Breakthrough Training
Welcome to our communication training courses booking page for local councils which are being run by Breakthrough Communications in partnership with Nottinghamshire Association of Local Councils.
All are communications-focused training courses and are set out in the table below, you will also be able to see who the course is suitable for (Clerks/Officers, Councillors or both) and course descriptions.
Booking Details:
If you wish to book a place on any training events run by Breakthrough Communications, please inform your clerk/RFO.
Please note all training is delivered via Zoom and there are no face to face alternatives available.
Once a booking is made the council will be invoiced by Notts ALC at £30 per delegate, per event and the fee will be payable immediately to secure the place/s.
In making a booking, you are confirming that you have the necessary approval from the council to attend the event and that payment of the fee has already been authorised.
Cancellation of a booking within 7 days of the event occurring will result in a loss of fees so please try to make arrangements for someone else to take your place.
Cancellation of a place more than 7 days prior to the event will incur a £10 per person, per event, administration fee, any remaining payment will be refunded.
How your council communicates with itself and with the wider community:
| Course | Description | Aimed at | Book |
|---|---|---|---|
Building a communications strategy for your council's public-facing communications |
To get the most from an increasing range of communications platforms and tools, it’s vital that your Council has a strategy that supports the delivery of your Council’s existing aims and objectives. We walk you through best practice for creating an effective communications strategy that fits with the needs and aspirations of your Council |
For Councillors Suitable for Clerks & Officers |
Contact your Clerk |
Improving internal communication across your local council |
Effective internal communication is the cornerstone of good council operations, yet ensuring the sustainability of good internal communication can be a challenge. This session explores strategies to identify gaps and challenges and ways to build more positive and outcome-focused communications between Members and Officers. |
For Councillors Suitable for Clerks & Officers |
Contact your Clerk |
Building a two-way conversation with the wider community |
This session will help you consider practical and effective ways for your Council to systematically and proactively find out what really matters to people. 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. |
Suitable for Councillors Suitable for Clerks & Officers |
Contact your Clerk |
How to effectively engage with young people in your community |
Young people can be a challenging demographic for councils to reach and engage with. We explore the issues that matter to young people, how to effectively reach and engage with them both online and offline, and how to build partnerships with them to improve your community and the work of your council. |
For Councillors Suitable for Clerks & Officers |
Contact your Clerk |
Recruiting new councillors: strategies and tactics to find new people |
How can you effectively find and encourage people to stand or be co-opted as town or parish Councillors? In many areas 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 show you effective ways Councils and Councillors can encourage more people to come forward and this interactive session explores practical ways to do just that. |
For Councillors Suitable for Clerks & Officers |
Contact your Clerk |
Using digital communication to engage with the community
| Course | Description | Aimed at | Booking |
|---|---|---|---|
Creating an effective social media strategy for your council |
Social media provides town and parish Councils a unique opportunity to significantly enhance their communications – yet few councils have a clear social media strategy in place. This course looks at how to build a social media strategy that seeks to promote your services and key council priorities and considers which social media channels are best suited to help you achieve your goals, what tools to use, and more. |
Suitable for Councillors Suitable for Clerks & Officers |
Contact your Clerk |
Using Facebook to enhance your Council’s Communications with the community |
Facebook provides town and parish Councils a unique opportunity to significantly enhance their communications – yet few Councils are fully reaping the benefits on offer. Discover how to build up effective two-way conversations with local communities, make use of time-saving tools and learn techniques to improve digital engagement, all within the constraints of existing Officer time and resources. |
Suitable for Councillors Suitable for Clerks & Officers |
Contact your Clerk |
Beyond Facebook: how councils can make use a range of social media platforms |
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 practical session we look at how Instagram, Twitter, YouTube and Next Door in particular can help councils take their social media presence to the next level, where to go to start and how to get the most from each platform. |
Suitable for Councillors Suitable for Clerks & Officers |
Contact your Clerk |
Creating accessible council documents and content across different media |
This session is all about the practical application of accessibility, and will provide you with an understanding of the application of accessibility from the perspective of a local council. We will teach you how to create accessible documents, content and multimedia for use for use throughout the work of your council. This session will review the basic principles of accessibility, and walk you through tools and techniques to ensure your council is working towards accessibility compliance. |
Suitable for Clerks & Officers |
Contact your Clerk |
Social Media Skills for Councillors |
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 as an individual Councillor. We walk you through the essential ways to get the most out of key social media platforms as a local Councillor, and provide top tips to engage with your residents. |
Suitable for Councillors |
Contact your Clerk |
Data Protection and Freedom of Information
| Course | Description | Aimed at | Booking |
|---|---|---|---|
Data Protection for Clerks & Officers |
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 session walks Councils through the principles of GDPR and related legislation, what it means in practical terms for local councils and the policies, systems and processes Councils should have in place to ensure they are working towards sustainable compliance. |
Suitable for Clerks & Officers |
Contact your Clerk |
Data Protection for Councillors |
Whether you are an experienced Councillor or have only recently been elected, it is vital that you understand how data protection fits with your role as an elected member. With legislation and case law evolving, this interactive session will provide you with an opportunity to make sure you are getting the essentials right and ensure you are meeting your legal obligations as a Councillor. |
Suitable for Councillors |
Contact your Clerk |
Freedom of Information for Clerks & Officers |
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. |
Suitable for Clerks & Officers |
Contact your Clerk |
Chairmanship, Interpersonal Skills and Diversity within your Council
| Course | Description | Aimed at | Booking |
|---|---|---|---|
Managing difficult people and conversations |
Managing professional relationships effectively is important, and this is particularly true for Clerks and local council officers. Yet whether it’s with other officers or with councillors, sometimes difficult situations will present themselves, and it’s vital to have the skills to manage the challenges. This session for local council officers explores practical techniques and ideas to manage difficult relationships in a council environment. |
Suitable for Clerks & Officers |
Contact your Clerk |
Emotional resilience skills for council officers |
Why do some people handle whatever life throws at them, while others tend to struggle? The answer is resilience. Resilience is the ability to recover from the inevitable problems that life throws at us. This session will focus on increasing your resilience and managing it as part of your wellbeing. Looking at self-care and self-awareness, we will lead you in the first steps to improving your resilience and developing a resilience journal. |
Suitable for Clerks & Officers |
Contact your Clerk |
Equality and diversity within your council |
This session will explore protected characteristics, the difference between direct and indirect discrimination and the definitions of equality, diversity and inclusion – and how these relate to the internal and external work of parish and town councils, as well as raising awareness of issues around diversity and equality within the council. |
Suitable for Clerks & Officers Suitable for Councillors |
Contact your Clerk |
Public Speaking Skills for Councillors |
Public speaking can be daunting, even for experienced Councillors. With the advent of virtual meetings, it’s more important that Councillors feel confident to effectively communicate with residents at public or virtual events. Our experts will guide you through techniques and strategies to help you speak in public with flair, confidence and authenticity. |
Suitable for Councillors |
Contact your Clerk |
Chairmanship Skills: How to Chair Virtual Meetings & Events |
Public speaking can be daunting, even for experienced Councillors. With the advent of virtual meetings, it’s more important that Councillors feel confident to effectively communicate with residents at public or virtual events. Our experts will guide you through techniques and strategies to help you speak in public with flair, confidence and authenticity. |
Suitable for Councillors |
Contact your Clerk |
Chairmanship Skills: How to Chair in-person Meetings and Events Effectively |
Whether you are an experienced Council or committee Chair, or whether you are new to the role, getting the most from Virtual Meetings can be a real challenge for us all. We walk you through strategies to get the most out of your meetings, get the most from your fellow Members and how to ensure that technology works for you, not against you. |
Suitable for Councillors |
Contact your Clerk |
Dealing with the Media
| Course | Description | Aimed at | Booking |
|---|---|---|---|
How to get started and build relationships with your local media |
Traditional media offers Parish and Town Councils a platform to engage and communicate with their residents, but engaging journalists can be daunting. We help you build the confidence needed to succeed, exploring how you can build effective two-way relationships with journalists. |
Suitable for Clerks & Officers Suitable for Councillors |
Contact your Clerk |
Communicating through a crisis: how to manage a crisis from a comms perspective |
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. |
Suitable for Clerks & Officers Suitable for Councillors |
Contact your Clerk |
How to prepare for TV and radio interviews and how to get your message across |
This session is designed for officers and councillors who want to be better prepared for appearing on broadcast media – principally TV and radio. We share the secrets of preparing for interviews and techniques for dealing effectively with getting your message across. |
Suitable for Clerks & Officers Suitable for Councillors |
Contact your Clerk |
Writing effective press releases to get good local press coverage |
In this session we will explore the skill of writing a press release that will both get your council the coverage you are looking for and also convey the messages you want to get across. Participants will go away with a much deeper understanding of how to construct your press releases and what is most effective in getting good coverage. |
Suitable for Clerks & Officers Suitable for Councillors |
Contact your Clerk |