Member training opportunities
This table provides an overview of training opportunities available to Members both internally and from key external providers such as the Local Government Association (LGA), Centre for Governance and Scrutiny (CfGS) and South East Employers (SEE). It is not exhaustive and new opportunities will become available during the year, so please ask the Member Services team if you have a particular training need.
Members should discuss any specific training requests with their Group Leader and then forward requests to Hannah Matthews (Head of Member Services - 01273 335138). Consideration can then be given to group/individual training as appropriate. Dates and arrangements for face-to-face training/events may be subject to review.
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Course (Provider) |
Overview and dates |
Target audience |
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Leadership skills |
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Leadership Academy
(LGA development programme) |
Three modules: Personal Leadership; Political Leadership; and leadership of place. Three overnight stays in 2025 (Weekday or Weekend options in Coventry) -ask Member Services for full details.
(Dates: · 1 November – 2 November 2025 · 15 November – 16 November 2025
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Councillors in Leadership positions |
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Finance
(LGA leadership essentials) |
(Dates; 8 November – 9 November 2025; 4 December – 5 December 2025) |
Leaders and finance portfolio holders |
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Audit Committees
(LGA leadership essentials) |
Aimed at Audit Committee chairs, this programme will discuss how Audit Committees can be most effective. Drawing on the insights of regulators and practitioners it will provide space for participants to reflect on the way their Committee functions and how it can gain maximum assurance that the council is managing its services and finances effectively.
(Dates; 13 December – 14 December 2025.) |
Audit Committee chairs |
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Children’s Services
(LGA Leadership Essentials) |
(Dates; 3 March – 4 March 2026) |
Lead Members and Chairs of Children's Services scrutiny committee |
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Children’s Services: Enhanced
(LGA Leadership Essentials Enhanced) |
An opportunity for those in political roles that lead, influence, and shape the agenda of Children’s Services to come together and support you to drive and embed improvements in your Local Authorities. At this in-person event means you will have the chance to hear from and have reflective discussions and workshops with, expert speakers and peers from different local authorities. (Dates; 19 November – 20 November 2025) |
Lead Members for Children’s Services |
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Adult Social Care
(LGA leadership essentials)
|
The programme will explore the role and responsibilities of local leaders within key current challenges, including adult social care funding and reform, assessment safeguarding, health and integration. The events are member led, interactive, and provide lots of opportunities for discussion, the sharing of practice and for making valuable contacts. The two days are delivered by LGA staff supported by high profile guest speakers from local government and partner agencies.
(Dates; 6 November – 7 November. Sessions held in Coventry.)
|
Lead Members for Adult Social Care |
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Being an Effective Cabinet Member
(LGA leadership essentials)
|
The course examines the key aspects of being a successful cabinet member - from working with your director, working with other cabinet members, making effective decisions and managing your workload. The course is designed to produce a step change in the effectiveness of cabinet members. It is designed to support all different types of portfolio holders - and is not specific to a specific portfolio.
(Dates; 27 November – 28 November 2025; 10 January – 11 January 2026 (Virtual); 5 February – 6 February 2026. Sessions held in Coventry)
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New cabinet members; Experience cabinet members wanting a ‘refresh’; Cabinet deputies or assistants; Shadow cabinet members or assistants |
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Fire and Rescue
(LGA leadership essentials) |
Fire Leadership Essentials to support Fire and Rescue Authority (FRA) members with their responsibilities. By the end of the course, delegates will have had the opportunity to:
· Develop a comprehensive understanding of the fire sector, including clarity on duties and responsibilities · Develop skills around leadership in fire and rescue authorities (FRAs). · Gain a thorough understanding of scrutiny and governance in FRAs and practical skills to apply that understanding. · Improve knowledge of the key strategic issues facing the sector, including fire reform, building safety, the fire inspections regime and issues around culture, inclusion and diversity in the fire sector and climate change. · Share ideas and network with leading members from a variety of FRAs.
Awaiting the release of further dates.
|
Fire Authority Members |
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Planning Leadership Essentials: Leading the Local Plan
(LGA) |
What to Expect: · Actionable Strategies: Discover what these changes mean for your council's plan-making and decision-making. · Placemaking Mastery: Learn how to become a champion of placemaking and transform your community.
(Dates; 22 November – 23 November 2025) |
Council Leaders, Planning Leads and Chairs of Planning committee |
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Good planning Committees and Planning Committee Chairs
(LGA Planning Leadership Essentials) |
The two-day course helps councillors who are chairs of planning committee understand the key characteristics of a good committee and develop their skills as a chair, as well as giving updates on new challenges and agendas in the planning process such as Biodiversity Net Gain, new performance regimes, housing numbers and delivery.
The two-day residential course will be delivered in person, and this year we'll be trialling access to a short online warm-up session before the in-person session to all those who are attending.
(Dates; 8 November – 9 November 2025, 20 November – 21 November 2025)
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Planning Committee Chairs and Vice-Chairs |
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Transformation
(LGA Leadership Essentials)
|
By attending this course you will have increased confidence in understanding what is meant by ‘transformation’ in local government; increased skills and capability to shape and lead transformation and explore topics such as: · transformation at different levels and approaches to delivering them · different types of roles councillors play in supporting transformation in their council · skills and capabilities councillors need to successfully lead and steer transformation · different roles officers and councillors hold in this space · skills that councillors need to confidently promote, communicate and translate transformation activities into their communities · tools and techniques to scrutinise, challenge and champion transformation · the latest thinking around the role of councillors in delivering transformation programmes.
(Dates; 22 November – 23 November [venue tbc])
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All Members |
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Local Government Reorganisation
(LGA Leadership Essentials) |
The programme will offer a comprehensive introduction to Local Government Reorganisation (LGR), outlining key milestones and examining the various roles councillors will play in supporting its implementation within their councils. It will also consider the governance structures necessary for effective delivery.
(Dates; 24 January – 25 January 2026 [Session to be held in Warwick]; 21 February – 22 February 2026 [Session to be held in Warwick]; 21 March – 22 March 2026 [Venue tbc])
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Leaders, Deputy Leaders, Portfolio holders/committee chairs |
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Strategic Political Leadership
(South East Employers – SEE)
|
To provide cabinet members with the knowledge and skills to be an effective cabinet member.
(Ask Member Services for full details)
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All Members |
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LGA Sustainability Masterclasses
|
Are you a councillor who has responsibility for delivering your council's ambitions for net zero, climate adaptation or biodiversity targets? Sign up for our Sustainability masterclass to learn how you can take meaningful action and become carbon literacy accredited, with plenty of opportunities for collaboration, discussion, and support. Each masterclass will provide participants with the opportunity to become carbon literacy accredited and offer a different perspective on sustainability to provide understanding into various methodologies and practical guidance to support replication and scaling of notable sustainability practices.
(Dates: 3 December 2025 – 4 December 2025; 20 January 2026 – 21 January 2026; 3 February 2026 – 4 February 2026)
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All councillors, including Leaders, Deputy Leaders, Portfolio holders and scrutiny chairs |
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Risk Management – Political Leadership Masterclass
(LGA Leadership Essentials) |
The Members’ role in leading and managing the risks councils take. The Masterclass examines risk and risk management tools, reviews changes in risk behaviours in local government and focuses on how members can lead and manage risk effectively.
(Dates: 6 November 2025. Sessions held in Coventry) |
Leader / Lead Members and Scrutiny and Audit chairs |
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Effective Opposition
(LGA Focus on Leadership) |
This programme, aimed at opposition leaders and deputy leaders, is designed to help participants to get a better understanding of how they can enhance the effectiveness of their role in leading an opposition group on their council. It will focus on a range of relevant topics, skills and techniques, including building good working relationships with key officers, engaging with external stakeholders, working with the local media and getting the most out of social media.
The programme will provide a unique, cross-party opportunity for participants to explore the nature of effective opposition and gain some insight into their personal leadership and influencing styles.
(Dates; 29 January – 30 January 2026)
|
Opposition leaders and deputy leaders |
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Effective Opposition
(South East Employers - SEE) |
The aim of this session is to understand and further develop the role of the effective opposition member:
By the end of this session participants will be able to:
(Ask Member Services for full details)
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Opposition leaders and deputy leaders |
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Leading Healthier Places
(LGA Leadership Essentials) |
This Leadership Essentials course is for political leadership of place within the ICS/ICP context. If you are a Health and Wellbeing Board chair/co-chair/vice-chair, elected member on a HWB board, portfolio holder/have executive responsibility for public health, health, wellbeing, then this Leadership Essentials course is for you. These sessions will give participants an opportunity to come together to have space to think and reflect, share experiences and actively learn from each other through the LGA’s tried and tested approach to leadership development. The sessions will be co-chaired by local authority and health colleagues with speakers from across local government and other partners.
The programme will support participants to consider: · The national, regional, system and place context for Health and Wellbeing Boards including public health and prevention · Effective leadership and delivery at place · How governance arrangements enable collaboration and effective decision-making · What does best use of data and one version of the truth look like · What impact does a shared language have?
(Ask Member Services for full details)
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Health and Wellbeing Board Chairs / Co-Chairs / Vice Chairs and Members on the Health and Wellbeing Board. |
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LGBTQ+ Councillors Weekender
(LGA Focus on Leadership) |
Cross-party two-day Councillors Weekender event which will provide an opportunity for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Queer + (LGBTQ+) Councillors to network and share experience and stories with each other. Exploring the challenges of being a LGBTQ+ elected member and how to get what you stand for across.
(Dates; 31 January – 1 February 2026)
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Members who identify as LGBTQ+ |
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Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic (BAME) Councillors - ‘Developing your Political Leadership Skills’ leadership weekend event
(LGA Focus on Leadership)
|
This two-day programme will build on the event held in October which supported Black, Asian and minority ethnic councillors in developing their political brand. The forthcoming session will build on this by giving focused attention to the importance of having high level ‘political skills’ – especially as a Black, Asian, minority ethnic elected member operating within the current and emerging climate.
(Dates; 21 February – 22 February 2026) |
BAME Members |
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Young Councillors’ Weekender
(LGA) |
The Young Councillor Weekender event is designed to give councillors aged 40 and under an opportunity to benefit from some focused leadership skills development aimed at helping them to make progress in their political career. The event also provides a chance for them to meet with and build up their network of other young councillors from different political parties and parts of the country.
(Dates; 8 November – 9 November 2025) |
Members under the age of 40 |
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Mental health with residents: Using council powers and influence to create mentally healthier communities
(LGA) |
This
virtual event will consider how councillors can use their powers,
skills and influence to improve both their own wellbeing and mental
health as well as those of their communities and residents. It will
examine definitions of mental health and illness, give
consideration to some of the social determinants of mental health
(poverty, discrimination etc) and how to use your powers as a
councillor to address these for your residents.
(Dates; 1 December 2025) |
All Members
|
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Scrutiny |
||
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Overview and Scrutiny – realising the potential (South East Employers – SEE) |
The purpose of the training session is to further develop the skills and knowledge of councillors in questioning and exerting influence through overview and scrutiny. To develop the leadership role of the scrutiny chair. Learning outcomes: · Provide an overview of leading and chairing scrutiny · Develop further understanding of the skills for overview and scrutiny · scrutiny skills: work planning, questioning skills, influencing partnerships · understanding the role of scrutiny
(Ask Member Services for full details)
|
All scrutiny committee Members |
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Improving scrutiny effectiveness
(ESCC Member Services) |
Pre or post scrutiny committee intensive group sessions which can include: team building, questioning skills and work programming.
(Arranged on request) |
Individual scrutiny committees |
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Effective Scrutiny
(LGA leadership essentials) |
The Leadership Essentials: Effective Scrutiny two-day programme is for new or aspiring scrutiny chairs or review board chairs covering:
(Dates: 25 September – 26 September 2025; 24 January – 25 January 2026; 12 February – 13 February 2026) |
Chairs of Scrutiny Committees and Scrutiny Review Boards |
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Effective working between Audit and Scrutiny |
The Centre for Governance and Scrutiny is running free workshops in venues across the country to bring chairs of audit and scrutiny together to better understand their respective roles and to identify opportunities for chairs to capitalise and build on interdependencies across their committees for more effective working. (Dates: in November/ December 2025) |
Chairs of Scrutiny and Audit Committees |
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Communications |
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Social media – basic and advanced
(ESCC Communications Team) |
Practical advice and one-to-one support in raising Members’ profiles on social media including: · how to grow your network and have useful conversations with the people that matter to you · managing unwelcome content · differences between social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn – and how they interact with the other parts of the web · the law and social media.
(One to one sessions to be arranged on request) |
All Members |
|
Handling media interviews
(ESCC Communications Team) |
Small-group interactive course to help Members when they interact with the media.
(Arranged on request) |
Lead Members / other Members as appropriate |
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Getting your message across
(LGA Leadership Essentials) |
This event will provide councillors with the new ideas, strategies and techniques for achieving more effective communication with both internal and external audiences. Participants will learn how to: · Influence others towards achieving mutually beneficial objectives · Adapt their communication style to convey messages more persuasively to people who have a different communication style · Be more effective when delivering and managing bad news · Develop a more authoritative communication style · Build and promote their own personal brand · Target the right message at the right audience and establish trust and credibility and build relationships · Overcome barriers to effective communication · Select the best tools and methods for delivering messages.
(Dates: 10 January – 11 January 2026)
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All Members |
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Community and casework |
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Practical councillor skills training
(South East Employers – SEE)
|
Workshops have included: · effective ward Councillor · personal safety for Councillors · Effective Councillor and Officer relations
(Ask Member Services for full details) |
All Members |
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Cohesion and counter-extremism masterclasses
(LGA) |
Councils have faced a number of cohesion and extremism challenges over recent months, with many parts of the UK witnessing significant tensions and violent disorder, communities feeling fearful and extremists exploiting mis-and disinformation to stoke division.
The Local Government Association (LGA) is offering a series of four regional one-day masterclasses for councillors across the political spectrum to explore how councils can best respond to cohesion issues in their localities. Hearing from expert academics and leading organisations, the sessions will provide an opportunity for attendees to discuss sensitive issues in a safe space, share experiences and consider the role of elected members in tackling extremism and building community cohesion.
(Dates: 13 November (Coventry); 11 December (Leeds)) |
All Members |
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Civility in Public Life Programme
(LGA) |
The LGA continues to provide free support to members on issues including resources available via its Civility in Public Life programme. It is holding a mis/disinformation training workshop for elected members taking place on 25 November (email Zainab.Khanom@local.gov.uk to register), and a Personal safety for councillors event on 9 December.
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All Members |
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Leading Good Governance and Assurance as a Senior Councillor
(LGA) |
This interactive virtual session for senior elected members will provide a grounding in the contribution that good governance and assurance make to the delivery of members’ priorities, and the key roles of councillors in keeping councils safe, legal and decent. (Dates: Tuesday 2 December 2025, 2.00pm-4.00pm, virtual) You can book your space via the LGA website here |
Senior Councillors |
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IT skills |
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Digital and Data Skills
(LGA Cllr Introduction to…) |
New training sessions on: · Digital communications · Data · Cyber Security · Digital in Social Care and Shielding Vulnerable People
(Ask Member Services for full details) |
All Members |
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Microsoft Word skills
(ESCC Training Team) |
One day training courses include: · basic techniques for creating and formatting documents using Word · presenting information for better impact · producing newsletters or posters using Word (Ask Member Services for full details) |
All Members |
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Planning and Emergency Planning |
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Planning related training
(ESCC Planning Team)
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Training courses recently completed (which are likely to be re-run in the future): · Considering Landscape and planning · Biodiversity and Planning – Ecology · Considering the air quality and noise impacts of development · Flood risk and drainage: an outline of the approach taken by the Flood Risk Management team, including its role as a statutory consultee in the planning process |
Members of Regulatory Committee / Planning Committee but open to all Members |
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Sustainability Masterclasses
(LGA) |
The LGA's Sustainability Masterclass courses will provide participants with a carbon literacy accreditation, enabling them to make informed decisions about carbon reduction. Sign up for one of the Sustainability masterclasses to learn how you can take meaningful action and become carbon literacy accredited, with plenty of opportunities for collaboration, discussion, and support. Members can sign up for the next cohort due to take place on 3 and 4 December 2025, 20 and 21 January 2026, and 3 and 4 December 2026 via the LGA website. |
All Members |
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Online modules and Courses |
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Private online LGA forum for councillors
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The LGA’s Leadership Team has launched an online forum for councillors - a safe space to talk amongst peers as you would usually but in this new virtual world.
All councillors across England and Wales are eligible to join the group where you can discuss anything you like such as specific service areas, leadership and personal development, or community tools and techniques. Members can seek and share ideas and good practice, network and support each other during Covid-19 and beyond.
The forum aims to build the same open, supportive and networking culture created on the LGA’s political leadership programmes. As a private group that only councillors can join, the forum offers a secure platform to build a trusted network. A library with a number of useful guides, resources and workbooks which we will be building up over the next few months and will continue to be updated.
The KHub group follows the same ground rules as established by fellow councillors on the LGA’s political leadership programmes to help ensure a safe, supportive and engaging environment for all members. The group is facilitated by LGA leadership team officers who are on hand to help tailor the group to meet your needs and answer any questions.
The online community is accessed on the Knowledge Hub (KHub), by signing up with your council email address to register and then click join. We will verify that each request has come from an elected member and approve your join request as soon as possible. |
All Members |
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LGA e-learning platform |
In response to the continued need to deliver many of councillor development offers through virtual means, the LGA has now redesigned and updated the councillor e learning platform. We have recently updated and redesigned the platform to provide those undertaking the learning with a better user experience and to allow for better information on what modules are being undertaken by our councillors.
Self-registration is now available on the new e-learning platform. This will allow your councillors to register without needing to manually email the LGA to gain access. Designed to provide a more up to date learning experience, our new platform enables you to create a bespoke learning programme, choosing the modules most relevant to the needs councillors, from deepening knowledge of local government to the essential leadership skills needed to work effectively with communities.
Modules include: · Biodiversity for councils · Commissioning council services · Community engagement and leadership · Councillor Induction · Economic development · Equality, diversity and inclusion · Facilitation and conflict resolution · Handling intimidation · Holding Council meetings online · Influencing skills · Licensing and regulation · Local government finance · Planning · Police and crime panels · Scrutiny for councillors · Stress management and personal resilience · Supporting mentally healthier communities · Supporting constituents with complex issues · The effective ward Councillor · UK general data protection regulation (GDPR)
Please note anyone wishing to register will need a ‘council’. gov.uk email address.
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All Members |
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Webinars To access any of the below recorded webinars, please click https://www.local.gov.uk/our-support/lga-covid-19-support-offer/covid-19-political-leadership-webinars-councillors |
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Bold governance and courageous scrutiny: restoring hope to public services (LGA)
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The Centre for Governance and Scrutiny 2025 conference will be framed around the attributes, leadership and culture needed for bold governance and courageous scrutiny now and into the future. Themes include the evolving role of new technology in public services and its governance implications, and devolution, democracy and emerging challenges and opportunities for governance and scrutiny. For more information visit CfGS Conference 2025 - CFGS |
All Members
|
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Presentation Skills
|
Leadership webinar concerning online Presentation Skills on virtual platforms. The webinar is hosted by Darren Caveney, creator of Comms2point0. This pre-recorded session is aimed at providing advice and support to help councillors navigate online interviews and meetings. Councillors have to work with a wide range of platforms for virtual meetings and interviews and this webinar aims to boost confidence and discusses the elements to consider when wanting to build and maintain an effective online profile. |
All Members |
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Rapid Innovation
|
This single session webinar is presented by Manny Gatt, co-founder and Managing Director of Shared Service Architecture Ltd, a teaching company providing training programmes in Collaborative Leadership and Shared Services. Council leaders with a democratic responsibility for place leadership, have a role to play in encouraging and supporting rapid innovation and change. This webinar provides an opportunity to explore both the theory and practice as to how to lead council’s response to these challenges. |
All Members |
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Mentally healthier conditions for councillors and communities |
This two-part Leadership webinar discusses mentally healthier conditions for councillors (part 1) and communities (part 2). It is presented by Cllr Ed Davie, London Borough of Lambeth, who is a LGIU award winning Scrutiny chair and public health expert. The webinar provides advice, tools and case studies to improve mental health conditions for councillors and communities. Further guidance can be found through the councillor workbook on supporting mentally healthier places authored by Cllr Ed Davie and Dr Katherine Garzonis. |
All Members |
|
Coalition Administrations |
This pre-recorded webinar on Coalition Administrations, was published on 27 August. Presented by Dr Stephanie Snape, a local government specialist and LGA Associate, the webinar aims to support councils run by coalition administrations in their work on COVID-19 and the recovery. The webinar will identify how to ensure robust, stable coalition working during Covid-19 and beyond. |
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What's the Story?
Using National Carer Data to Develop Your Narrative for CQC Assessment. |
In this webinar, we look at how councils can draw on national sources of data on unpaid carers to support their narrative for Care Quality Commission (CQC) assessment about how well they are supporting unpaid carers in their area. You will hear from
The webinar chair is Catherine Jones, Co-chair of the ADASS Carers Policy Group, and recently Director of Adult Social Services in Warrington. This webinar is the first of a series aimed at supporting councils and their partners to prepare for CQC assessment as it relates to unpaid carers and has been developed by the ADASS Carers Policy Group, Councils, Carers Trust, Carers UK,NICE, and an unpaid carer, with support from Partners in Care and Health (a partnership of the LGA and ADASS). A detailed resource for councils on preparing for CQC assessment as it relates to unpaid carers can be found on the LGA website. This is a free virtual Zoom webinar. Dates: TBC |
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Other offers |
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LGA Offers |
The LGA has a catalogue of other offers and is available on request from Member Services.
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All Members |
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CMS Online Prospectus |
CMS Training offers online sessions for up to 16 councillors on the following topics: Equality and Diversity Awareness Disability Awareness GDPR Awareness Mental Health Awareness Resilience |
All Members – ask Member Services to coordinate a session |
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One to one support from Member Services |
Please discuss any further training or support that you would like with the Member Services team. |
All Members |
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A councillor's workbook on the local pathway to net zero |
How councillors can play an active role in supporting their local authority and their communities in working towards the Net Zero target. |
All Members |
Member
Services
Updated:
November 2025