Clerk Development
Income and expenditure accounts (for larger councils)
This session is for officers who want to understand how to prepare their council’s Annual Governance & Accountability Return on an income and expenditure basis (mandatory for councils regularly spending over £200,000) and comply with the requirements of the audit process.
New Clerks' Finance (get second course free after you attend)
This introductory session is for inexperienced clerks, deputy/assistant clerks and finance officers in their first few months and is designed to give them an overview of a council's year, along with a basic understanding of the RFO's role.
Introduction to VAT
This session is for clerks, finance staff and councillors. It explains how VAT rules affects local councils, focussing on those that are not VAT registered, but reclaim VAT using Form VAT126. Essential for any council contemplating major building projects
Freedom of Information for local councils: obligations, procedures and exemptions
This course looks at what requirements and obligations local councils have when it comes to Freedom of Information.
Communicating with your community Part 1: Creating a communications strategy
Learn how to create a public communications strategy that supports the delivery of your council’s priorities, aims and objectives.
Recent feedback from delegates attending this training:
I found the course to be very informative and it has given me the confidence to look at how we can better promote the Council and increase public engagement.
Internal Controls
This session gives councillors and officers an understanding of the need for internal controls and how they work, with practical examples and case studies.
Crisis Communications for Local Councils
This session takes participants through the detail of preparing for any crisis. We pass on expert tips and guidance on being prepared, and cover the effective steps your council could take should the worst happen.
Data Protection and GDPR for councils part 3: data subject rights and information security
In this session we consider how to deal with data subject rights requests, including Subject Access Requests (SARs) and the importance of Information Security for local councils and what this means in practice..
Communicating with your community Part 2: Engaging with your community
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.
Recent feedback from delegates attending this training:
As a relatively new parish councillor the course was really usefully our parish does not have a communication strategy therefore great information for our next steps. Also it encompasses all roles in councils.
Recruiting and retaining councillors
Learn effective ways to raise awareness and interest in the work of the council, in order to better promote and demystify the role of a councillor.
Boosting your council's identity: how to promote your council effectively
This session will explore what brand identity means for parish and town councils, why it matters, and how to create a clear and consistent identity that reflects your council’s purpose and values.
Procurement Act 2023
For anyone involved in procuring goods and services, preparing tenders or entering into contracts on behalf of local councils.
Planning enforcements and appeals
What to do if you consider a bad / unlawful planning decision has been made.
Suitable for new to role councillors, refresher for existing and experienced councillors. Also beneficial for clerks and their teams where they have one.
Freedom of Information for local councils: obligations, procedures and exemptions
This course looks at what requirements and obligations local councils have when it comes to Freedom of Information.
Introduction to VAT
This session is for clerks, finance staff and councillors. It explains how VAT rules affects local councils, focussing on those that are not VAT registered, but reclaim VAT using Form VAT126. Essential for any council contemplating major building projects
VAT for VAT registered councils
This session is for clerks, finance staff and councillors from VAT registered councils who wish to develop their knowledge of how VAT applies to their council's activities.
New Clerks' Finance (get second course free after you attend)
This introductory session is for inexperienced clerks, deputy/assistant clerks and finance officers in their first few months and is designed to give them an overview of a council's year, along with a basic understanding of the RFO's role.
Boosting your council's identity: how to promote your council effectively
This session will explore what brand identity means for parish and town councils, why it matters, and how to create a clear and consistent identity that reflects your council’s purpose and values.
Social Media Part 1: Getting started with social media for local councils
Explore how to create a social media strategy and the basics of Facebook. Our goal is to share with you time-saving tools and techniques. Hopefully, this will help you and your council to be more confident using social media.
Internal Controls
This session gives councillors and officers an understanding of the need for internal controls and how they work, with practical examples and case studies.
Introduction to VAT
This session is for clerks, finance staff and councillors. It explains how VAT rules affects local councils, focussing on those that are not VAT registered, but reclaim VAT using Form VAT126. Essential for any council contemplating major building projects
Procurement Act 2023
For anyone involved in procuring goods and services, preparing tenders or entering into contracts on behalf of local councils.
New Clerks' Finance (get second course free after you attend)
This introductory session is for inexperienced clerks, deputy/assistant clerks and finance officers in their first few months and is designed to give them an overview of a council's year, along with a basic understanding of the RFO's role.
VAT - Partial Exemption
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.
VAT for VAT Registered Councils
This session is for clerks, finance staff and councillors from VAT registered councils, who wish to develop their knowledge of how VAT applies to their council's activities.
A basic introduction to planning
Ideal for new councillors recently in roles, or for returning councillors wanting a refresher course. This course may benefit new to role clerks and members of their team where they have one.
Examples of recent feedback from delegates attending this course:
“This was a good refresher for me, packed with useful information and with excellent examples”
“Presentation was very clear and didn’t presume any prior knowledge. The trainer was happy to take questions throughout”
“Useful summaries on all aspects”
“Andrew’s delivery of the information was the best I have attended so far, clear, informative with memorable examples that make the principles stick in the mind”
Social Media Part 1: Getting started with social media for local councils
Explore how to create a social media strategy and the basics of Facebook. Our goal is to share with you time-saving tools and techniques. Hopefully, this will help you and your council to be more confident using social media.
Introduction to VAT
This session is for clerks, finance staff and councillors. It explains how VAT rules affects local councils, focussing on those that are not VAT registered, but reclaim VAT using Form VAT126. Essential for any council contemplating major building projects
An intermediate understanding of the planning system
NEW FOR 2025
This session builds on the Basic Introduction to Planning webinar and covers some of the more specialised aspects of the planning system as well as looking at some aspects in more detail.
Some recent delegate feedback from this course:
I like how easy it is to fit this short session in to a busy schedule and get so much out of it.
It was helpful to get a clear analysis of the way the system works which Andrew does well and illustrates with good examples.
New Clerks' Finance (get second course free after you attend)
This introductory session is for inexperienced clerks, deputy/assistant clerks and finance officers in their first few months and is designed to give them an overview of a council's year, along with a basic understanding of the RFO's role.
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