Training Modules

The following modules give ideas for sessions which can be adapted and tailored to your specific needs.

Governance Training for Elected Members

The following modules are ideas for topics. GOVTC can adapt them into sessions which specifically fit your needs. We can also contribute to your Induction Programme by designing bespoke sessions to address the key issues for new members, including standards, decision-making and officer/member relationships.

All modules can be delivered virtually through your preferred  online platform.

The session was set at the right level for those attending. It was made interesting and involved all. It encouraged thinking on wider issues to those we have encountered previously

Independent Member, Standards Committee

Approach

Whether you want your session to be held face-to-face or virtually, and whatever length of session we decide on, the GOVTC approach is to be interactive and inclusive. You will not get an academic or theoretical lecture – all the sessions are engaging and absolutely relevant for the participants. The Committee on Standards in Public Life, in strongly recommending early induction training for new members, said that successful training should not be “dry or compliance focussed”. Rather it should be scenario-based to enable councillors to engage. This is exactly how we work. The GOVTC team prides itself on councillors always enjoying the sessions but, more importantly, taking away practical learning which will immediately assist them with their roles at the council. We use lots of real life examples, discussions and mini scenarios to prompt debate. 

All the modules draw on the LGA Political Skills Framework, the Welsh Assembly’s statutory guidance on training and development of members and also on our practical experience of working with councils and councillors over many years.

GOVTC will deliver the sessions at your premises or at any venue which you arrange. Or we can run them virtually using the platform of your choice. The GOVTC team are experienced in working with MS Teams, Zoom, Go To Meetings, Google Meet and Lifesize.

GOVTC can be flexible in the timings of the sessions to suit your needs and to recognise members’ work and life commitments. We are happy to run sessions in the evenings to accommodate as many members as possible.

Perfectly pitched. Great balance between theory and practice

Principal Solicitor and Deputy Monitoring Officer

Parish, Community and Town Council Support

GOVTC provide training and support (including conciliation sessions) to parish, town and community councils. Tensions between members (and potentially with the clerk) can sometimes inhibit the effective conduct of business. We offer refresher training sessions on good governance, standards of conduct, running meetings and robust decision making. GOVTC can also facilitate meetings to address difficult issues of personal relationships and support the smooth functioning of the council

Feedback

Recent feedback from a councillor attending one of our sessions was that he had initially attended “with a heavy heart” as he had not had great experiences of previous member training. However, he described the event as “the best he had ever attended” and felt strongly that it had equipped him far better to carry out his role as a councillor.

Another councillor said that she wished she had attended the course (on outside bodies) when she was first elected as it was so important and she felt it should be compulsory for all councillors.

Excellent delivery and really appreciated the references to personal experience and practical tips

Senior Solicitor, Metropolitan Borough Council

Approach

We will discuss with each council how they wish to approach their officer training. GOVTC can run full-day courses, or can deliver a more focused, half-day session. The longer time obviously allows more time for group discussion and engagement.

We can also deliver shorter sessions (of around two hours) which cover the basics and which lend themselves well to a virtual format.

GOVTC are happy to design a programme for all officers of an appropriate seniority in a council which can be delivered over a period of time. We can also offer a module covering this topic for use in induction for senior officers – this is particularly valuable for officers coming straight into a council role from another sector who will be expected to operate immediately at a level involving interface with members.

If you are interested in GOVTC running a course for your council, please contact us.

Absolutely excellent – the discussions I wish I’d had many years ago. Re-enthused me about a local government legal career!

Legal Services Manager, District Council

Sessions for lawyers

GOVTC run specialist sessions for lawyers in local government. These courses cover the same ground as the modules for all local government officers (see above) but also explore and address:

  • The role of Monitoring Officer - the fundamentals
  • Monitoring Officer - current issues and challenges
  • Dealing with Standards of Conduct of Elected Members
  • The Role of the Independent Person
  • Political Awareness for legal and democratic services officers
  • Practical challenges with local authority companies

We run these sessions in collaboration with Lawyers in Local Government. LLG arrange sessions on a regional basis. They bring together colleagues from a range of councils who are facing similar challenges and can provide peer support.

If you are interested in coming to one of the regional sessions for lawyers, please contact us or training@llg.org.uk

Costs

GOVTC will provide costs on application. The fixed cost quoted will include all preparation, travel, materials, presentation and post session follow up/feedback. As part of the preparation for each session (included in the cost whatever format requested) we will have a telephone call with the council’s lead officer to run through the context for the training, the desired outcomes and any specific local issues of relevance.

We are happy to discuss discounts for delivering blocks or groups of sessions, for example as part of an induction programme for newly elected councillors.

If you would like to discuss your training needs or ask for a quote for the cost of running a specific module, please call us on 07450 220158 or email us at bethan@bethanevans.co.uk.  We will get back to you within 48 hours.