'Leadership Essentials' is a series of series of programmes and workshops’ designed as themed learning opportunities for councillors. Each event concentrates on a specific portfolio or service area or a specific theme.
We also run events specifically aimed at new councillor induction.
For more information or to book onto any of the below programmes please contact:
Grace Collins
Telephone: 020 7664 3054
Email: [email protected]
We are running the two-day programme for Adult Social Care and Leading Healthier Places simultaneously. These free development events will support Adult Social Care Lead Members and Chairs and Vice Chairs of Health & Wellbeing Boards with the key challenges they face in care and health in a rapidly changing policy landscape.
The events are member led, interactive, and provides lots of opportunities for discussion, the sharing of practice and innovative solutions in a confidential environment and for making valuable contacts. The programmes are delivered by LGA staff supported by high profile guest speakers from local government and partner agencies.
The programmes will explore leadership within the current policy and practice context, including the NHS White Paper and Bill, changes to public health, implications of Covid response and recovery, adult social care funding and reform, and ongoing health and care integration. Some sessions will run across the two programmes and some separately.
Programme 11: 24 - 25 October 2024, Warwick Conferences, Coventry, CV4 7SH.
Fee: The fee for attending this programme is fully subsidised.
More information on other resources for lead members can be found on the Adult social care lead member development page.
As councils grapple with a changing environment, financial resilience and service transformation, ensuring that the Audit Committee is functioning effectively has never been more important. Meanwhile, the pressures have grown on auditors and council staff to deliver more with less. Given all that is going on, together with the increasingly high profile that government and national bodies are giving to local council Audit Committees, it is essential that time is taken to reflect on how such committees can contribute to ensuring the council is well governed.
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’s governance arrangements are fit for purpose.
Programme 12: Wednesday 30 October – Thursday 31 October 2024
Programme 13: Wednesday 27 November – Thursday 28 November 2024
Programme 14: Saturday 18 January – Sunday 19 January 2025
All taking place at Warwick Conferences, Coventry CV4 7SH
Programme starts at 9.30am on first day and finishes at 3.00pm on second day
Fee: The cost of attending this programme is fully subsidised.
This exciting programme from the LGA has been designed to meet a significant unmet need in the member development world - a course to support new and experienced cabinet members to be successful in their portfolios. There are many courses available for scrutiny councillors but this is the first course dedicated to supporting councillors in their role as executive members. The course is equally suited to policy committee chairs at councils operating the committee system.
This interactive course examines the key aspects of being a successful cabinet member - from having a clear understanding of the legacy you want to leave, to 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 and policy committee chairs. It is designed to support all different types of portfolio holders - and is not specific to a specific portfolio.
Who is it for?
- new cabinet members or policy committee chairs
- experienced cabinet members/chairs wanting a ‘refresh’
- cabinet deputies or assistants
- shadow cabinet members or assistants.
Programme 21: 6 - 7 July 2024, Warwick Conferences, Coventry, CV4 7SH.
Programme 22: 28 - 29 November 2024, Warwick Conferences, Coventry, CV4 7SH.
Programme 23: 11 - 12 January 2025, Virtual.
Fee: The fee for attending the two day residential event is £250 per place which includes accommodation, meals, and all learning materials. The fee for the virtual programme is £99.
Lead Members for Children's Services are responsible for providing leadership to Children's Services in their area and hold a statutory role. This development event is funded as part of the sector led improvement programme and aims to support Lead Members with the key challenges they face in the changing policy landscape and to develop leadership capacity, share learning and provide a valuable networking opportunity. This programme is also for Chairs of Children's Services scrutiny committee.
The programme runs over two days and is delivered by member peers and LGA staff supported by guest speakers from local government and partner agencies. Further sessions for early 2024 will be announced soon.
Programmes 42: 12 -13 September 2024, Warwick Conferences, Coventry, CV4 7SH.
Programmes 43: 24 - 25 October 2024, Warwick Conferences, Coventry, CV4 7SH.
Programmes 44: 14 -15 November 2024, Warwick Conferences, Coventry, CV4 7SH.
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.
It is also an opportunity to learn about a breadth of topics relevant to our current context.
This learning event is aimed at experienced members with the children’s portfolio, education portfolio and chairs of scrutiny, ideally having done the Essentials course more than a year ago and/or been in role at least 12 months.
Programme 7: 16 - 17 November 2024.
Programme 8: Dates to be confirmed for early 2025.
As a leading councillor you play a pivotal role in raising awareness of your local area and organisation through the media. We’re running an intense five-hour virtual masterclass to develop and enhance interview skills.
The session will be run by Scott Chisholm, who advises some of the country’s top politicians and the world’s most influential corporate executives. You will learn:
- how to be in control of any encounter with any journalist
- how to prepare and present
- how a journalist thinks
- what makes news, news
- your rights
- how to exploit difficult questions
- how to influence, rather than merely inform
- the 3 ‘R’s of damage imitation and crisis management.
Programme 34: 12 July 2024, Warwick Conferences, Coventry, CV4 7SH.
Programme 35: 13 September 2024, Virtual.
Programme 36: 17 October 2024, Warwick Conferences, Coventry, CV4 7SH.
Fee: The fee for attending this programme is fully subsidised.
Leadership essentials culture event for portfolio holders
After 12 very successful programmes, we are delighted to be working in partnership with Arts Council England to deliver further Leadership Essentials Cultural Services programmes for leading members with responsibility for Cultural Services. At this critical time for cultural services, the programme will support leading councillors to develop an integrated cultural offer against a backdrop of reducing budgets.
The programme aims to help participants:
- develop a better understanding of the role integrated cultural services can play in communities
- understand the extent of transformation that is now required in the planning, delivery and development of cultural services.
- consider how councils can use cultural services to improve outcomes for their communities
- learn from good practice across the country
- understand more about how Arts Council England and LGA can support participants to carry out their leadership roles more effectively.
Programme 18: New dates for 2024 to be announced soon.
Fee: The fee for attending this programme is fully subsidised. This includes accommodation, meals, course materials and tuition. Accommodation is available for the pre-night.
Following on from the success of last year’s programme, the LGA is hosting three more Leadership Essentials Digitalisation programmes which will aim to provide councillors with an understanding of their role as local leaders in a digital age. It is designed to demystify digitalisation for those new to this area as well as those looking to build on their existing knowledge.
Digitalisation is increasingly emerging as a key priority at both a local and national level. In recent years, councils have increasingly utilised digital technology to deliver services in response to pressures sparked by stretched budgets and the COVID-19 pandemic. The UK Government has also outlined its ambition to create modern, user-centred, public services using digital technology and data. But at the same time, recent high profile cyber-attacks on the local government sector have also placed a spotlight on the security risks around digital technology.
As local leaders, councillors will have a key role to play in supporting their council’s digitalisation journeys and ensuring that residents are at the heart of service design. This programme will provide councillors with an opportunity to learn about their role in creating strong digital and inclusive cultures for the benefit of all residents whilst managing security-based risks. The programme will also introduce councillors to our 12 strategic digitalisation outcomes framework which is a framework we launched to provide a common language and shared understanding of local government digitalisation.
The programme will aim to:
- Increase the awareness, understanding and knowledge of councillors to become champions and enablers for digitalisation.
- Increase understanding of digitalisation good practice and wider national strategies and frameworks that address digital technology within the public sector.
- Introduce delegates to the LGA’s digitalisation outcomes framework and Local Government Digitalisation Almanac
- Raise delegates understanding of their cabinet and/or scrutiny roles in delivering user centred digital services whilst managing security based risks.
- Share a wide range of inspiring and relevant case studies presented in an engaging way by other local councillors, officers and external speakers.
- Encourage delegates to network, sharing information, knowledge, and common challenges.
Who is it for?: Leaders, deputy leaders, portfolio holders with responsibility for digital agendas, scrutiny chairs/committee members with an interest in cyber, digital and technology.
Programme 6: 22 - 23 June 2024, Scarman House, Warwick Conferences, Coventry, CV4 7SH. The programme will start at 10am on Day One and will finish at 3.30pm on Day Two.
Fee: The fee for attending this programme is fully subsidised. This includes accommodation, meals, course materials and tuition.
The Leadership Essentials: Effective Scrutiny two day programme is for new or aspiring scrutiny chairs or task-and-finish group review lead members covering:
- leading and managing a scrutiny review
- ensuring impact of scrutiny recommendations
- increasing participation by members and the public
- chairing scrutiny meetings in all their forms.
Drawing on experts in their field, the programme will also offer the opportunity to focus in depth on the hot topics that are currently most relevant to your work, whether that is children’s safeguarding, welfare reform, changes in health services or pressure on budgets driving major changes in how services are delivered or commissioned.
Programme 23: 26 - 27 September 2024.
Programme 24: 25 - 26 January 2025.
Programme 25: 13 - 14 February 2025, Virtual.
Fee: The fee for attending the two day residential event is £250 per place which includes accommodation, meals and all learning materials. The fee for the virtual programme is £99.
This two day residential programme will help leaders and finance portfolio holders get to grips with the financial challenges facing their authority. The course discusses setting longer term strategies for sustainability as well as balancing the budget on an annual basis and how to work with officers to ensure that the Council is making the most of its opportunities.
Designed for Leaders and finance portfolio holders, this programme is an opportunity to focus on financial management and governance ahead of the final stages of the 2023/24 budget process, but also to look longer term at what the strategic options may be for the Council and its local area. Participants will hear from a variety of speakers with experience of financial leadership in difficult times and experts on the financial impact of change. This course is also suitable for the Chairs of Audit Committees and those responsible for finance scrutiny.
Topic covered will include:
- the role of leaders and portfolio holders in a changing financial environment
- working with others to make sense of the opportunities
- understanding the council’s finances
- navigating the budget process
- the financial aspects of the new delivery models
- recognising a good business case for change.
Programme 30: 12 - 22 September 2024, Warwick Conferences, Coventry, CV4 7SH.
Programme 31: 24 - 25 October 2024, Warwick Conferences, Coventry, CV4 7SH.
Programme 32: 2 - 3 November 2024, Warwick Conferences, Coventry, CV4 7SH.
Fee: The fee for attending this programme is fully subsidised, but places are limited and will be offered on a strict first come first served basis.
This exciting new course will de-mystify the financial elements of your portfolio or the policy committee that you chair. While all councillors understand the current financial pressures and their importance, many councillors – including cabinet members and policy committee chairs - find local government finance difficult to understand and hard to navigate. Too often financial leadership is left to the cabinet member for finance or relevant committee chair but all leading members need to understand finances and be comfortable with their financial roles.
The course is aimed specifically for non-finance portfolio holders/policy committee chairs, supporting their financial roles by:
- Increasing non-finance cabinet members’ understanding of the contemporary local government finance system and likely future developments in the system.
- Providing tools and practical advice to enable cabinet members to navigate their own authorities’ financial systems and controls.
- Increasing the confidence of cabinet members in developing constructive relationships with key financial managers (including the section 151 officer).
- Enabling participants to identify and specify the financial management elements of a portfolio’s role. Enabling participants to better integrate financial information with non-financial service performance information.
Fee: The fee for attending this programme is fully subsidised.
Interactive, practical and engaging – and high accessible for cabinet members less comfortable with the financial aspects of their portfolio.
Who is it for?
- non-finance portfolio holders
- non-finance deputy/assistant cabinet members
- shadow cabinet members
- non finance Committee chairs from committee systems.
Programme 7: 5 September 2024, Warwick Conferences, Coventry, CV4 7SH.
Programme 8: 23 October 2024, Warwick Conferences, Coventry, CV4 7SH.
With finance in every local council getting ever tighter, it is even more important that every council makes sure that it has a culture and systems to ensure that finance is well governed and controlled. Good governance starts at full Council and every councillor has a role to play, but what does good financial governance look like? These two online sessions will explore this question.
Session 1: Introductions, what is meant by good financial governance? Roles and responsibilities - councillors, officers and auditors.
Session 2: An in-depth look at financial governance; budgeting and financial control, new project evaluation and control.
Programme 5: 9.30am – 1.00pm on each day via Zoom.
Session 1: 9 October 2024.
Session 2: 16 October 2024.
Programme 6: 9.30am – 1.00pm on each day via Zoom.
Session 1: 23 January 2025.
Session 2: 30 January 2025.
These sessions assume no prior knowledge and as such are ideal for new councillors or those who wish to refresh their understanding. The session will be delivered in plain English with plenty of time for you to ask questions.
Fee: The fee for attending this programme is fully subsidised.
To book email [email protected]
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.
Programme 10: 18 -19 January 2025, Warwick Conferences, Coventry, CV4 7SH.
Fee: The fee for attending the two day residential event is £250 per place which includes accommodation, meals and all learning materials.
The role of Health and Wellbeing Boards as leaders of place has long been championed by the LGA. The importance of place is also championed in many recent government papers and policy, including the Integration White Paper, Levelling Up White Paper and changes to the health and care architecture as a result of the 2022 Health and Care Act.
The changes in governance structures provide a timely opportunity for place-based health and care partnerships including Health and Wellbeing Boards (HWBs) to explore the strengths of partnership working and culture at place and within the changing landscape, review short and long-term priorities – with renewed focus on local health inequalities working towards creating impactful change and better outcomes for their population.
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?
Programme 25: New dates for 2024 to be announced soon.
Fee: The fee for attending this programme is fully subsidised.
Decision making at licensing committee: how to run a good licensing committee – for licensing committee/sub-committee chairs and vice-chairs
This leadership essentials programme is perfect for those councillors who are new and getting to grips with their role of chair or vice chair on the licensing committee, as well as for more experienced committee members as a refresher and update.
Licensing, and the decisions made by licensing committees, make a fundamental contribution to shaping places where people want to live, work and relax. The aim of the licensing committee must be that those people they engage with are satisfied with the decision making process, if not always the outcome.
Chairing a committee, and all the preparation and lead-in required for good decision making, can be challenging. This course will focus on good quality decision making at licensing committee and how a good licensing committee is run. It also touches on where licensing links in with wider council priorities. Attendees will be able to compare how their committee operates with other authorities and share ideas with other councillors.
Programme 5: 16 -17 October 2024 .
Fee: The fee for attending the two day residential event is £200 per place which includes accommodation, meals and all learning materials.
The LGA runs a number of national Leadership Essentials programmes offering high quality leadership development for councillors across the political spectrum. This 1.5 day residential course has been developed to explore local government’s role in Prevent and counter extremism, which is open to all elected members and is free of charge.
Recent years have seen councils facing a number of different and evolving extremism and cohesion challenges. Local authorities have a core role to play at a local level in helping to prevent individuals being drawn into radicalisation, in tackling extremism and extremist ideology and in supporting community cohesion. The recent Independent Review of Prevent, CONTEST strategy and changes to Prevent statutory guidance all present new opportunities to explore councillors’ role in what can be highly sensitive areas of work. Building on our highly regarded previous programmes, this event will provide an opportunity for elected members to learn with and from each other in a confidential environment.
Featuring a range of inputs and workshops, the programme will explore themes including national and local approaches to Prevent delivery, counter extremism and cohesion work, including exploring changes to the Prevent duty; national and local threats, including the online and conspiracy theory space; emerging and evolving challenges; communications and community engagement on divisive issues and effective leadership.
Further dates to be announced.
Fee: The fee for attending this programme is fully subsidised. This includes accommodation, meals, course materials and tuition.
What is the role of elected members in the risk management process? Can’t this be left to the Audit Committee? What should we do with the risk register that the officers report to us?
There is truth in the cliché that the greatest risk for councils in the current climate is to take no risk. Consequently, every council has had to develop strategies to transform the way they deliver services, whilst ensuring that the council’s finances remain resilient. However, recent government and audit reports written where such strategies have run into difficulties have highlighted that elected members are not as engaged as they should be in ensuring that risk is effectively managed throughout the authority.
This seminar will enable participants to develop their understanding of how risk should be identified, assessed, and managed throughout the council. Please bring a copy of your latest risk register with you to the seminar as there will be plenty of time for you to reflect upon the risk management process at your council.
Programme 9: 7 November 2024.
Fee: The fee for attending this programme is fully subsidised.
Following demand, the LGA and Sport England are piloting a return to face-to-face delivery of the popular Leadership Essentials: Sport programme.
Aims of the programme
The programme supports elected members to:
- Engage with Sport England’s new ten-year Strategy ‘Uniting the Movement’, that continues to champion sport and physical activity’s ability to make better places to live and bring people together, and explore how taking a place-based approach can help tackle the barriers to activity .
- Develop in their role to lead the design of a local sport, physical activity and movement offer that improves activity levels and the health and wellbeing of local communities, contributes to reducing the burden on social care, tackles health inequalities, contributes to levelling up activity and encourages connected communities.
- Develop knowledge and insight of other policy areas to better lead a collaborative approach to harnessing the power of sport, physical activity and movement to improve lives in their place.
- Explore their own approach to leadership in collaborative partnerships and see how leadership is important in influencing system change, identifying and pursuing development needs as appropriate
- Create fit for purpose sport and physical activity opportunities with diminishing resources, focusing on the assets of their spaces and places – including leisure facilities and developing more active environments.
- Understand more about how Sport England and the LGA can help and support councillors to lead change and become better leaders for their places.
Programme 31: 27 - 28 June 2024.
Fee: The fee for attending this programme is fully subsidised. This includes accommodation, meals, course materials and tuition.