Rethinking income management before the next contract locks it in

Webinar Overview

Attendees joined this one-hour interactive webinar to explore how Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) presented a rare opportunity to rethink payments and income management.

Local Government Reorganisation brought with it significant change, but also significant opportunity. New structures, new contracts, and new decisions about systems would shape newly formed councils for years to come.

While income management was not always at the forefront of those discussions, it influenced a wide range of operational and financial outcomes, from how quickly income was reconciled and how much remained in suspense, to the amount of officer time spent resolving manual processes and the confidence finance teams had in their reporting.

Delivered by Panoramic Associates in partnership with Tailwind Digital, this session explored these challenges before short-term fixes and duplicated contracts became embedded within new organisations. While technology played an important role, the session ultimately focused on timing, long-term strategy, and informed decision-making.

What was covered

• What Local Government Reorganisation meant for finance systems and payment infrastructure.
• How enterprise open-source platforms reduced supplier lock-in and created a more resilient, future-ready approach to income management.
• Practical ways to improve reconciliation, reporting, and the citizen payment experience.
• How secure API integration with modern payment platforms, such as GOV.UK Pay, supported more efficient payment processes.
• An introduction to Local Gov IMS: an enterprise open-source, modular income management platform built specifically for UK local government, now being adopted by Burnley Council.

“Our customers increasingly expect the same smooth, fast and intuitive payment experience they receive from major online retailers – Local Gov IMS will help us deliver that.”

Rob Dobson, Chief Operating Officer, Burnley Council

Our Speakers

Tom Styles, Chief Technology Officer, Tailwind Digital — formerly led digital transformation at Nottinghamshire County Council.

Seb Dadbin, Chief Delivery Officer, Tailwind Digital — leads public sector delivery, with a focus on open technology and reducing legacy reliance.

Colin Ashworth, Product Director, Tailwind Digital — 20+ years in public sector payments and income management.

John Rabin, Sales Lead, Tailwind Digital — payments, fintech and financial services background, working with public sector teams on income and compliance.