Public Health Spotlight: Stories of Art, Science, and Community in Practice

On this episode of Public Health Spotlight, produced in partnership with the Association of Directors of Public Health, Our host River Simmons sits down with Peter Roderick, Director of Public Health at York, to explore a unique and unexpected career journey from music and academia to frontline public health leadership.

Hosted by River Simmons, the conversation explores how creativity, community roots, and a drive for justice continue to shape public health leadership in practice today.

Finding Meaning at the Intersection of Art and Science

Peter reflects on a professional journey that began in the arts, where a passion for music and mathematics gradually evolved into a deeper interest in understanding how societies shape health and how storytelling helps make sense of complex data. He shares how this background allows him to combine analytical thinking with narrative insight, helping make public health messaging both accessible and impactful.

Personal Drivers: Faith, Community, and Justice

Grounded in the city of York and guided by his Christian faith, Peter speaks candidly about the values that underpin his approach to public service. From the importance of place and community to a commitment to equity and hope, the episode explores how personal conviction continues to shape his work on behalf of York’s communities.

Influences and Ideas: Literature that Shaped a Leader

The discussion highlights influential works including the Marmot Review, Fair Society, Healthy Lives, alongside the writings of Julian Tudor Hart and Geoffrey Rose. Peter explains how these ideas continue to reinforce the importance of addressing not only individual behaviours, but also the wider social and commercial determinants of health.

Delivering Impact: From Tobacco Control to Inclusive Practice

The episode also explores defining moments throughout Peter’s career from leading high-performing tobacco cessation initiatives and influencing national legislation, to working directly alongside York’s diverse communities. He reflects on how engaging with frontline teams and marginalised groups continues to shape his perspective on effective public health leadership.

Driving Change Through Collaboration and Advocacy

As Co-Chair of the Addictions Policy Advisory Group with ADPH, Peter shares insights into the importance of collaboration, advocacy, and system-wide thinking in driving meaningful public health change. The conversation highlights the role of partnership working in tackling some of society’s most complex health challenges.

Listen now to hear Peter’s unique journey from the arts to public health leadership, and discover how creativity, community, and collaboration continue to shape healthier places and stronger outcomes for local communities.

Worcestershire Public Health: Local Power, Prevention, and Purpose

On this episode of Public Health Spotlight, produced in partnership with the Association of Directors of Public Health, we sit down with Prof Lisa McNally at Worcestershire County Council to explore what it really takes to drive meaningful change in public health. The conversation moves from leadership and system-wide collaboration to the realities of prevention on the frontline, all grounded in a simple but powerful idea: lasting impact starts within communities themselves.

Building Change from the Community Up

Prof Lisa McNally reflects on a career that began almost by accident, rooted in psychology, and evolved into a deep belief that real progress happens when people are trusted to lead. Drawing on experiences from the pandemic and beyond, she shares how faith groups, local champions, and neighbourhood networks became central to delivering change where it matters most.

The Power of Local Autonomy: Neighbourhood Stories

Initiatives like the Priority Neighbourhood Development Programme show what’s possible when autonomy is placed in the hands of residents, combining data, lived experience, and trust to create measurable improvements in wellbeing and reduced demand on services. The approach reinforces that sustainable impact is built with communities, not for them, and that stories are just as important as the data behind them.

Prevention vs Care: Beyond the Side Salad

The episode also explores the ongoing tension between prevention and care, challenging the idea that prevention is a long-term luxury. Instead, Prof Lisa McNally highlights how many preventative programmes are already delivering real-time impact, from supporting healthier lifestyles to reducing harm and building resilience across communities.

Collaboration: Council and NHS as One

A strong theme throughout is partnership. From working closely with the NHS to using data to shape fairer outcomes, the conversation highlights how joined-up approaches are critical to tackling complex challenges such as inequality and social isolation across Worcestershire.

Leadership with Purpose

There is also a focus on leadership, team culture, and purpose. Prof Lisa McNally speaks openly about the lessons learned from both positive and challenging experiences, and how building confidence, recognising impact, and investing in people underpins high-performing teams.

Listen now to hear how local power, prevention, and purpose are coming together to create real change.

Former Interim DPH: Bradford’s Radical Spirit, Leadership, and Public Health Horizons

In this episode of Public Health Spotlight, produced in partnership with ADPH, hosts River Simmons is joined by Andrew Taylor, Bradford Council’s former Interim Director of Public Health, to explore the city’s history, resilience, and the evolving future of public health.

Bradford Roots: Radical Heritage Meets Modern Multiculturalism

Raised among the mill chimneys and smog of 1950s Bradford, Andrew Taylor reflects on a city shaped by industrial resilience, immigration, and a long tradition of dissent and radical thinking.

From inclusive childhood friendships spanning communities from Ireland to Ukraine and Pakistan, to the legacy of the Luddites fighting for autonomy, his story reflects a lifelong commitment to social equity and cultural understanding.

Leadership Shaped by Experience and Return

Following industrial decline, further education, and a career across both business and public service, Andrew Taylor shares how a breadth of experience in Hull, London, and Waltham Forest ultimately brought him back to Bradford.

He explores what it means to lead as Interim Director of Public Health in the very city that shaped him bringing Bradford’s characteristic work ethic, warmth, and openness to his approach in tackling challenges and energising the public health workforce.

Cities in Conversation: Bradford and Waltham Forest

While acknowledging their differences, Andrew Taylor highlights notable similarities between Bradford and Waltham Forest both vibrant, multicultural areas characterised by strong community ties, optimism, and a history of welcoming newcomers.

He reflects on the strengths of each, and how Bradford’s distinctive spirit continues to endure despite long-standing industrial and structural challenges.

Interim Leadership: Making an Impact

Navigating the demands of interim leadership, Andrew Taylor discusses the responsibility of being a “safe pair of hands”, supporting a talented and diverse public health team, and ensuring Bradford remains outward-looking and innovative.

From advocating for infrastructure improvements, such as the long-awaited southern gateway rail connection, to harnessing the city’s cultural capital, he emphasises the importance of collaboration in driving future growth.

Priorities for Bradford: Children, Cohesion and Cost-Effective Care

Early Years and Education

Investing in early language development, school readiness, and support for families new to Bradford, ensuring every child feels settled and able to thrive.

Building Social Capital

Championing initiatives that encourage trust, unity, and economic prosperity, rooted in Bradford’s long-standing culture of community and inclusion.

Immunisation and Statutory Duties

Addressing misinformation, increasing vaccine uptake, and maintaining vigilance against communicable diseases through direct engagement and evidence-based approaches.

Collaborative Systems Leadership

Working across sectors from GPs and hospitals to employers and emergency services to deliver joined-up solutions for wellbeing and health equity, inspired by the Marmot Review.

Lessons from a Career in Public Service

Andrew Taylor offers honest reflections on public health as a vocation.

For those entering the field, his advice is to invest in relationships, remain open to unexpected opportunities, and recognise the value of gradual progress. Like water turning to steam, incremental change can ultimately lead to meaningful transformation.

Listen to this next episode for a thoughtful and engaging conversation exploring Bradford’s unique strengths, the realities of public health leadership, and the enduring power of community.

Is your organisation struggling with the pressures of modern digital work, particularly within local government, where high demand, structural constraints, and constant digital noise make it harder to stay focused and productive?

Join our one-hour interactive session to explore the realities of today’s digital working environment and the challenges it creates. We’ll introduce actionable methods and techniques from Taming the Tiger Academy, designed to help you regain clarity, reduce overwhelm, and improve focus in your day-to-day work.

This Panoramic Associates session will be led by expert, Peter Varey from Taming the Tiger Academy, who will provide valuable insights on how local government teams can:

• Tackle digital noise and distractions

• Streamline workload management

• Implement practical tools to boost focus and efficiency

With today’s constant digital overload, this is a rare opportunity to apply strategies that can help you:

• Navigate and manage the pressures of modern digital work

• Improve productivity and reduce burnout

• Regain control over your workload and increase focus

The session will leave you with clear, practical steps to manage your digital workload more effectively, ensuring you and your team can work with greater clarity and efficiency moving forward.

Register

Sign up here. 

The Details

Date: Tuesday 16th June
Time: 8.30am
Location: Online webinar (joining details shared upon registration)
Who: Finance, digital and transformation leaders in local government
Registration: Sign up to secure your free place

The Talk

As local government faces increasing pressures in today’s digital environment, the need to rethink how work is managed has never been more urgent. High demand, structural constraints, and constant digital noise are making it more challenging to maintain productivity and focus. This session will explore the key challenges facing local government teams and introduce practical techniques from Taming the Tiger Academy to help regain clarity, reduce overwhelm, and improve focus in everyday work.

Key themes will include:

• Understanding the key pressures shaping today’s digital working environment

• Why traditional workload management methods often fall short in the current landscape

• Practical tools for reducing digital noise and improving focus

• Techniques to streamline workload management and regain clarity

• Enhancing productivity and reducing burnout through actionable strategies

While the tools and techniques are important, this session is about empowering attendees to take control of their work environment and adopt a proactive, strategic approach to digital challenges. Local government teams face a unique set of pressures, but with the right methods, they can create a more focused and productive digital workspace.

This session will provide valuable insights into how local government teams can start applying practical methods today to alleviate the pressures of digital work, resulting in a clearer, more manageable workload for both staff and leadership.

Our Speaker

Peter Varey – Productivity and Workload-Management Specialist, Taming the Tiger Academy

Peter is a seasoned productivity and workload-management expert with over 25 years of experience across both the public and private sectors, including 15 years in local government. Having witnessed the overwhelming digital demands of high email volumes, back-to-back meetings, and constant distractions, Peter developed practical systems and habits to regain control of his work, improve focus, and reduce cognitive overload. His success in transforming his own work processes led him to partner with his council’s Organisational Development team to run training sessions for colleagues.

Now, as the founder of Taming the Tiger Academy, Peter’s mission is to help public-sector leaders and department directors regain control of their delivery in environments designed to distract and overwhelm. His long-term goal is to create a world where local government teams operate in digital work environments that align with the natural functioning of human attention—fostering clearer, more focused workflows and enabling staff to concentrate on what truly matters.

Register

Sign up here. 

System Leadership and Upstream Impact: Charlotte’s Public Health Journey in Bracknell Forest

In this episode of Public Health Spotlight, Charlotte Pavitt, Director of Public Health for Bracknell Forest, sits down with River Simmons for an insightful discussion about her unconventional path into public health, the power of system working, and the unique opportunities and challenges of leading in one of England’s smallest grant-funded areas.

A Career Shaped by Curiosity and Prevention

Starting out as a non-medic with a degree in human biology, Charlotte’s route into public health was sparked by a population health module at Warwick and first-hand experiences of the wider determinants of health during GP visits in Coventry. Rather than following the traditional clinical route, she embraced an “upstream” approach, taking on roles in NHS cardiac networks, the Healthcare Commission (now the CQC), and later a series of public health officer posts in primary care trusts.

Training played a pivotal role in her journey. Charlotte highlights the Public Health Specialist Training Scheme for its focus on learning, health protection, and system change, including a Darzi Fellowship that strengthened her passion for holistic, collaborative leadership and social prescribing.

Innovative Projects and System-Wide Success

Charlotte’s portfolio includes impactful work in Devon, where she led the Complex Lives programme and suicide prevention initiatives. She discusses securing dedicated primary care contracts for people experiencing homelessness, building relationship-driven partnerships with council services and the voluntary sector, and pioneering real-time suicide surveillance across county boundaries.

The outcomes improved access, deeper insight, and more practical support were achieved through persistent advocacy and trust-based partnerships, demonstrating the real value of system working in addressing complex and marginalised needs.

Embracing Collaborative Leadership

Known for her collaborative leadership style, Charlotte explains the importance of communication, empathy, and openness in public health. She reflects on the need to influence partners, communities, and cross-sector teams not as separate practitioners working in silos, but as co-creators of a shared vision and impact.

Balancing career progression with family life, Charlotte also highlights the importance of championing work-life balance and supporting others to thrive in their careers.

Innovation Amid Constraints

Bracknell Forest’s public health grant is among the smallest in the country, presenting both limitations and opportunities. Charlotte explains how a “doing yourself out of a job” mindset guides her work to embed health across all policies, using strong relationships within corporate management and senior leadership teams. With a lean team, the focus is on building strong partnerships, commissioning evidence-based services, and fostering a culture where health considerations are integrated into every aspect of council activity.

Facing Today’s Challenges and Tomorrow’s Opportunities

NHS transformation, shifting local priorities, and rising obesity levels create a constantly evolving landscape for public health. Charlotte’s upcoming annual report highlights the commercial determinants of health and calls for stronger partnerships with businesses, alongside a systems approach to creating healthier environments from education and the high street to tackling poverty and strengthening social networks. Despite rapid change, Charlotte sees both challenges and opportunities for meaningful, long-term population health impact.

Shaping a New Director of Public Health Role

As Bracknell Forest’s first dedicated Director of Public Health, Charlotte discusses both the excitement and vulnerability of shaping the role from the ground up. Supported by a strong peer network across Berkshire and the Association of Directors of Public Health (ADPH), and drawing on mentoring and professional networks, she has embraced the opportunity to build a leadership model suited to a small, agile, and ambitious local authority. Listen now to hear how Charlotte’s upstream thinking, collaborative leadership, and system-focused approach are helping to shape the future of public health in Bracknell Forest.

Subscribe for more episodes as we spotlight bold leadership, practical solutions, and the people making a difference in public health today.

System Leadership and Upstream Impact: Charlotte’s Public Health Journey in Bracknell Forest

In this episode of Public Health Spotlight, Charlotte Pavitt, Director of Public Health for Bracknell Forest, sits down with River for an insightful discussion about her unconventional path into public health, the power of system working, and the unique opportunities and challenges of leading in one of England’s smallest grant-funded areas.

 A Career Shaped by Curiosity and Prevention

Navigating Change and Collaboration: Mike Sandys on Public Health Leadership in Leicestershire & Rutland

In this episode of Public Health Spotlight, Mike Sandys, Director of Public Health for Leicestershire and Rutland, joins Callum Gardiner for a candid reflection on his unconventional journey into public health, the evolution of the field over three decades, and the realities of leading across two distinct counties.

From Necessity to Purpose: An Unlikely Beginning

Far from a traditional career path, Mike describes how economic necessity set him on a course toward public health. After early setbacks and temporary roles, a chance opportunity as a Surveys Officer sowed the seeds for a career defined by curiosity, adaptability, and a deepening sense of purpose. He shares, with characteristic humility and humour, how the winding roads of financial management, research, and local government shaped a values-driven commitment to community health.

A Career of Adaptation and Impact

Tracing his route from Oldham to Salford, St Helens to Derby, and finally to Leicestershire and Rutland, Mike reflects on the shifting landscape of public health practice. He highlights how increased involvement in service delivery from smoking cessation and weight management to licensing and planning transformed the possibilities for local action. Moving between urban and rural settings broadened his perspective, driving home the importance of both scale and specificity in addressing health needs.

The Complexities of Joint Leadership

Charged with delivering public health services to both Leicestershire and Rutland, Mike offers an honest account of the challenges and benefits of joint DPH roles. He outlines the “hybrid” model that ensures each area’s needs are recognised, emphasising relationship-building, local accountability, and the strategic art of balancing “one team” with tailored approaches. Political shifts, governance hurdles, and resource constraints require creativity and diplomacy, while the richness of cross-county insight strengthens collaboration.

Building Capacity and Culture

Mike details his approach to growing one of the country’s largest public health teams, blending strategic in-house service development with asset-based community coordination. He credits financial efficiency, visibility, and close working relationships across departments as key drivers, while highlighting the value of a positive workplace culture where collaboration and authenticity thrive.

Learning, Leadership, and Advice for the Future

Whether navigating austerity, organisational churn, or the pressures of pandemic response, Mike underscores the need for resilience, self-belief, and long-term vision. He draws on formative experiences from career-defining training opportunities to challenging moments of change management to offer candid, practical guidance to early-career professionals. His advice: play the long game, invest in people, embrace opportunities, and recognise progress is incremental but impactful.

Listen now to discover how pragmatic, people-centred leadership is helping Leicestershire and Rutland meet today’s public health challenges with innovation, integrity, and hope offering vital lessons for those shaping the future of population health.

The UK labour market may have cooled from the peaks of recent years, but salary expectations remain firmly elevated across many specialist and public-facing sectors.

According to the Totaljobs Salary Trends Report 2026, advertised median salaries have continued to rise, increasing by 7.5% year on year, with competition for skilled professionals still shaping hiring decisions.

For employers operating across the markets Panoramic Associates supports – including the public sector, built environment, healthcare, social care, IT and consulting – these trends carry some important implications.

Salary growth remains, but pressure is uneven

While salary growth has slowed in some generalist roles, specialist and regulated markets continue to command a premium. Sectors closely aligned to Panoramic Associates’ core markets, such as Built Environment, Education, Consulting, Healthcare and Social Care, remain among those experiencing sustained demand and upward pressure on pay.

In the built environment and infrastructure space, salary growth is being driven less by volume hiring and more by scarcity of experience. Roles linked to project delivery, safety, compliance and sustainability are particularly hard to fill, pushing employers to offer stronger packages to secure talent.

Similarly, healthcare and social care continue to experience long-term workforce shortages. Despite financial pressures across public services, employers are increasingly forced to balance budget constraints with competitive pay to retain frontline professionals and reduce reliance on temporary staffing.

Pay transparency is now a baseline expectation

One of the clearest shifts highlighted in the 2026 data is the growing importance of salary transparency. Around 80% of candidates now avoid applying for roles that do not disclose pay, making transparent salary ranges a minimum requirement rather than a differentiator.

For public sector bodies, local authorities and consultancies operating in regulated environments, this reinforces the need for clear, defensible pay frameworks. Candidates are comparing roles more easily than ever and are far less willing to engage in processes that feel opaque or outdated.

Salary alone is no longer enough

Although pay remains the primary driver of job moves, benefits and working conditions are playing a much larger role in final decisions. Flexible working remains the most desired benefit across industries, with learning, development and progression opportunities also rising up the agenda.

This is particularly relevant in public-facing and people-focused sectors. Professionals in social care, healthcare and consulting are increasingly prioritising workload sustainability, career longevity and wellbeing alongside pay. Employers that cannot compete at the very top end of salary bands are finding success by offering flexibility, supportive leadership and visible progression pathways.

A more cautious but mobile workforce

The data also points to a “split workforce”. While many professionals are choosing stability in an uncertain economic climate, over 40% are still actively looking or planning to look for a new role in 2026.

This creates a more selective candidate pool: fewer speculative applications, but higher expectations from those who do move.

For employers, this means that hiring processes, salary positioning and employer branding all need to be aligned from the outset. Delays, misaligned offers or unclear role scope are far more likely to result in drop-off than in previous years.

What this means for employers in 2026

Across the markets Panoramic Associates works with, the message is consistent: salary benchmarking must be realistic, transparent and combined with a broader value proposition. Employers who rely on historic pay assumptions or generic market data risk losing talent to more informed competitors.

Understanding where salary pressure genuinely exists, and where benefits, flexibility or progression can offset it, is now critical to building resilient teams. To discuss what this means for your organisation, get in touch here.

Siobhan Farmer on Leadership, Equity and Innovation

In this episode of Public Health Spotlight, Siobhan Farmer, Director of Public Health at Gloucestershire County Council, joins Callum Gardiner for an open and reflective conversation about leadership, lived experience and values-driven public health. From early curiosity about health inequalities to navigating the seismic challenges of Covid-19, Siobhan shares a deeply human account of leading public health in one of England’s most diverse rural urban counties.

Early Inspiration: From Research to Real Lives

Siobhan reflects on her early shift from laboratory-based science into public-facing roles, sparked by a desire to understand the real stories behind health data. Motivated by questions around why health outcomes vary so starkly, even in affluent societies, her career has been shaped by frontline work in healthy weight programmes, sexual health and drug services, and tackling the social determinants of health head-on.

Learning Through Crisis: Outbreaks, Uncertainty and Trust 

Recounting formative experiences in the North West, Siobhan describes responding to a major measles outbreak, an experience that sharpened her skills in communication, rapid decision-making and compassion amid fear and stigma. These lessons proved invaluable when she joined Gloucestershire in January 2020, just weeks before the arrival of Covid-19. Reflecting on “18 months of intense work, largely focused on Covid”, she offers rare insight into the resilience and realities of public health teams during unprecedented times.

Leading with Empathy and Evidence

At the heart of Siobhan’s approach is a commitment to equity, supported by thoughtful use of data and deep community engagement. She highlights the Podsmead pharmacy project as a powerful example of co-production in action, where listening to residents challenged assumptions and revealed gaps in how data had been interpreted. The result was improved access for a previously underserved community and a reminder that evidence must always be grounded in lived experience.

Personal Stories, Collective Change

In one of the episode’s most powerful moments, Siobhan speaks candidly about her family’s experience of alcohol misuse and its long-term impact. By sharing her story, she makes a compelling case for compassion, honesty and cultural change, creating space for others to acknowledge harm and begin difficult but necessary conversations.

Advice for Future Leaders

Reflecting on her own journey into senior leadership, Siobhan encourages emerging leaders to find roles that align with their values and strengths. She emphasises the importance of support networks, mentorship and authenticity, reminding listeners that leadership is not about fitting a mould, but about showing up as yourself and backing others to do the same.

Listen now to explore how Siobhan Farmer’s journey, marked by humility, adaptability and moral purpose, challenges us to think more boldly about what public health can, and should, be for Gloucestershire and beyond.

Discover the stories behind the statistics and see how collaboration, lived experience and evidence-led innovation are shaping the future of public health, one community at a time.