Worcestershire CALC has partnered with Breakthrough Communications to offer a wide range of courses to empower Councils to engage effectively with their community.

Each course costs £35 plus VAT per person for Members (£70 plus VAT for non-members), please choose 'Worcestershire Association of Councils' as your County Association when booking.

Members will be invoiced by WCALC at £35 per delegate, per course.  Our usual terms and conditions of booking apply.

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Council Communications and Community Engagement

Communicating with your community Part 1: creating a communications strategy
It's important for councils to create a communications strategy that supports the delivery of your council’s priorities, aims and objectives. In this session we explore best practice for creating an effective and resource-appropriate communications strategy that fits with the needs and aspirations of your council. 
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 Communicating with your community Part 2: implementing effective community engagement and building sustainable conversations
This session will help you consider practical ways to implement your communications strategy and engage with your community. We explore how councils can communicate and engage with their communities, as well as building sustainable conversations. Discover the tools, strategies and techniques needed to better promote your own messages but also to better respond to the voices within your local community.
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 Recruiting and retaining a more diverse pool of councillors
How can you find and encourage a more diverse pool of people to stand or be co-opted as town or parish councillors? It is increasingly hard to find people who are willing to put their names forward either at election time or to be co-opted. We explore effective ways councils and councillors can engage people over time, building up their awareness and interest in the work of the council, in order to better promote and demystify the role of a councillor.
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 How councils can more effectively engage with young people
Young people are often a hard-to-reach demographic for councils a engage with. In this session we explore what we mean by young people, what issues matter to them, how to effectively reach and engage with them both online and offline, and how to build partnerships with youth-focused organisations.
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Crisis Communications for Local Councils
We never know when a crisis could strike. From local flooding to a council meeting going viral there are many ways in which local councils can find themselves in the eye of the media storm. This session takes participants through the detail of preparing for a crisis no matter what form it may take. Passing on expert tips and guidance on being as prepared as you can be should the worst happen.
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 Dealing with local and regional media
Traditional media offers councils a platform to engage and communicate with residents, but engaging with journalists can be daunting. We explore how you can build effective two-way relationships with journalists, how to write press releases and how to get regular coverage in your local and regional media.
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Social Media and Digital Communications

Social media for councils: getting started
Social media provides councils with an opportunity to significantly enhance their communications. Discover how to get started on social media and how to get the fundamentals right. In this session we explore how to create a social media strategy, how to get the most out of Facebook in particular, and how to make use of time-saving tools and techniques save councils time and effort.
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Social media for councils: advanced strategies
 More and more Councils are looking to use a range of social media platforms in order to increase their digital reach into the community. In this session we look at how different platforms can help councils take their social media presence to the next level. We explore how to get the most from each platform and how to ensure your social media content is delivering on your council's communications objectives.
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 Councillors: social media skills
Social media provides councillors an opportunity to engage and communicate with their residents. Building up two-way conversations through the power of digital platforms has never been easier, but it can be tricky to get started and to know where to focus your time and effort. We walk you through the essential ways to get the most out of key social media platforms as a local councillor, what issues to be mindful of, and we provide top tips to engage with your residents.
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Canva Part 1: Getting started
This training session is designed to help councils get started with Canva and to get to grips with its essential features. Participants will discover how councils can use Canva to create content for a variety of community engagement purposes, including printed material as well as for websites and social media. We will work through how to create new designs and how to make use of templates, how to add text and images, and customise their designs.
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Canva Part 2: Advanced
This training session is designed for councils who already have experience with Canva and want to learn its more advanced features and techniques. Participants will learn how to use advanced tools to create complex designs and layouts as well as how to set up your council’s brand. We will also explore how to integrate Canva with your social media, how to make use of its scheduling features and using Canva to create and edit video content.
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Interpersonal Skills and Communication Skills

Councillors: chairing council and public meetings effectively
This session is designed for councillors, regardless of whether you are an experienced chairperson or whether you are new to the role. We explore how to effectively prepare for meetings, how to get the most out of the meetings you chair and from other councillors, and how to deal with tricky situations.
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Dealing with difficult people and conversations 
Managing our professional relationships is important, yet it can be a challenge to deal with difficult people and difficult conversations. In this session we explore practical techniques and ideas to manage difficult people and conversations in a council environment.
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Data Protection and Freedom of Information

Councillors: data protection training
Whether you are an experienced councillor or have only recently been elected, it is vital that you understand how data protection legislation sits with your role as an elected member. This session will help you understand your legal obligations to yourself and to your council and how to get things right.
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Data Protection & GDPR for Clerks & Officers: Part 1 (Foundations & Theory)
 In an ever-evolving legislative landscape, it is vital that councils ensure they have the most up-to-date understanding of their data protection obligations. This introductory session walks councils through the theory and core principles of GDPR and related data protection legislation, and we explain what policies, practices and processes councils need to have in place.
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Data Protection & GDPR for Clerks & Officers: Part 2 (Accountability and Lawfulness)
 This advanced data protection session deep dives into how councils are required to demonstrate accountability with GDPR. We consider the lawful bases for how councils process personal data and we explore how to create different policies and documents, including your Privacy Notice and Data Protection Impact Assessments. 
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Data Protection & GDPR for Clerks & Officers: Part 3 (Rights and Information Security)
This advanced data protection session considers how to deal with data subject rights requests, including Subject Access Requests. We explore specific steps to take to ensure you are compliant with the legislation, and we consider what exemptions may apply, and when. We also explore the importance of Information Security for local councils and what this means in practice.
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Freedom of Information for councils
This course looks at what requirements and obligations local councils have when it comes to Freedom of Information and related legislation including EIR. We look at what policies and procedures councils should have in place, how to ensure officers and councillors are aware of their obligations and what steps to take when you get an FOI request, and what exemptions may potentially apply and when.
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