Events Calendar

The role of Internal Audit

Zoom

For councillors and officers that want to understand the role of the internal auditor and how to appoint one. (Please note, this is NOT a training session for people who want to undertake internal audits)

This session explains the role of the internal auditor in providing assurance to the council that it has sound financial controls.

 Communicating with your community Part 2

Zoom

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.

Communicating with your community Part 1

Zoom

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.

VAT - Partial exemption

Zoom

For clerks, finance staff and councillors of councils that lease or hire out land and buildings such as village halls, community centres, meeting rooms, sports facilities or markets, who need to understand when their council is at risk of not being able to reclaim VAT. Essential for any council contemplating major building projects, or incurring significant expenditure on running these facilities.

This session is for those who already understand the rules of VAT (possibly from one of our VAT sessions) and need to work out whether their council can reclaim VAT in relation to its use of land.

This session is unlikely to be of benefit for councils spending less than £50,000 a year, or for anyone that doesn't understand the difference between business and non-business activities or between taxable and exempt supplies.

This session explains when VAT cannot be reclaimed in relation to exempt activities and what options may be available.

 Recruiting and retaining a more diverse pool of councillors

Zoom

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.

 Councillors: data protection training

Zoom

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.