Emma Riding is currently the Service Director – Financial Management (Deputy S151 Officer) at Peterborough City Council where she has been instrumental in the council’s financial improvement journey and implemented a refreshed approach to financial management. Emma has a passion for Local government finance, with extensive knowledge and hands-on experience of the challenges being faced across the sector.

We sat down with Emma in December 2024 to discuss her career journey so far and where she believes the future of finance is heading.

Hi, Emma! Thanks for joining us today. Can you kick us off by describing your career journey to date? 

My career began straight from school with an apprenticeship in the private sector in Blackpool. Here, I gained practical experience while studying for AAT and then the ICAEW. This foundational period was crucial in shaping my understanding of the field.

A pivotal moment came when I was offered a role at Lancashire County Council (LCC). Over a five-year period I provided finance support to Adult Social Care (ASC) services, where I was involved in exciting projects such as financially accrediting over 100 suppliers for a new framework and developing a policy for hourly rates of care.  This role provided me with extensive exposure to various areas, enriching my experience and solidifying my passion for local government. A restructuring of Financial Services allowed me to take on a new role, where I focused on financial strategy and budget planning. This role gave me a helicopter view of the entire council, its services and its people.  

In 2015, I relocated and joined Peterborough City Council (PCC). Initially in a Finance Business Partner role, I worked my way up to Deputy 151 Officer, overseeing financial management and the Medium-Term Financial Strategy development with a team of around 30 people.  

Since I started in local government, I’ve never looked back. I love the breadth of services and the amazing people who continually go above and beyond. It’s the relationships that I build and the outcomes I see delivered that makes the work so enjoyable and rewarding.  

What are the current challenges in local government finance for you and your organisation? 

One of the key challenges we face at PCC is that funding increases have not kept pace with rising demand for services. We’re being asked to manage increasing demand with insufficient resources, and there are constraints around how we can generate those resources, for example, council tax referendum limits.  

The area of biggest financial concern is in Children’s Services, where the market is broken and placements are expensive. But Adult Social Care, Homelessness and Home to School Transport are also pressing problems, and there are no signs of this changing. Innovative approaches to early intervention and prevention, using technology effectively, or redesigning service delivery usually rely on investment, but reserves are low and any borrowing just adds to the already high revenue burden. It’s a difficult balancing act to maintain a sufficient level of resilience, manage risks, continue with business as usual, and transform services simultaneously.  

Local authority officers, including finance professionals, need to regularly make difficult decisions that impact people and services, and this is tough. With the financial constraints, most services have cut their cloth accordingly, therefore resources are lean. Despite that, you won’t find more dedicated people than local authority officers – always going the extra mile, even when the volume of work shows no sign of slowing down. On a personal level, this sometimes affects work/life balance, making it hard to switch off even during holidays. I often find myself asking, do people really switch off emails or work completely? It’s important that people feel able to. 

You won’t find more dedicated people than local authority officers – always going the extra mile, even when the volume of work shows no sign of slowing down

More generally, attracting people to local government finance roles, especially in technical areas like corporate finance, is difficult. There is a huge void in the market for experienced individuals at all levels, with technical accounting knowledge and experience being a barrier to the transfer of skills between the private sector and local government.  

Looking forward, what is on the horizon?  

Peterborough has many opportunities due to its proximity to London, good road and rail networks and relatively affordable house prices. However, as one of the fastest-growing cities in the country, with high levels of deprivation in some parts, there are challenges too. Population growth has not been reflected in the current funding formula which means that until funding reforms are carried out properly there will always be an underlying funding issue, constraining budget setting.  

Improving collaboration with the NHS is also essential for financial sustainability. Current funding and targets create perverse incentives, with a focus on acute targets rather than prevention, and costs being shunted to local government. A joint vision, better partnership working, and data sharing arrangements are needed to move this forward positively.   

There is also a need for greater focus and increased capacity in the data and analytics space to support the preventative agenda and service planning. Resource cuts have meant we’ve been reactive in some cases when we need to be more proactive. This is something we have recognised and are taking steps to invest in and rebuild our capacity. 

AI and digital technologies also present massive opportunities for us now and in the future. We are starting to explore their potential to support demand management and increase workforce productivity, but it feels like we’re only scratching the surface of their full potential. I’m excited to see how these could transform the financial landscape going forward. 

It feels like we’re only scratching the surface of [technology’s] full potential. I’m excited to see how these could transform the financial landscape going forward.

But there are also some exciting national opportunities. Local government reorganisation, as outlined in the Devolution White Paper, provides an opportunity to create more capacity in the sector and may start to resolve resourcing issues.  It offers the prospect of better asset utilisation, improved buying power, and should deliver savings, although we have yet to see fully the detail. These changes need to be properly planned and resourced; otherwise, they risk cutting back too far, leading to poor decision-making or loss of focus on local and community needs. 

Funding reforms are also set to progress and have been desperately needed for years.  The recent settlement provided a glimmer of hope for councils like PCC. It is hoped that systemic funding disparities are finally addressed and the revised formula reflects more accurately the needs, growth and resources across the country.  Multi-year settlements have also been promised, which help to plan and look ahead financially with some certainty. 

There is no doubt about it, 2025/26 is going to be a jam-packed year for local government.  

How well equipped are you and the wider finance community to respond to future challenges? 

We have introduced a finance business partnering approach, which has so far been successful, but we are in the middle of our journey.  Our goal is to have a wider skill set, take a more flexible approach, and have a more commercial mindset. Ultimately, we want a good balance between stewardship and strategic planning, but it requires culture change both within Finance and services, and we will continue to build on this in the coming years. 

Local government finance is challenging but rewarding. With the right mindset and support, you can contribute to making a significant impact on your community.

Finally, what advice would you give someone entering local government finance at the start of their career? 

I would highly recommend joining a Graduate Scheme. These schemes offer great experience across a range of services while gaining the qualifications needed, providing a real career boost.   

My career has taught me that you should believe in yourself and take leaps of faith, whether changing jobs or services. You spend so much time at work; it’s important you enjoy your job. If you’re unsure, there are different roles in finance teams and a breadth of other services, so seize the opportunity and try something different

Local government finance is challenging but rewarding. With the right mindset and support, you can contribute to making a significant impact on your community.