We kicked off our Automation and AI for Revenues and Benefits 2004 series with a fantastic talk on automation by GovTech’s Graeme Maychell and Malcolm Gardner from Visionary Network’s Co-Pilots team, with Kevin Stewart hosting the session. Graeme shared how automation can help councils manage their resources better, save money, and get things done faster,…
Author: Malcolm
Malcolm Gardner, has had a diverse and impactful career spanning several decades, beginning in the IT industry in the 1970s and later transitioning to leadership roles in local government. His work on early Housing Benefit systems and managing Revenues and Benefits departments established him as a pioneer in using data analytics, electronic systems, and emerging technologies to improve public sector services. As a consultant, he continued to innovate, focusing on efficiency and better outcomes for end-users. His expertise extended beyond technology, as he also introduced performance management, behavioural change strategies, and set standards for local authority fraud investigations.
In 2018, Malcolm joined Team Netsol as a Senior Business Analyst, where he applied his deep understanding of technology trends to support welfare and taxation policies. Even after his retirement in 2022, his commitment to public service remained strong. He revived his company, Visionary Network, as a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to modernising local government. Today, Malcolm is a leading authority on redesigning council tax and welfare schemes, continuing to influence the future of public services with his innovative vision.
22/1/24 Monday Discussion Group: What is Keeping You Up at Night?
In our Monday discussion group, we talked about what’s been worrying you lately. The main concern was about subsidies. It’s really important now, especially with the tight budget at the council. It seems like the finance team might not fully understand how much subsidies are affected by things they can’t control. This could be anything…
15/1/24 Discussion Group – It never happened here… or did it? Lessons to be learned from the Post Office Scandal
This week, we talked about the recent scandal involving the Post Office. We focused on what we can learn from it, especially about making sure our computer systems are strong and accurate. We also discussed private prosecutions, which are familiar to local authorities in their roles as regulators, inspectors, and fraud teams. We remembered the…
Monday Discussion Group 8/1/24 — Money, money, money
We returned this week with a great discussion where we looked at the recent Resolution Foundation briefing note for the Health Foundation that looks at pressures on family pay, prices, and properties and the corresponding burdens on it brings to local authority budgets. There is a cyclic pressure of more hard-pressed families turning to equally…
Jan 1 2024 Revenues and Benefits Update Pack
Happy New Year. I wanted to drop you a quick message during our holiday break. I’ve prepared a pack with the latest updates on revenues and benefits, covering what’s been happening with council finances and recent developments from the last couple of weeks. There’s some positive news about the funding settlement, although it still doesn’t…
Mid-December Discussion Group Update 11/12/23
Just a quick note while we’re on our Christmas break. I’ve put together a slide pack for mid-December to keep you updated on the latest in revenues and benefits. In this pack, you will see more information on two hot topics we often talk about. First, more councils are facing financial challenges, with some even…
Impact of Council Tax Rises Creates a Multifaceted Post-Code Lottery
The predicted council tax rises in the UK are projected to have a greater impact on households with lower incomes residing in the northern regions compared to those in the southern regions. This inequality stems from a combination of various factors: 1. Nature of Council Tax System: The Criteria for Determining Council Tax Bands: The…
Monday Discussion Group 26/11/23 Autumn Statement, the Good, the Bad and the Ugly
In our last meeting of 2023, we’ll be back on January 8, 2024, we covered the Chancellor’s Autumn Statement and its effects on the Revenues and Benefits department, along with its impact on citizens and stakeholders. We went through various topics, including changes in business rates, unexpected effects on council tax reduction schemes, and how…
Autumn Statement In a nutshell
Regarding benefits, there is a 6.7 percent increase, aligning with September’s inflation figures. This translates to an average enhancement of £470 for approximately 5.5 million households. Originally, ministers contemplated utilizing October’s inflation figure of 4.6 percent, potentially saving £3 billion but adversely impacting nine million households amidst the escalating cost of living. In addition, LHA…
Monday Discussion Group 20th November 2023 Veterans, Inflation and Rent CVs
In our Monday meeting, we had an insightful discussion about the Veteran’s Support Scheme, initiated by Robert Fox. It was interesting to note that this topic hadn’t been addressed previously. Our conversation revealed an overlooked demographic in our data analysis. We identified several existing veteran support initiatives, notably at the county level, yet observed a…