We know that local councils are at the very heart of their communities, giving neighbourhoods a voice and making people more involved in the decisions that affect them. Over 15 million people (35% of the population) live in the communities served by local (parish and town) councils. Local councils want to serve their communities as best they can and make a real difference in the lives of those there.
ABOUT
The Local Council Award Scheme (LCAS) has been designed to celebrate the successes of the best local councils and provide a framework to support all local councils in improving and developing to meet their full potential. The scheme allows councils to show that they meet the standards set by the sector, assess them by their peers, and put in place the conditions for continued improvement.
The scheme has been designed to provide the tools and encouragement to those councils at the beginning of their improvement journeys and promote and recognise councils at the cutting edge of the sector. Only through the sector working together to share best practices, drive up standards and support those committed to improving their offer to their communities will individual councils and the sector as a whole reach their full potential.
LCAS undergoes a review every year. Local councils must meet the guidance criteria that is in place on the date they submit their completed application form to their local accreditation panel.
Read the Local Council Award Scheme guide
NALC will run events to help local councils prepare an award-winning application — find out more.
Which award level should we apply for?
Foundation Award
The Foundation Award is for councils who want to show they meet a set of minimum standards to deliver effectively for their communities. To meet this award, the council must demonstrate that it has the documentation and information to operate lawfully and according to standard practice. The council also has policies for training its councillors and officers, and so has the foundations for improvement and development in place.
The Foundation award allows you to benchmark your performance and challenges you to consider your council's continuing development and improvement.
Quality Award
The Quality Award demonstrates that a council achieves good practices in governance, community engagement and council improvement. Quality councils go above and beyond their legal obligations, leading their communities and continuously seeking opportunities to improve and develop even further.
To achieve the Quality Award, a council must demonstrate that it meets all requirements of the Foundation Award and has additional evidence of good governance, effective community engagement, and council improvement. Due to the level of this achievement, a council with a Quality Award can also be eligible to use the general power of competence.
Quality Gold Award
The Quality Gold Award demonstrates that a council is at the forefront of best practice and achieves excellence in governance, community leadership and council development. Quality Gold councils provide leadership for their communities, bring people together, have excellent business planning processes, ensuring value for money as well as constantly seek new innovations and opportunities to improve. They highlight the very best we, as a sector, can achieve for our communities.
