Local Government Association

Update on the situation with the Joint Negotiating Committee (JNC) Coroners, which as you will recall the Coroners Society of England and Wales (CSEW) withdrew from in March 2025.

I strive to be open and authentic, demonstrating that embracing one’s differences is possible, despite significant challenges.

The thing that most makes my heart fill with happiness is the moment a local resident says thank you.

If young girls can see someone like me – from a working-class background and a home where domestic abuse was prevalent – now thriving in a public role, I hope it may inspire them.

It took a lot of encouragement for me to understand that being elected could be a platform to increase the impact of the work I was already doing.

As a young councillor, it’s easy to feel a sense of imposter syndrome, but remember: you’ve been elected and entrusted by your community to represent and speak for them.

Democracy is strongest when elected representatives actually represent the whole gamut of lived experience in our society.

In this blog, Ruth Tennant, Director of Public Health at Solihull Council and ADPH Board Member, unpacks the vital but often invisible systems that protect our health every day.