To kick off the Autumn Women in Finance Networking Roundtable, Kelly Watson, head of local government relationships at CCLA Investment Management, outlines why the forum is needed in local government.
With a growing number of priorities to address – soaring inflation, budget deficits, rising interest rates, increasing demand for services – working as a senior level professional in local government finance can be challenging to say the least. But to add to that, working as a section 151 officer or in a leadership role at a local authority can be lonely and sometimes isolating.
Even though all s151 officers experience these challenges, there are challenges and experiences which may differ depending on gender.
Talking to Room151, Kelly Watson, head of local government relationships at CCLA Investment Management, highlights that having a forum just for women working in local authority finance can be viewed as “going against the grain”.
“But we’re not trying to go against the grain at all,” she explains. “We’re just trying to create a safe space for senior women in local government finance, who can, unfortunately, face different challenges.”
Room151’s Autumn Women in Finance Networking Roundtables sponsored by CCLA in Leeds (moved online due to train strikes), online and London (moved to 10 January) follow on from three highly successful Spring sessions.
For me, the sessions demonstrated that there was a desire, not a need to have this space, to be able to share and collaborate without judgement – Kelly Watson, head of local government relationships, CCLA.
Diversity of workforce
Watson explains that local government has come a long way from where it was in the past regarding diversity of its workforce.
“But it is still a fact that the local government sector is not as diverse as it could or should be, whether that’s age, gender or race. Unfortunately, that is a fact that we can’t really get away from. I think we’re not quite there yet across local government,” she says.
There is no “absolute rule” of how diversity and inclusion should look within local government, but it hasn’t progressed enough, and the sector has more work to do, Watson adds.
She explains that while there is still some gender inequality within local government, “women do, occasionally, feel like they are not properly heard or are seen in a different way. Unfortunately, this is why there is space for a Women in Finance network, it would be fantastic if there wasn’t, but local government isn’t there yet.”
We’re trying to create a safe space for senior women in local government finance, who can, unfortunately, face different challenges – Kelly Watson, head of local government relationships, CCLA.
‘Not a need, but a desire’
Reflecting on the three spring sessions in London, Rochdale and online, Watson describes the forums as “supportive, open, friendly and welcoming”. They provided a space that’s “outside of professional and sometimes personal boundaries” to discuss what some women referred to as “knotty issues”.
“For me, the sessions demonstrated that there was a desire, not a need to have this space, to be able to share and collaborate without judgement.
“There are things that you say in certain situations that you won’t say in others, and that applies to every single person regardless. There will be things that kids won’t say to their parents, and vice versa. There’ll be things that a man may not say to a woman. or a woman may not say to a man. But they might say it to their friends or other colleagues.
“I think the forum provides a place for senior women in finance where they can share more easily without having to think strategically about how a message might land,” Watson adds.
Somewhere to think differently
The topics discussed at the sessions ranged from auditing issues, to leadership and management, and to how to inspire the next generation of female leaders, Watson explains.
“The Women in Finance network is a place outside of the workplace where we can share ideas and challenges. So, it’s about putting aside that time to focus and time out of the office environment to think differently.
“Doing that ultimately has one of the biggest benefits back in the office as it can motivate you. You get motivation from different sources; one is from yourself, and one is from other people. These forums did motivate: they helped people share and alleviate issues as well as concerns,” she adds.
Watson explains that leadership roles within local government such as the section 151 role can generally be “a really lonely place”.
“So having not just this forum, but other forums, does help to reduce that isolated feeling because you know you’re then not alone in whatever you’re thinking and feeling,” she concludes.
Room151’s Autumn Women in Finance Networking Roundtable sponsored by CCLA starts this week and sessions are being held in Leeds (moved online due to train strikes), online and London (moved to 10 January). If you are interested in coming to future sessions, please email sally.shaw@room151.co.uk.
You can also join the Women in Finance Network LinkedIn community here.
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