Learning and development for councillors is vital for councils to deliver what our communities need. At the heart of healthy local democracy is effective political leadership – with councillors who are well-equipped, supported, resilient, and confident to make a difference.
Here we have collated a range of good practice resources relating to councillor development, drawn from councils across England.
Our aim in sharing this good practice is to help councils to:
- develop clear strategies, policies and plans to ensure that they are providing effective support to councillors
- embed, throughout their organisations, a culture of learning and development for councillors which prioritises accessibility, equality, diversity and inclusion
- ensure that councillors understand their role, responsibilities and accountability
- ensure that councillors are provided with development opportunities at every stage of their journey and tenure, to build on their existing skills and knowledge
- focus positively on continual improvement.
This work forms part of our 'sector-led support offer' which is funded by the UK Government to enable councils to access the support and tools they need to perform with excellence for their communities. Councils need to be responsible for their own performance, and to be accountable, locally – not nationally; and they need to operate with a shared sense of collective responsibility for the performance of the sector as a whole.
If you would like to speak with us about having your own good practice shared here, please email [email protected]
