Understand your community, build positive relationships, and apply practical engagement methods to strengthen trust, participation, and decision-making as a councillor.

Understand legal meeting requirements, prepare agendas and minutes, make ethical decisions, manage behaviour and learn about different meeting types for effective parish and town council governance.

A guided, interactive tool that coaches you to create a clear, measurable Personal Development Plan (PDP). In 30–45 minutes you’ll define a focused goal, pick development opportunities, set actions, success measures, and a target date. Download a branded PDP PDF at the end.

This short audit helps plan support and training for your council. Please answer honestly; there are no ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ scores.

Introduction to Local Councils provides a practical overview of how local councils in England function. It explains the different tiers of councils, the statutory powers they hold, the roles of councillors and officers, and how councils work with their communities. This course is designed for: New councillors seeking a foundation in governance Council staff who support elected members Anyone interested in understanding local democracy By the end of the course you will have a clear grounding in the structure, roles, and duties of local councils and be better equipped to contribute effectively to your community.

Equip town and parish councillors with the knowledge to navigate England’s planning system, respond to applications, influence major developments and community benefits, and lead neighbourhood and local planning processes. By the end of the course, learners will participate confidently in plan-making and decision-taking and serve their communities more effectively.