The London Borough of Southwark wants to understand more about how its services are used. Our CFO Insights tool helps them analyse data to benchmark their spend and start wider conversations on new approaches to service delivery. Find out what they needed – and how we helped.
The challenge
"At Southwark, we’ve always taken pride in our commitment to strong financial management and forward-thinking planning. But the landscape is changing—uncertainty is growing, and the demands on public services are evolving rapidly. To stay ahead, we knew we needed to go beyond traditional approaches and embrace data-driven decision-making at every level.
We weren’t just looking for better data—we wanted to foster a culture of curiosity and innovation among our officers. We needed to challenge long-standing assumptions about how services are delivered and explore new ways to align spending with outcomes. That meant equipping our teams with the tools and insights to think differently and act decisively.
Since adopting CFO Insights in 2016, we’ve embedded data into our financial planning processes. But the real value has come from how we’ve used it—with support from Grant Thornton—to spark new conversations and drive transformation. Their workshops have helped our officers look at services through a new lens, using data to test hypotheses and uncover opportunities for change.
As we approached our latest budget cycle, we wanted to take this even further. With Grant Thornton’s facilitation, we brought our Corporate Management Team into a live session to explore data in real time—defining key lines of enquiry and setting the tone for a more analytical, insight-led approach. Executive Directors also received tailored insight packs to support deeper conversations with their teams, helping us link spend to outcomes and manage performance more effectively.
This isn’t just about numbers—it’s about empowering our leaders to make better decisions and build a more sustainable financial future for Southwark."
The solution
Our long-standing partnership with Southwark has focused on enabling data-led transformation through our CFO Insights tool and expert facilitation. Since 2016, we’ve supported the council in embedding data into its financial planning processes—not just as a reporting tool, but as a catalyst for strategic thinking and innovation.
Our approach has combined technical insight with hands-on engagement. Through a series of interactive workshops, we helped officers challenge entrenched assumptions, explore service-level data, and identify opportunities for transformation. These sessions were designed to be practical and thought-provoking, feeding directly into budget-setting and broader change initiatives.
To support the most recent budget cycle, we facilitated a live data session with Southwark’s corporate management team. This session enabled leadership to interrogate data in real time, define key lines of enquiry, and model the kind of analytical thinking they wanted to see across the organisation. We also developed detailed insight packs for executive directors, helping them lead informed, outcome-focused conversations with their teams.
The result
The result has been a shift in mindset—from reactive financial management to proactive, insight-led planning. Our work has helped Southwark strengthen its financial sustainability, improve performance management, and build a culture where data drives better decisions.
"Grant Thornton’s support has helped us move beyond traditional financial planning. Their insight and facilitation have empowered our teams to think differently, challenge assumptions, and use data to drive better decisions. It’s not just about the tools—it’s about the conversations they’ve helped us start."
For more insight and guidance, get in touch with Claire Hampson.
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