Improvement and innovation bulletin: January 2025

View as a webpage

 

 

LGA Logo with padding 2019

Improvement and innovation bulletin

January 2025

Twitter IconLinkedIn IconFacebook IconYoutube icon

Sector support offers

Innovation Zone applications 2025 now open!

Each year, the LGA Conference Innovation Zone is a vibrant and creative space which showcases the outstanding, innovative work of councils across a range of service and policy areas. We are now accepting applications from councils, and organisations working with councils, to be part of the Innovation Zone at the LGA Conference 2025, which will take place from 1 – 3 July in Liverpool.

The Innovation Zone is the space at LGA Conference for councils to showcase their new ideas and solutions to some of the biggest challenges facing local government. We are aiming to share excellent practice that all delegates can learn from and utilise to create tangible, positive impact in their own councils and communities. Organisations who are not councils will need to deliver their sessions in collaboration with councils they have worked with or supported. We encourage relevant applications from all regions and even internationally. We are keen to ensure a diversity of experiences are represented in our programme, and the LGA encourages applications from individuals of all backgrounds.

Applications on all topics are welcomed and encouraged. If you are unsure if your idea is relevant or applicable, please email innovationzone@local.gov.uk and we would be happy to provide guidance.

Head to the Innovation Zone webpage for further information and how to apply. Applications close Monday 3 February 2025.

Chief Finance Officer mentoring scheme

The Chief Finance Officer (CFO) mentoring scheme continues to support new and aspiring CFOs to develop the knowledge and skills needed to excel in their roles. We also invite applications from experienced CFOs who would like to mentor a new CFO or a deputy CFO. We recommend a commitment of one virtual meeting a month over a six-month period. Find out more and sign up online at Chief Finance Officer (CFO) Mentoring Scheme.

Impact: The Local Government Graduate Programme

Councils can still sign up to the LGA’s Impact programme, and take on the very best graduate talent. The LGA undertake a rigorous recruitment process on behalf of local authorities and provide a bespoke and CMI-accredited Level 7 qualification for trainees. To find out more and understand how you can benefit from the programme, please contact the team by emailing impact@local.gov.uk.

Pathways to Planning

Councils can sign up now to the next cohort of Pathways to Planning, which provides a talent pipeline of graduate planners for councils to employ. There is no fee to take part, and councils will receive a minimum bursary of £5,000 to cover their new planners’ postgraduate study. Graduates will begin their job and postgraduate study in September 2025. Find out more on the programme’s council-facing website or email pathways.planning@local.gov.uk for more information.


Webinars and digital events


Places are still available on a number of our in-person Leadership Essentials programmes for elected members, including Licensing, Children’s Services, Getting your Message Across and Fire and Rescue. Places are also available on our virtual Leadership Essentials programmes, including Effective Scrutiny, Transformation, Effective Cabinet Member and Finance Governance. To book your place, please contact grace.collins@local.gov.uk

Our 'Focus on Leadership' councillor development events are designed to support councillors to excel in their existing roles and to provide them with a bridge to senior leadership positions.

These include weekend events, such as the LGBTQ+ Councillors Weekender – “I’m Me”. This event will provide an opportunity for LGBTQ+ Councillors to network and share experiences.

We also have spaces available on our effective opposition programme to support opposition leaders and deputy leaders gain a better understanding of how they can enhance the effectiveness of their role in leading an opposition group on their council.

All events take place at Warwick Conferences, Coventry, CV4 7SH. To book your place, please contact grace.collins@local.gov.uk

Our transformation action learning sets provide a unique development opportunity for councillors and officers to work with peers to explore solutions to transformation challenges in an action learning set environment. Please express your interest in the series you will be available to participate in via this registration form. For any queries about the series please email tom.denman@local.gov.uk.

Thursday 23 January 2025, 10.00am – 11.45am

The roundtable will explore the importance of how councils can harness the potential of their estates and assets to kickstart growth, maintain financial stability and transform public service delivery. The session will feature ‘spotlight on’ presentations from councils delivering effective estate and asset transformation before progressing into a roundtable discussion.

Tuesday 11 February 2025, 10.00am – 12.30pm

This first virtual event will include sessions on the Procurement Act 2023 - the implications for construction and collaboration; how the wider public sector is preparing for the Act and Building Information Modelling (BIM).

The second virtual session on Thursday 13 February will focus on sustainability, embedding carbon and social value with examples from industry.

Tuesday 18 February 2025, 10.00am – 11.45am

The roundtable will focus on how councils can implement approaches and frameworks to help them understand strategic needs and allocate resources to manage the delivery of transformation and change projects and programmes. The session will feature ‘spotlight on’ presentations from councils delivering prioritisation approaches and tools before progressing into a roundtable discussion.

Tuesday 18 February 2025, 10.00am – 11.45am

The roundtable will focus on how councils can implement approaches and frameworks to help them understand strategic needs and allocate resources to manage the delivery of transformation and change projects and programmes. The session will feature ‘spotlight on’ presentations from councils delivering prioritisation approaches and tools before progressing into a roundtable discussion.


Additionally, you might be interested in...

Improvement and assurance framework: guide for councillors

To accompany the publication of the improvement and assurance framework for local government, we have produced a guide for councillors, which aims to support elected members to take appropriate measures to gain assurance both of the performance of their authority’s services and of its corporate governance.

Navigating financial uncertainty and building resilience

Chief Finance Officers understand the critical importance of robust financial planning and risk management, especially in times of uncertainty. The publication ‘Navigating financial uncertainty and building resilience: Guiding principals’ is an essential resource designed to empower finance officers and teams with practical strategies and tools to effectively manage financial pressures. Developed by the LGA and EY, this guide offers actionable insights and best practices tailored to the unique challenges faced by local authorities.

Local Government Disability Champions Network: Good practice case studies

The Local Government Disability Champions Network (LGDCN) recently held the online event ‘Co-produced approaches to supporting disabled staff and councillors’ to launch their case study report showcasing how co-produced approaches can improve outcomes for disabled staff, councillors, and communities.

Local Government Challenge 2025

We’re very pleased to announce the cohort of ten officers who will be taking part in the Local Government Challenge 2025. Details of the cohort can be found on the LG Challenge 2025 website. Between January and May, the cohort of aspiring local government leaders, from a wide range roles and councils from all over the country, will take part in five real-life council hosted challenges.

LGA Sustainability bulletin

The LGA Sustainability bulletin delivers a carefully curated monthly roundup of the latest developments in sustainability and climate action. It includes best practice case studies from local authorities, training opportunities, such as carbon literacy courses and virtual events, and roundtable discussions on a variety of sustainability topics.

By subscribing, you will have access to the tools and knowledge needed to drive meaningful change in communities. Subscribe to the bulletin here.


LG Inform and LG Inform Plus


New report: Digital inclusion

We are delighted to share our newest LG Inform report: Digital inclusion. This report provides an overview of digital inclusion and exclusion in a local authority area (select a council at the top of the report).

Map of the UK which shows the percentage of addresses with Gigabit availability for Peterborough and all English single tier and district councils

For information on LG Inform contact us at lginform@local.gov.uk, or to take advantage of the benefits of subscribing to LG Inform Plus contact lginformplus@local.gov.uk. 


first magazine


first magazine logo

first is the LGA's membership magazine, distributed to around 18,200 councillors and local authority chief executives in England and Wales. Councillors and officers can sign up for the first e-bulletin using their council email addresses and/or access first online to browse LGA news stories, features, good practice case studies and comment pieces, including those from past issues.


Yours faithfully,

Cllr Abi Brown, OBE 
Chair, LGA Improvement and Innovation Board