Training
Nottinghamshire Association of Local Councils is committed to providing training for all councillors and clerks across the County. The topics on which training is provided are those which councils have requested, as well as the more regular ones such as New Councillor events, and sessions dedicated to CiLCA for clerks.
For the full list of courses that we provide please see the information below which includes our e-Learning, Finance and County Association Training. Current Courses and Events can also be found in the calendars at the bottom of this page. Just click on the relevant Course or Event for further details.
If you have any specific requirements, please get in touch with County Office and we will try to assist.
Should you wish to book any of courses please contact Sue Jackson at the office on any of the following:
- Tel: 01636 816890
- Email: office@nottsalc.org.uk
- Contact page of this website.
We now have online training facilities for New Clerks and New Councillors (see list below for details).
Courses for Clerks & Councillors
| Course name | Brief outline | Further info |
|---|---|---|
An Introduction to Planning |
This e-learning course is suitable for new Councillors and Council Officers, this e-learning module includes a range of activities to help you develop your knowledge of Parish and Town Councils. |
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CiLCA Training |
CiLCA is a recognised qualification for clerks and therefore necessary for councils wishing to use the Power of General Competence. The training cannot be undertaken until a clerk has one year's experience. It involves 5 sessions over 5 months and includes some support outside of those sessions. Please do not register for the qualification prior to the training. |
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Employment Training |
Each year there is a training session on aspects of Employment, the focus varies depending on demand and changes in legislation but may cover recruitment, appraisal, grievance & disciplinary matters and legislation. |
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How to be an Effective Chair |
This runs annually and is suitable for committee chairs as well as full council chairs. It covers the role of the chair and explores how to handle conflict and bullying. |
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Internal controls |
This session give councillors and clerks an understanding of the need for internal controls and how they work, with practical examples and case studies. |
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New Clerk Training |
This is a session held in the office, for 3 attendees maximum, in which new clerks are given an overview of the role. It lasts between 2 and 3 hours and is arranged on request. |
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New Clerk Training (on line) |
This e-learning session will go through the various aspects of the clerk’s role within the council and give practical guidance on day to day activities. Takes about 3 hours in full but can be completed over several visits. |
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New Councillor Training |
This is a session for new councillors to find out the basics of how a council operates. It runs annually with additional sessions in election years. |
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New Councillor Training (on line) |
This e-learning session is primarily targeted at newly elected councillors but would also be recommended for anyone in need of a ‘refresher’. Takes about 3 hours in full but can be completd over several visits. |
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Personal Safety Essentials |
Personal safety awareness training is very effective in reducing violent and aggressive incidents in the workplace and beyond. Staff can benefit from this e-learning course advice at work and in everyday situations |
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Planning Training |
This session covers an introduction to the planning system and how to make planning responses more effective. It runs every 2 or 3 years depending on demand. |
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Team Leadership Essentials |
This e-learning course looks at how you can leverage your natural attributes to find a leadership style that suits you. We’ll explore core leadership skills and provide practical tips for leading your own team effectively. |
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Transparency |
For officers and councillors that want to understand how to comply with the requirements of the transparency code for and the Freedom of Information Act. |
Specialist Training
| Course Name | Brief outline | Further info |
|---|---|---|
Allotment Training |
This session covers the basics of allotment management, introducing the legislation and exploring the paperwork required. It runs every 2 or 3 years depending on demand |
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Anti Bribery Essentials |
This e-learning course explains the Bribery Act, including the four offences covered by it, and uses case studies to give learners more insight. |
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Equality, diversity & inclusion essentials |
This e-learning course addresses threats to equality such as discrimination, harassment and victimisation, and explores how you can promote fairness, diversity and inclusion in your workplace. |
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Information Security Essentials |
This highly interactive e-learning course helps your employees become more aware of their role in information security. |
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Managing Burial Rights |
This session covers the basics of cemetery management, introducing the legislation and exploring the paperwork required. It runs every 2 or 3 years depending on demand. |
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Modern Slavery |
This e-learning course, looks at the extent of modern slavery in the UK; how to spot the signs of a victim; what to watch out for as an employer and how to report concerns to ensure vulnerable people are identified and supported. |
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Playground Safety Training |
This session gives an overview of the safety standards followed by guidance on inspection and maintenance with practical involvement where possible. This runs every 3 or 4 years depending on demand. |
Financial Training
| Course Name | Brief outline | Further info |
|---|---|---|
Budgeting for clerks and finance staff |
This session is aimed at officers of parish & town councils, who are involved in preparing and monitoring budgets. |
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Budgeting for councillors |
This session is for parish & town councillors only, to help them understand their role in setting and monitoring budgets. |
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Contracts & Procurement |
For anyone involved in procuring goods and services, preparing tenders or entering into contracts on behalf of local councils. |
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Finance for Councillors |
This session is for councillors only and is designed to give them a greater understanding of their duties with regard to the council’s finances |
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Introduction to VAT for local councils |
This session, for clerks, finance staff and councillors who wish to develop their knowledge, explains how VAT affects local councils. Essential for any council contemplating major building projects. |
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The role of Internal Audit |
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) |
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Understanding Precepts |
In this e-learning course delegates will learn what a precept is and how it can be used by a Parish Council. |
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Year-end Accounts & Audit |
For officers who want to understand how to prepare their council’s Annual Governance & Accountability Return and comply with the requirements of the audit process. |
Health & Safety Training
| Course | Brief Outline | Further Info |
|---|---|---|
Display Screen Equipment Workstation |
This e-learning course ensures organisations comply with the Display Screen Equipment (DSE) Health and Safety Regulations |
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Fire Safety Essentials |
This e-learning course aims to change the way you think about fire. It will help you to recognise and reduce fire hazards in your workplace, and will explain what you need to do in the unlikely event of a fire. |
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Health and Safety Essentials |
This e-learning course discusses the importance of health and safety to keep employees safe and healthy at work and at home. It uses interactions and specifically designed content to maximise learning outcomes. |
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Home Working Essentials |
This e-learning course includes practical guidance and advice to help you work productively in your home-office environment. |
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Manual Handling Essentials |
This e-learningcourse inludes a range of learning activities to help you develop your understanding of manual handling |
Communications Training
| Course | Description | Booking |
|---|---|---|
Communicating with your community Part 1: creating a communications strategy |
It’s important for councils of all shapes and sizes to create a public communications strategy that supports the delivery of your council’s priorities, aims and objectives. In this session we explore latest best practice for creating an effective, sustainable 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: engaging with your community |
This session will help you consider how to implement your communications strategy and engage with your community. We explore how councils can communicate and engage, 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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Councillors: chairing 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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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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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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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 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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Data Protection for councils 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 for councils 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 for councils Part 3: Dealing with data subject 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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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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Dealing with local and regional media |
From local newspapers and magazines to regional TV and radio, traditional media provides councils a platform to 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 effective press releases and how to get regular coverage in your local and regional media. |
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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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How councils can more effectively engage with young people in their communities |
Young people are often a hard-to-reach demographic for councils a engage with. In this session we explore what we actually mean by the term ‘young people’, what issues matter to different people, how to effectively reach and engage with young people, both online and offline, and how to build partnerships with youth-focused organisations in your area. |
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How to recruit and retain a more diverse pool of local 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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Leadership in Challenging Situations |
Whether you are a Clerk, Officer or an elected Councillor, all of us take on leadership roles within our council and in the wider community. We will consider different leadership styles in the context of your role at the council, exploring which styles we personally ‘default’ to and which styles can work effectively for different situations. We will explore scenarios of different challenging situations we might face in our role, and discuss how we might deal with these effectively and appropriately. We will also discover how to build, support and get the most from an effective and motivated team. All bookings provide access to pre-training content, access to the live virtual workshop and access to the post-workshop toolkit. |
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Personal Resilience and Emotional Intelligence |
What does emotional intelligence and resilience mean in practice for Clerks, Council Officers and Councillors? In this session we develop a better understanding of where our behaviour comes from and we’ll consider what resilience means for us in the context of our roles within the council. There will be opportunities to explore role-focused scenarios and consider how we might respond to them. We’ll also explore strategies to deal with and manage a range of situations. All bookings provide access to pre-training content, access to the live virtual workshop and access to the post-workshop toolkit. |
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Respectful Social Media |
How Clerks, Officers and Councillors can get the most from social media and realise the opportunities it presents whilst dealing effectively with the problems that can arise. For Clerks and Officers, we’ll consider the opportunities and risks across different social media platforms from a civility and respect perspective. We will explore a range of proactive and pre-emptive strategies councils can put in place to set themselves up for success. We’ll learn what to do if things go wrong and how to manage a range of scenarios from trolling to harassment and practical what steps you can take. For Councillors, we will consider what our personal ‘digital tone of voice’ sounds like on social media, our use of language and its role in positive two-way communication. We will explore methods for dealing with attacks, bullying and ‘trolling’ and ways in which you can control your social media. We’ll share best practice and discuss when you need to be mindful of council policies as well as the Code of Conduct. All bookings provide access to pre-training content, access to the live virtual workshop and access to the post-workshop toolkit. |
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Social media for councils: advanced strategies and tactics across multiple 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 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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Social media for councils: getting started using Facebook, creating an effective social media strategy and getting the fundamentals right |
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. |