For practitioners who have already grasped the basics, this course will increase their confidence, improve their impact and enable them to be more effective in working with elected members and managing meetings.

The Localism Act gave local authorities new freedoms and greater flexibility to act in the best interests of their area including three permitted forms of governance, the general power of competence, and simplified ethical arrangements for members. It also introduced new rights and powers for local communities.

Yet despite the new freedoms, councils must still exercise powers properly and for proper purposes, taking relevant considerations into account, following procedural requirements, and demonstrating fairness when exercising discretion.

This course will help delegates to:

• broaden their knowledge and understanding of the law and practice of meetings;
• better understand the legal and political context for their role;
• explore some of the more practical issues which may be causing difficulties in advising elected members in meetings; and
• share good practice with colleagues from other local authorities operating different executive models and arrangement

Course Content:

• The implications of new executive arrangements for:
  • Decision-making
  • Access to information
  • Rights of Members
  • Member / Officer relations
• Practical problems in managing meetings
• Executive decision-making
  • Key decisions and the forward plan
  • Recording of Executive decisions
  • Decision making by portfolio holders
• Overview and Scrutiny
  • Holding the Executive to account
  • The role and work of the full council
  • Dealing with issues of conduct
  • Call in procedures