Congratulations on your appointment as a new councillor officer and thank you, on behalf of the sector, for supporting your local council in the role that they play on behalf of the local community.
This development pathway is designed to offer you as a new employee a flexible but focussed plan to make the best use of your time and the resources that are available for this tier of the public sector. Like any new employee it is important for your employer, the council, to not only prepare for your arrival but also invest as much time as possible in your induction and resulting training and development plan because this will bring with it long-term benefits for everyone.
What you need to know and why
Your local council is structured, resourced and financed based on the needs of the local community and this is influenced by a number of factors. As a new employee it is important to understand the roles, responsibilities and duties of the council as a whole, councillors as individuals and the officers, like yourself. Following your interview you should be aware of how you fit into delivering local services and, of course, your job description and person specification will also explain the purpose of the job, main duties and responsibilities.
Developing a training plan
Below is our "blueprint" for new employees joining the sector who are likely to have transferrable skills but no previous knowledge or experience of how local councils work. We include an outline of what we would expect your employer (the council) to provide and what to expect from SALC from day one. The intention is to support your council (our member) in managing new and existing employees in their personal development.
We recommend that all councils
Experienced clerks
The pathway is relevant to experienced clerks too who might want to update their knowledge or skills or perhaps planning to undertake the Certificate in Local Council Administration (CiLCA), the Community Governance Degree or a Masters in Public Leadership.
Clerk/Proper Officer - first year
Day 1 to month 1
employment
FROM YOUR COUNCIL
Your Council is your new employer must provide you with a statement of particulars of employment on or before you start your employment. See this link to the ACAS website. The Council can get guidance from SALC if necessary but there is a publication available called The Good Councillor Guide to Employment access using this link.
After making you welcome on your first day we would expect arrangements to be made to meet your councillors and help with system set up. Here is a link to a model induction checklist for clerks. Here is a further link to a sample training and development policy which we recommend all councils have along with a dedicated budget.
Contact details of SALC so you can inform us by email admin@salc.org.uk
FROM SALC
Welcome email and information about our services (use this link to find out more) and access to the SALC portal. Here are some guidance videos to help you get the most out of the portal. Including The Model Council our online knowledge bank.
We recommend you book onto our clerk networking events through the portal. There are new clerk sessions as well as ones with experienced clerks.
Use the links below to view some basic information to help introduce you to the sector. In particular look at the calendar linked below that will help you focus on what is coming up administratively over the next 3 months.
View a typical local council year
Look out for our weekly e-bulletins on Monday/Tuesday and Wednesday. Share the content with councillors too as they provide important local and national updates relevant to the sector.
The structure of local government in Suffolk - link to SALC information page.
first 6
months
TRAINING
-
SALC clerk basics (three sessions designed to get you started covering all the bases)
-
New clerk finance (a free introductory session delivered by The Parkinson Partnership)
-
Budgeting for clerks and finance staff (if you have responsibility for preparing and monitoring budgets)
-
VAT for VAT registered councils
-
VAT partial exemption
-
VAT for unregistered councils
-
Internal controls
-
Procurement
-
E-learning (an option if you prefer flexibility and would benefit from a different form of training)
-
Introduction to Local Councils
-
Understanding precepts
-
Introduction to planning
-
ILCA
-
FILCA
-
-
Use this link to view more information on a dedicated page covering training for clerks
-
Use this link to view our e-learning page for events focussed on local councils
Remember - check out your Council's Standing Orders, Financial Regulations, policies and procedures.
SALC, NALC and SLCC (if you are a member) websites. Take a look at the links drop-down menu at the top of this page these will signpost you quickly to numerous organisations.
months from
taking up post
TRAINING
-
SALC Code of Conduct workshop
-
Data Protection for councils - parts 1, 2 and 3 (we suggested this is phased over a period of time)
-
Freedom of Information for local councils
How to respond to planning applications - an eight step guide
The structure of local government in Suffolk - link to SALC information page
Civility and respect in public life - find out about how your council can sign the pledge to support good governance, positive debate and support for the wellbeing of councillors, professional officers and staff
HARD COPY book Charles Arnold Baker (check if your council has this often referred to as the big yellow book). This is regularly re-published so consider if you feel you need the latest version.
Legislation.gov.uk - a quick and easy way to check out what the law says.
Local Councils Explained is out of print as a hard copy but a digital version is available to SALC members through the portal under The Model Council Knowledge Bank
Use this link to view SALC's dedicated information page on this website explaining .gov.uk domains
Clerk/Proper Officer - year two onwards
We describe development plans for year two onwards as "options" for clerks / officers as this can vary depending on the size of your local council and the services they offer.
FURTHER TRAINING
-
Finance
VAT for VAT registered councils
VAT partial exemption
VAT for unregistered councils
Internal Controls
Procurement -
Safeguarding
Available through Community Action Suffolk - link to website -
E-learning
Diversity, Equality and Inclusion
Health and Safety
Mental Health
Information security
Modern slavery
Leadership
Customer services
Anti-money laundering
Environmental awareness
FURTHER READING - MORE DIGITAL PUBLICATIONS
SUFFOLK NETWORKING
-
Be aware of SALC area forums and encourage your councillors to go
-
Attend SALC climate forum, visit dedicated page to watch on-demand
-
Community Action Suffolk services
Volunteering
Insurance
Village Halls
Community support
NATIONAL NETWORKING
Find out about a wide range of NALC networks using this link, which include:
-
climate emergency
-
coastal communities
-
LGBT+ councillors
-
super councillors
-
women councillors
-
young councillors
COMMUNICATIONS
-
Make sure you read our weekly e-bulletins and cascade to councillors. These contain local and national updates which are important for the council to be aware of and often require action.
Qualification routes
The Society of Local Council Clerks (SLCC) offer the option of a qualification route which some clerks/officers might prefer to take as part of their personal development plans or mix with the above pathway to get the best of both. Any formal qualification requires careful planning and good time management alongside commitment from your council both financially and general support to help you succeed.
Certificate in Local Council Administration (CiLCA)
SALC is a registered training provider for CiLCA and offers unit-based workshops throughout the year including our preparing for CiLCA session - essential to attend if you are considering undertaking this qualification. Find out more details on the member portal under "events".
Use this link to access more information on the SLCC website
Community Governance
This Level 4 Certificate of Higher Education in Community Governance is a professional qualification available to all local council staff, councillors and county officers building on the knowledge gained in CiLCA.
This Level 5, Foundation Degree in Community Governance and Level 6, BA Honours Degree, are professional qualifications developing the knowledge already gained from studying the Community Governance qualification.
MA in Public Leadership
Coming soon ....... this MA is specifically designed for graduate local council officers but it is also suitable for people working with other public sector agencies, especially those who interact closely with local communities.