Digital and Customer Experience at Cumberland Council, explained, “One form, two brands, two data sets. Residents saw the right logo and experience, but behind the scenes, it was one intelligent form.”
As the transition unfolded, gaining visibility of work in progress quickly became a priority. Leaders needed to understand how work was moving across the organisation, where demand was building, and how services were performing across different departments.
Technology played an important role in supporting that visibility and maintaining control. Using an AI-driven low-code platform, Cumberland introduced structured case management, digital forms, and automation across priority services. At the same time, the council began developing a new digital front door, giving residents a consistent way to access services as organisational boundaries changed behind the scenes.
This approach improved oversight, reduced manual effort, and helped maintain service continuity while internal structures continued to evolve.
Preparing technology environments without certainty
Cumberland’s experience reflects a challenge many councils now face as reorganisation approaches: technology teams must keep complex services running while the shape of the future organisation is still emerging. Work often needs to begin long before there is full clarity about which systems will remain, how services will be structured, or what the final operating model will look like.
However, uncertainty doesn’t make preparation impossible. It simply changes where CIOs should focus their effort. The most effective preparation focuses on fundamentals that remain relevant regardless of the final configuration. That means understanding how services actually run today, how demand flows through systems, and where critical dependencies exist between applications, teams, and processes.
Understanding how services actually operate
Process mapping is a critical activity at this stage. By capturing end-to-end service journeys, councils can see where demand enters the organisation, how cases move between functions, and where delays, duplication, or manual workarounds occur.
This visibility is essential in a reorganisation context, where inherited complexity is often underestimated until it becomes a problem. Processes that appear straightforward on paper can often reveal hidden operational complexity once systems and workflows are examined closely. Importantly, this work should focus on real-world activity, including variations, exceptions, and informal practices that keep services running. By capturing these realities, councils can identify operational risk, understand true service cost and effort, and highlight opportunities to simplify before structural change takes place.
Digital process mapping and improvement tools allow councils to capture, visualise, and analyse processes collaboratively. This creates a shared, evidence-based view of how services function, which is invaluable when planning for alignment with future partner organisations.
Councils that invest time in this work are far better placed when reorganisation decisions are confirmed. They can engage with clarity, explain how services currently operate, and make informed choices about what should be aligned or redesigned later. Those who skip this step risk finding themselves reacting to inherited issues rather than shaping their future operating model.
Protecting and stabilising services
Vesting day, when responsibility for services formally transfers to the newly formed authority, is the most critical milestone in any reorganisation programme. From a resident’s perspective, it should be largely unnoticeable. Services should continue to operate as expected, regardless of what is changing behind the scenes.
Achieving that outcome depends on service and technology resilience. CIOs need to understand where dependencies sit, where knowledge is concentrated in individuals, and where systems or processes represent single points of failure.
Technology that supports existing services, rather than replacing them outright, can be particularly valuable at this stage. Solutions that can sit across current systems can provide a consistent interface for staff and citizens while reducing operational complexity. This approach lowers risk during transition and helps ensure continuity at a time when stability matters most.
Laying the foundations for the future
Focusing on service continuity and control also reduces the complexity inherited by the new authority. Councils that enter reorganisation with fragmented processes and inconsistent service handling often spend years trying to align them.
By contrast, councils that have already introduced standardised workflows and shared platforms make it easier to harmonise services over time. Flexible, configurable technologies such as low-code provide the foundations for sequencing change more sensibly. Rather than forcing immediate convergence across newly merged authorities, they allow services to evolve gradually as organisations gain clarity.
This protects services in the short term while creating space for more ambitious transformation once the organisation has clarity and control.
The CIO focus
As local government reorganisation progresses, pressure will increase to act quickly. Some councils will be tempted to wait until announcements are made. Others may attempt to rush into large-scale transformation before the ground is stable.
Experience points to a more measured path. Use the period before plans are approved to build operational and technological readiness. Understand what you have. Strengthen services. Invest in technology that improves delivery, resilience, and control without locking you into premature decisions. Technology that gives you the tools to stabilise and then transform.
Councils that take this approach will reach vesting day with confidence. More importantly, they will give their new organisations the breathing room required to transform services thoughtfully and sustainably, rather than spending years recovering from avoidable disruption and rushed decisions.
Councils that succeed in local government reorganisation won’t be those that transform fastest, but those that stabilise services early and give themselves the space to transform well.
Blossom Pottery Cafe opened on Friday, August 14 at 18 South Bar, bringing a new artistic opportunity to coffee, tea and cake lovers in the town.
Opening the cafe was a long-standing dream of owner Wendy, who began pottery as a personal hobby and gradually developed the idea of creating a space where people of all ages can enjoy the peaceful pass time.
With every table full on opening weekend and dozens of beautiful pieces newly painted by guests, the owner said her ‘heart is so full’ to see the dream realised.
“So grateful to see so many of you coming to support us on our opening day,” she shared. “Thank you so much.”
Wendy earlier said: “We’re incredibly excited to be opening Blossom Pottery Studio & Café and bringing something new to Banbury.
“We hope it becomes a place where people can take a break from their busy lives, enjoy being creative, and make lasting memories with family and friends.
“The support we’ve received from the local community has been amazing, and we can’t wait to welcome everyone through our doors.”
As part of the grand opening, all customers who visited during the opening weekend or made a pottery painting booking within the next three months received a free cupcake from the cafe.
Blossom Pottery Cafe hosts family-friendly pottery painting sessions from 10am each day, with normal cafe opening hours 8am to 5pm.
Atos highlighted the views of three apprentices entering the technology industry, focusing on apprenticeships as a route into tech as artificial intelligence reshapes workplace skills.
All three work as First Line Service Desk Apprentices and described a jobs market in which technical knowledge alone is not enough. Alongside coding and troubleshooting, they said communication, customer service, problem-solving and adaptability have become central to early careers in IT.
Kyle Brady said he moved into an apprenticeship after studying physics, maths and computer science at A level, then spending time in temporary work, including as a forklift driver, while building his technical skills independently. The apprenticeship, he said, offered a way to gain workplace experience while continuing to learn.
His account points to a common hurdle for new entrants: gaining practical experience before securing a first role. Brady said that challenge shaped his view of what employers value in technology jobs.
“After completing my A levels in physics, maths and computer science, I knew I wanted a career in technology. I’ve always enjoyed solving problems and understanding how things work, but I found it difficult to get my foot in the door. I spent some time in temporary jobs, including as a forklift driver, while building my technical skills in my own time. When the opportunity to start an apprenticeship came along, it felt like the perfect way to gain real workplace experience while continuing to learn.
“One of the biggest things my apprenticeship has taught me is that a career in tech is about much more than technical knowledge. Working on the helpdesk has shown me how important communication, customer service and problem-solving are. Being the first point of contact for users has completely changed how I see the industry and helped me develop skills I never realised I’d need. The experience has also shown me how quickly technology is evolving, especially with AI becoming part of more workplaces. That means the ability to keep learning and adapting is becoming just as important as technical skills. My apprenticeship has helped me build that mindset while giving me hands-on experience with the realities of working in IT.
“It’s also opened up opportunities I wouldn’t have had otherwise. Learning about career paths in cybersecurity and data engineering has shown me the range of opportunities available and given me confidence about where my career could go next. I’d encourage anyone thinking about a career in technology to keep an open mind and not feel like university is the only route. Apprenticeships give you the chance to earn while you learn, develop practical skills from day one and build the confidence to adapt as technology continues to change. In an industry being transformed by AI, that real-world experience is invaluable,” Brady said.
Ryan Cresswell said he studied IT at college and games design at university before working in sales to strengthen his people skills. He later returned to technology, but said employers often wanted practical IT experience as well as qualifications.
His experience reflects a wider issue for people seeking entry-level technology roles. Employers often ask for evidence of workplace readiness even for junior positions, making apprenticeships one way to bridge the gap between education and employment.
“After studying IT at college and games design at university, I began working in sales to hone my people skills before returning to technology. One of the biggest challenges I faced while applying for jobs in tech was that employers liked my qualifications but wanted candidates with hands-on IT experience. That made it difficult to get my foot in the door.
“My apprenticeship has given me the opportunity to earn, learn and gain practical experience at the same time. It’s allowed me to develop my technical troubleshooting skills, but I’ve also learned a lot about communication, problem-solving and handling different types of people. My advice to anyone considering a career in tech is to explore the different paths available. In the past it felt like university was the only choice, but that’s no longer the case. Also, speak to people already working in the industry and stay curious. Apprenticeships are a great way to build skills, confidence and hands-on experience, whether working individually or in a team, while discovering what’s right for you. The most important thing is to keep learning and not be afraid to take a different path if the first one doesn’t work out,” Cresswell said.
Skills shift
Zainab Hussain said she chose an apprenticeship because it offered immediate workplace experience and a path into more senior roles without student debt. She said the role had helped her develop both technical and interpersonal skills, including troubleshooting problems and explaining complex concepts clearly.
Her comments underscore how apprenticeships are being framed by employers and trainees as an alternative to university for some digital roles. In this case, the appeal lies in earning while learning, building professional networks and gaining direct exposure to the daily demands of IT support.
“I’m naturally drawn to tech and have always been IT literate, so I knew it was the right path for me. It’s an industry that’s constantly evolving, and I wanted to be part of that. I chose an apprenticeship because it felt like the best way to gain real experience from day one, and it sets you up to move into higher roles faster than if you go to university. I also wanted to build a career in the industry without taking on student debt.
“My time at Atos so far has helped me develop both my soft and technical skills, such as how to troubleshoot problems and communicate complex concepts clearly. I’ve also had the chance to earn, learn and build my experience, all of which are helping prepare me for the next stage of my career. The apprenticeship path has given me valuable opportunities to network with co-workers from different career backgrounds and skill sets, which you wouldn’t get at uni. The workplace experience has been incredibly valuable, so if you’re interested in tech, I’d encourage you to go for an apprenticeship, explore every opportunity available and keep an open mind,” Hussain said.
Taken together, the three accounts point to a shift in the skills mix associated with junior technology roles. As AI tools become more common in workplaces, the apprentices said the ability to keep learning, work with users and adapt to changing systems is becoming as important as formal technical training.
All three also described apprenticeships as a practical answer to the experience barrier that can prevent candidates entering the sector. They framed the route as a way to gain income, training and exposure to real workplace problems at the same time, while opening paths into areas such as cybersecurity, data engineering and wider IT support.
Liquidators have been instructed to wind down Go Fly Oxford, which provided lessons for commercial and private pilots licences.
Colin Wilson and Emma Mifsud, of Opus Restructuring & Insolvency, have been appointed as joint liquidators for Go Fly Oxford Ltd back in May 2025.
But new records filed by the liquidators have revealed an HMRC secondary preferential claim of £118,132.
Ten unsecured claims have been received by the liquidators totalling £60,314.
Further unsecured creditor claims estimated in the statement of affairs total £88,955, the published documents say.
Over the past year, liquidators say they investigated whether any recoveries could be made from directors or other parties, but concluded there were no further viable assets or claims.
Aircraft shown in the 2024 accounts at a book value of £238,181 had been sold before liquidation. The liquidators found the sales appeared to be at fair value and saw no basis for a claim over the transactions.
The aircraft sales happened about seven months before liquidation, outside the relevant period for a preference claim.
The aircraft were reportedly transferred to creditors and leased back so the company could continue trading.
A purchaser of a PA34-200 aircraft was said to owe £6,000. The liquidators received £4,980; the remaining £1,020 was treated as settled because the purchaser had paid a company liability instead.
Two employees were made redundant on 31 March 2025 and were given information to submit claims to the Redundancy Payments Service.
READ MORE: MOT centre and car shop collapses into administration
The flying school was based at Oxford Airport when it collapsed.
Its website, which has since been shut down, described the business: “At Go Fly Oxford we pride ourselves on offering a personal and tailored approach to pilot training.
“We know that people learn at different paces and in different ways, this makes catering for individual needs our main target.”
Oxford Airport’s main trade is pilot training. Flight schools at Oxford train pilots who go on to fly for more than 100 airlines in the UK and globally, including for British Airways.
Historically, the airport has been Europe’s foremost centre for professional pilot training with well over 40,000 students having started their careers there.
At one point, the airport’s runway was the busiest in the world with more than 235,000 movements a year (a take-off or landing) and up to 1,100 flights in a single day, its website says.
The business’ report says: “Over the course of 2025, the company will be complementing its Diamond DA40 fleet with a new fleet of Elixir aircraft, a safer and more efficient type of aircraft, which will provide a much reduced cost per flight hour.
“This, along with growth in enrolments and full utilisation of the European base will ensure the profitability of the business in the coming years.”
-
Oxford News3 weeks agoTrain cancellation alert amid ‘fault’ near London Paddington
-
Oxford News2 weeks agoMuseum evacuated and Oxford University closed amid incident
-
Business & Technology4 weeks agoNuggit launches GBP £5 million fund for UK YouTubers
-
Business & Technology4 weeks agoBritish Business Bank backs PhysicsX with USD $25 million
-
Business & Technology4 weeks agoMuscle Food at risk of closing after entering administration
-
Business & Technology4 weeks agoHistoric town faces series of high street shop closures
-
Student Life4 weeks agoMy year of rest and rustication
-
Student Life4 weeks agoAcademic tourism: Oxford University and its summer schools