Knowledge and Core Skills

Summary
The Knowledge session is designed to be an introduction to being a councillor. It will give you the knowledge and signposts to further information to enable you to be more effective in your role. Topics include the context and role of parish or town councils and that of its councillors, the legal and regulatory framework, meetings and procedures, council services and assets, community engagement/action and tools for you to use, including a jargon buster and sources of further information.

The Core Skills session is designed to build upon the information learned in The Knowledge session, by developing the skills needed to be an effective parish or town councillor. This session is designed to provide a thought-provoking look at parish and town councils and the roles and responsibilities of being a councillor. The session is fun and interactive. It aims to give you improved confidence in engaging in local democracy and highlight areas in which you might wish to learn more. Topics covered include meeting structure and protocol, allocating resources, local council powers and duties, jargon, planning and code of conduct.

Suitable Audience
New councillors or those that would like a refresher in the key aspects of being a parish or town councillor.

Benefits
By the end of The Knowledge, you will:

• Have a good understanding of your role as a councillor and the context in which you operate
• Know the rules of what you must, or must not do, as a council, councillor, employer and financial manager
• Understand the legislative and regulatory framework for councils, which will help you stick to the rules
• Understand more about the structure of meetings and the protocols observed by councils
• Know more about the role of the councillor as a representative and the two-way communication process between councils and residents
• Have a toolkit to help you with being an effective councillor By the end of Core Skills session, you will:
• Understand more about the structure of meetings and the protocols observed by councils
• Understand the role of councillor as ‘guardian of the public purse’
• Know the importance of, and the difference between, local council powers and duties
• Understand the implications of the council’s role as an employer
• Be confident in identifying when the council is best placed to make a decision, and when further research or support from another organisation is needed
• Know more about the role of the councillor as a representative and the two-way communication process between councils and residents