Greetings!
Many of our members will be flat out standing or assisting in the elections and by tomorrow, we will know who is standing across the country. Please let us know or use @LGA_independent to share with the group, so we can support each other as much as possible.
Ending abuse in public life toolkit
I chair the cross-party civility steering group for the LGA and as things hot up, you may like to access our own toolkit with advice or take the setting standards inset to pin to the top of your page. You also need to have your name and an address where you can be contacted showing on your home page, so the imprint is no more than one click away.
This week saw the launch of our ‘Ending Abuse in Public Life’ toolkit. The toolkit is based on our report the LGA published last June, where response from the police and councils was inconsistent across the country. This toolkit is for councils to self-assess their support for councillors experiencing abuse and intimidation and identify gaps and additional actions they could take. It was developed by a specialist abuse and harm reduction consultancy organisation who worked closely with the LGA, a sounding group of council officers and consulted with several national police colleagues. As such, this toolkit is designed to be realistic and flexible in its implementation. I would like to thank colleagues and LGA officers for putting this together, especially Jessica Norman, for such a sterling piece of work. Do take a read and encourage your own local authority to adopt and use the toolkit at your next Council meeting!
Welcome to our new council leaders!
This week I also held my usual fortnightly meeting with Independent, Green and Plaid Cymru Council leaders. It is always insightful to hear first-hand the emerging issues within our diverse political geography, and the fantastic work our Council Leaders do in the face of severe financial austerity. I recently sent out some congratulatory letters to our new Council Leaders and I would like to welcome to the group Councillors Tony Dyer (Bristol), Deborah Saw (Babergh), Stuart Jeffrey (Maidstone), Linda Gillham (Co-leader Runnymede), Steve Ringham (Co-leader Runnymede), Afrasiab Anwar (Burnley), Rachel Millward (Wealden) and Cathy Scott (Kirklees). I am sure you will do fantastic work for your residents and communities, and I look forward to hearing your success stories over time!
LGA General Assembly
As you already know with the General Election being called, the LGA Annual Conference has been postponed. We will confirm a new date as soon as possible. The shorter version of the LGA Annual Assembly will still be taking place online from 11.45am on Tuesday 2 July. The agenda for the meeting will be available two weeks before the meeting. All member authorities will now have been invited to appoint their representatives to the General Assembly for 2024/25.
LGA arrangements during General Election
Thank you to Councillor Kevin Bentley for temporarily stepping in and acting as senior vice-chair covering the Chairman during the General Election period.
A new date has now been confirmed for new councillors, Tuesday 16 July from 5.00pm to 7.00pm online. If you are a new councillor, please attend this information session which will introduce you to the LGA and the ongoing support it can give you. The Independent Group will be holding its own session afterwards for new Independent, Green and Plaid Cymru Councillors to meet and network online.
There is a dedicated page on our LGA website ‘Councillors Hub’ which boasts a range of useful resources to help you in your role and also various training sessions covering every aspect of being a local Councillor.
And finally, we will be announcing dates for our ever popular Next Generation Course in due course and opening up applications. Stay tuned!
Have a great weekend everyone!
Planning Leadership Essentials
The Planning Advisory Service (PAS) is delivering LGA Leadership Essentials councillor training residential sessions at Warwick Conferences on 20 and 21 July 2024 which will help councillors who are chairs of planning committee understand the key characteristics of a good committee and develop their skills as a chair.
PAS will be trialling access to an online warm-up to those who are attending. For more information and to book your place, please email grace.collins@local.gov.uk
Sustainability masterclass: informing and upskilling local leaders
Tuesday 16 July 2024, 10.30am-12.00pm
Join us for this virtual event which will explore opportunities to increase the climate change and wider environmental sustainability knowledge and skills of local leaders. We will hear about the new carbon literacy accredited training courses that the LGA has been delivering to local authority councillors and members from across England. Delegates who have benefited from attending the courses will share their experience with us and we will discuss the opportunities for councils to access training locally.
Register for the sustainability masterclass
Dates for the Diary
Tuesday 11 June 2024, 2.00pm - 3.30pm
Free school meals (FSM) tackle child food insecurity and unlock crucial Pupil Premium funds for schools. With an estimated 14 per cent of eligible pupils not claiming FSM, councils are trialling 'auto-enrolment' to proactively register eligible children. This virtual event explores approaches to 'auto-enrolment', their impact, and resources available for councils interested in introducing similar approaches.
Wednesday 12 June 2024, 11.00am - 12.00pm
This webinar unveils key findings from a new project examining the balance of power between local and national government in local transport decision-making. Join us to discuss the report and help inform how its findings are taken forward.
Thursday 11 July 2024, 10.30am - 12.00pm
This virtual session will look at how the policy of ‘Right care, right person’ is being implemented, the emerging issues and how joint working across agencies can work effectively to embed the approach. It will explore how best to ensure that people who require care and support are able to access this in an appropriate setting and from the right professional.
Thursday 11 July 2024, 1.00pm - 3.00pm
When making decisions, it is important to do against a basis of good evidence. This webinar aims to show you how to use the numbers to tell an effective story, so that everyone can understand what you want to achieve.
Tuesday 16 July 2024, 10.30am - 12.00pm
This webinar will explore the opportunities to increase the climate change and wider environmental sustainability knowledge and skills of local leaders, by showcasing training LGA has been delivering, hearing from delegates who have benefited from the courses, sharing new LGA resources now available to all councils, and making the case for cascading training locally.
Creating productive and agile organisational structures (virtual event)
Wednesday 17 July, 12.05am - 1.30pm
Our workforce team are holding this virtual event, where attendees will hear from councils who have received support from the LGA in creating structures that can respond to the challenges the sector faces. We will also be launching our profession specific organisational design reviews including housing and finance. To register for the event please email Emily Bennett
Wednesday 18 September 2024 | London
An interactive and engaging training session designed for Firefighters' Pension Scheme local pension board members and advisors.
Thursday 19 September 2024, 2.00pm - 3.30pm
This virtual event which is funded by Government will provide an overview of local government finance without any numbers - focusing instead on roles and responsibilities, key terminologies and processes. It will give you an understanding of both what you need to be aware of in your role and what you need to understand about your authority’s role and is aimed at newly elected members or those just looking for a refresh.
Tuesday 15 October 2024, 6.00pm - 7.30pm
This virtual event which is funded by Government will provide an overview of local government finance without any numbers - focusing instead on roles and responsibilities, key terminologies and processes. It will give you an understanding of both what you need to be aware of in your role and what you need to understand about your authority’s role and is aimed at newly elected members or those just looking for a refresh.
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