ABOUT
3 March 2023 — 10.00 - 15.30
Sponsored by BHIB Councils Insurance, Blachere Illumination and CCLA
America Square Conference Centre, One Crosswall, America Square, London EC3N 2LB
Professional standards and ethics matter. They provide confidence, increase reputation, define best practices, and boost legitimacy in the public, private or voluntary sectors. With the first tier of local government responsible for over £3 billion of public money and assets, striving for higher standards has never been more critical. Good governance, civility and respect, training and development, and continuous improvement are the foundations of effective and well-functioning local councils.
Join NALC’s first in-person event since 2019 on this topical theme, allowing attendees to engage in a wide-ranging programme focussing on some of the crucial standards issues and topics facing the sector. You will have opportunities to put your questions to expert panellists and speakers, visit the sector-specific exhibition, network and share good practices, and participate in The Big Debate.
NB: NALC reserves the right to change the programme at any time.
PROGRAMME
10.30 — 10.35 | Open
NALC's chair will welcome back attendees to our first in-person conference since late 2019 and will set the scene for the day.
Speaker: Cllr Keith Stevens, chair of the National Association of Local Councils
10.35 — 11.20 | The Big Debate: Are tougher sanctions the silver bullet to improving behaviour in councils?
Standards in public life have never been more important. The prime minister has pledged to lead a government with integrity, professionalism, and accountability at every level. And the well-established Nolan principles continue to underpin ethical standards in local government. Yet loud calls from the sector and beyond to strengthen the standards regime with stronger sanctions such as the suspension of councillors have been refused by the government. The Big Debate will explore whether sanctions really are the silver bullet to improving civility and respect in councils, with plenty of opportunities for attendees to have their say.
Speakers: Paul Hoey, co-director of Hoey Ainscough Associates Limited, Linda Larter, chief executive at Sevenoaks Town Council and Luke Trevaskis, chief officer at Morecambe Town Council
11.40 — 12.25 | Why reputation matters
While trust in politicians is at an all-time low, our locally elected representatives fare better than Members of Parliament. Everyone agrees that reputation matters at all levels of government, from central to local. But does it matter what the public, the media and stakeholders think? And should councils be doing more to change how they are perceived, boost their credibility, and increase their trustworthiness? These questions and more will be addressed by our panel of communications experts as they explain why corporate and individual reputation matters and what local government can do about it.
Speakers: Daniel Purchese, co-director at Breakthrough Communications, Kirsty Weakley, head of content at the Local Government Chronicle, and Jonathan Werran, chief executive of Localis
12.25 — 13.10 | Sector standards
Quality standards offer organisations an externally verified seal of approval. They publicly demonstrate an organisation’s commitment to quality assurance and continuous improvement. This session will explore how quality standards are being delivered through the Local Council Award Scheme, why local councils should go for gold, what the benefits are, and what can be learnt from outside the sector.
Speakers: Charlotte Eisenhart, head of member services at the National Association of Local Councils and Terry Philpott, town clerk at Ware Town Council ( view presentation )
13.55 — 14.40 | Improving local government
As we continue to emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic, councils must think innovatively, creatively and ambitiously about the difference they can make in people’s lives. It is, therefore, vital councils have the support and tools they need to improve and respond to a wide range of challenges and opportunities. Our panel will share insights on why good local government matters, where next for council improvement and obstacles to overcome, why it’s right to set the bar higher, and how it can be done by working together.
Speakers: John Austin, chair of the Association of Democratic Services Officers, Cllr Brigid Jones, deputy leader of Birmingham City Council and deputy chair of the Local Government Association Improvement and Innovation Board, and Rachel McKoy, president-elect of the Lawyers in Local Government
15.00 — 15.30 | Government minister
Hear from a central government minister on their national priorities for raising standards across local government and how they plan to achieve this, and what tools they will give local (parish and town) councils to improve and lay firm foundations for future progress.
Speaker: Lee Rowley MP, parliamentary under secretary of state in the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities and Conservative MP for North East Derbyshire
SPONSORS AND EXHIBITION
Sponsors
Meet our conference headline sponsors:
BHIB Councils Insurance
BHIB Councils Insurance provides specialist insurance and risk management services to local and parish councils.
BHIB Councils Insurance is part of BHIB Ltd, one of the UK’s leading independent commercial insurance brokers with a proud history dating back over 50 years. We continue to improve our services as a proud member of the CLEAR Group, delivering bespoke insurance programmes and advice to the public, private and charity sectors and membership organisations.
No two councils are the same. That’s why BHIB provide a range of insurance options to protect not only your council’s assets and liabilities but also your clerks, councillors, and volunteers. From public liability, employer's liability, and property damage insurance to the provision of risk management advice and useful templates, BHIB Councils Insurance are on hand to support you.
Blachere Illumination
Blachere Illumination has been creating festive lighting for over 50 years with care and passion. They are global leaders in the production of eco-responsible lighting, as well as a new summer range.
Being the manufacturer, Blachere can help with the entire process and any budget size. They have a dedicated staff team ready to help you create a magical scheme. The Bioprint and Recyprint eco ranges can help councils achieve elements of their climate plans.
CCLA
CCLA’s purpose is to help investors maximise their impact on society by harnessing the power of investment markets. They have been investing responsibly and ethically for more than 50 years. They don’t claim to have the answers to many societal challenges. Still, they have specific skills and an interest in social and economic justice, which makes them unique in the investment industry. They are very interested in talking to delegates about what more good they could do together for a better world.
CCLA Investment Management Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.
Exhibition
The event will include a sector-specific exhibition. If your organisation would like to exhibit at the event, please contact NALC at .
Find out more about those organisations below:
Aubergine
Aubergine is one of the UK’s leading companies specialising in accessible and WCAG 2.1AA compliant websites for parish and town councils. They are proud to be the co-authors of NALC's website accessibility and publishing guidelines guide.
They will be providing free website accessibility compliance checks on the day for any parish or town council who visits their stand. They are JISC authorised for managing .gov.uk domains and Cyber Essentials Certified. New website packages from £499 + VAT.
Breakthrough Communications
Breakthrough Communications supports councils to communicate and engage more effectively and compliantly with their communities. Their Council Hive service provides councils with on-demand access to training and guidance, deep-dive masterclasses, resource packs and templates, and one-to-one expert advice, covering all aspects of council communications, community engagement and GPDR and FOI compliance.
They also manage council social media, carry out neighbourhood plans and community surveys, consultations and community engagement campaigns, as well as helping councils with GDPR and FOI matters.
Centre for Sustainable Energy
The Centre for Sustainable Energy (CSE) is a charity supporting people and organisations across the UK to tackle the climate emergency and end the suffering caused by cold homes. They do this by sharing their knowledge, practical experience and policy insights. For over 40 years, they've supported people to take effective action on energy. They help communities, and local councils understand energy issues, set priorities, and implement plans. Their research and analysis focus on making the energy system greener, smarter and fairer.
CloudyIT
CloudyIT is here to help your council affordably maximise the latest cutting-edge Microsoft 365 technology, digital solutions, and training to support your staff and drive the adoption of more efficient IT working practices. Following years of experience working with parish and town councils to create a portfolio of bespoke digital services that directly address the needs of council clerks, officers, and councillors.
Co-operative Councils' Innovation Network
The fastest growing network in local government. They believe that the unprecedented challenges facing the public sector and local communities mean that traditional models of top-down governance and economic growth are no longer fit for purpose. Their members want to reclaim the traditions of community action, community engagement, and civic empowerment that can transform communities. This approach will help deliver radical and innovative programmes designed, led, and delivered in partnership with communities and other sector partners, maximising the social dividend they bring. Cooperative councils drive global public policy aligned to their Statement of Values and Principles.
Find out more about the Co-operative Councils' Innovation Network
HAGS
HAGS has been manufacturing and installing outdoor play, sports & fitness equipment for over 70 years. With HAGS, you get a turnkey solution with design, consultation, supply and installation, after-sales, inspection, and maintenance. All ages, from toddlers to adults, benefit from the 300-plus play areas we install each year in the UK alone. You have access to 3,000 products across 11 ranges.
Their services cover everything from planning to condition assessment and maintenance. When you choose a solution from HAGS, you get help from a knowledgeable HAGS employee with a local connection who is familiar with your everyday living and recreation environment.
Parish Online
Parish Online empowers Local Councils with fantastic technology to help them provide valuable services to their residents. Our cloud-based services provide resilience and convenience to daily council tasks through digital mapping and website technology.
Parish Online digital mapping software is used to create maps, store assets, build your neighbourhood plan, and anything else you can think of using maps! Our Website Service gives your Local Council an engaging online presence with a highly informative and accessible website that conforms to the latest Government design standards. We pride ourselves on great support and continuous improvement of services based on your needs
Utility Aid
Utility Aid is the UK's largest energy broker for the not-for-profit sector. Their dedicated team provide a high-level service to manage and maintain your portfolio, covering procurement, Bureau services, full account management, historical audits and carbon reporting and net zero planning. To date, they have saved their charity customers over £4m through their invoice validation services.
WorkNest
WorkNest is a powerhouse of employment law, HR and health & safety support services, weaving pragmatic advice with powerful technology platforms. They exist to help employers proactively overcome their employment, safety and wellbeing challenges, working alongside internal teams or providing a fully outsourced solution. Their proactive and personalised services are delivered by highly accomplished, commercially-minded people, with set-price subscription models for cost certainty and peace of mind. Ultimately, they understand that when organisations are compliant, confident and risk-aware — and their employees are safe, supported and encouraged — they have the peace of mind to concentrate on innovating and growing. Their services take care of you and your business, so you can do exactly that.