Parish & Town Training, Lancashire

Details 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. Topics include: • Roles and responsibilities • setting a budget and precept • Financial control • The Annual Governance and Accountability Return • Internal and external audit • How VAT applies to local councils By the end of the session you will: • Understand the council's duties regarding financial management • Be aware of relevant legislation and sources of guidance • Be aware of how the council's accounts are prepared and audited • Recognise the importance of internal controls • Understand how VAT law applies to your council

This introductory session is FREE for inexperienced clerks in their year and is designed to give them an overview of a council's year, along with a basic understanding of the RFO's role. If you have 9 month's experience or more, this session is unlikely to cover anything you don't already know. Please leave this session for very new clerks and book yourself onto the more detailed sessions on Budgeting, Internal Control, The Role of internal audit, Procurement, Year-end and VAT instead. Bookings by experience clerks may be removed without notice. Topics include: • Roles and responsibilities • Setting a budget and precept • Internal control • The Annual Governance and Accountability Return • Internal and external audit By the end of the session you will: • Be aware of relevant legislation and sources of guidance • Be able to describe the key financial activities in a year • Be aware of how the council's accounts must be prepared and audited • Recognise the importance of internal controls

For clerks, finance staff and councillors from councils that are not VAT registered, but reclaim VAT using Form VAT126. This session explains how VAT affects local councils. Essential for any council contemplating major building projects. Topics include: • how VAT law applies to local councils • where to find the law and guidance • business and non-business activities • understanding whether sales are taxable or exempt from VAT • when a council must register for VAT • when VAT can be reclaimed • Partial exemption • Reclaiming VAT when using grants and donations By the end of this session you will: • Know where to find the relevant legislation and guidance • Understand the key concepts of VAT • Know when a council can or can’t reclaim VAT • Recognise when a council must register for VAT • Be aware of activities that require special attention

Course Overview: This new course has been prepared specifically for the Association. It is not designed to give advice about how to prepare a neighbourhood plan – instead, it takes a step or two back by providing answers to the following questions: · What could the value of a neighbourhood plan be to a local community? · What matters can be included in the plan, and what can’t? · What planning issues do most NPs typically cover? · How are NPs intended to relate to your District’s Local Plan? · What kind of evidence is required to support the case for policies in an NP? · What stages do the plans have to go through before they are “made” (ie adopted)? · How much local consultation is involved? · What are likely to be the resource implications of embarking on a plan? · What are the “basic conditions” that NPs have to satisfy? · Are there any other legal requirements? · How is the examination process conducted? · Once made, what role do NPs play in the determination of planning applications? · Are there any “golden rules”? · Where can I find out more, and is support available? There will be plenty of opportunities for questions and answers throughout the course.

This 2 hour online course is designed for new Councillors and Clerks. It describes the role of the Parish Council, its powers, responsibilities and purpose. The course will set out in some detail how Councillors should behave, how meetings are conducted, how the Council raises money, the rules surrounding how decisions are taken to spend it, and the need for transparency in conducting its business.

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.

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.

Young people are often a hard-to-reach demographic for councils a engage with. In this session we explore what we mean by young people, what issues matter to them, how to effectively reach and engage with them both online and offline, and how to build partnerships with youth-focused organisations.

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. Passing on expert tips and guidance on being as prepared as you can be should the worst happen.

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.

 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.

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.

Resilience and Emotional Intelligence. What does emotional intelligence and resilience mean in practice for Clerks, Council Officers and Councillors? Develop a better understanding of where our behaviour comes from and consider what resilience means for us in the context of our roles within the council. Opportunities to explore role-focused scenarios and consider how we might respond to them. Explore strategies to deal with and manage a range of situations.

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. 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. 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.

How can councils and councillors use social media effectively whilst staying safe online? Explore best practice for getting the most from social media but ensuring you and your council remain protected. Consider what we sound like on social media and how we come across to others, what pre-emptive steps to take to get the most from social media and what to do if things go wrong.

This 2 hour online course is designed for new Councillors and Clerks. It describes the role of the Parish Council, its powers, responsibilities and purpose. The course will set out in some detail how Councillors should behave, how meetings are conducted, how the Council raises money, the rules surrounding how decisions are taken to spend it, and the need for transparency in conducting its business.

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) This session explains the role of the internal auditor in providing assurance to the council that it has sound financial controls. Topics include: • legislation and guidance • Roles and responsibilities • Risk management • Internal controls • how the council appoints an internal auditor • Scope of internal audit • Reviewing internal control • Internal audit reports Session benefits: By the end of this session you will: • Understand the purpose of internal audit • Be aware of relevant legislation and sources of guidance • Understand how a council should appoint an internal auditor • Recognise the importance of internal controls • Be aware of the need to review effectiveness

This is the ground covered, with ample time allowed for participation as we go along: ´ What needs planning permission and what doesn't? This will include an update on the many changes to this that the Government has made recently ´ Who actually takes the decision? Officers? elected members? Inspectors? ´ Who gets to be consulted or notified when applications are made? ´ What factors are relevant to the decision? (a) The policy framework The importance of the Development Plan (the Local Plan and any Neighbourhood Plans); any other locally-approved policies; and the relevance of national policy ´ What factors are relevant to the decision? (b) other "material considerations" The responses from consultees and publicity; examples of what is and what is not "material" in planning terms - and the grey areas in between. ´ The choices for the Planning Authority - approve? refuse? defer? ´ The appeals system rights of appeal – the importance of evidence in defending the decision

This is the ground covered, with ample time allowed for participation as we go along:  What needs planning permission and what doesn't? This will include an update on the many changes to this that the Government has made recently  Who actually takes the decision? Officers? elected members? Inspectors?  Who gets to be consulted or notified when applications are made?  What factors are relevant to the decision? (a) The policy framework The importance of the Development Plan (the Local Plan and any Neighbourhood Plans); any other locally-approved policies; and the relevance of national policy  What factors are relevant to the decision? (b) other "material considerations" The responses from consultees and publicity; examples of what is and what is not "material" in planning terms - and the grey areas in between.  The choices for the Planning Authority - approve? refuse? defer?  The appeals system rights of appeal – the importance of evidence in defending the decision

This course is suitable for Councillors, Clerks and other Officers who may be new to the role or would like information on what the precept is and how it works for the Council. In this course you will learn What a precept is and how a Parish Council receives it What a Parish Council needs to do in preparation for setting it How a Parish Council can justify the money it seeks Who should be consulted

The Bribery Act 2010 is among the strictest legislation internationally on bribery. It is now possible to charge organisations if it is found they failed to prevent bribery, and to charge individuals who are found guilty of bribing or being bribed. Knowing exactly what is and isn't accepted under the Act enables employees to act within the confines of the law. This course explains the Bribery Act, including the four offences covered by it, and uses case studies to give learners more insight. This course can form an integral part of an organisation's defence against the crime of failing to prevent bribery. This course helps you understand the Bribery Act and shows you how the provisions of this UK legislation function. When you finish the course, you will be asked to demonstrate your understanding of some of the key points by completing a short assessment. E-Learning Courses are available at any time and undertaken independently at your convenience. To sign-up please email training@lalc.org.uk. Once processed you will receive joining instructions and your council will be issued with an invoice. Registration on this course will last 12 months. Available to members only

Most people experience stress from time to time, and this isn't necessarily bad; stress is a natural response, but prolonged periods of stress can be harmful. There are many ways in which employees can reduce or avoid stress, and if they are experiencing stress already, there are approaches they can follow to manage their stress most effectively. This highly interactive course helps your employees prevent, reduce, and manage their stress levels, by providing them with a wide range of tools to deal with stress. Courses developed by Nimble Elearning have been certified by the CPD Certification Service and count towards your annual CPD requirement. Objectives After completing this course, learners will be able to: Understand and identify stress and why it can be detrimental Identify stress and stressors in themselves and others Reduce their exposure to stress Develop a Wellness Action Plan Implement coping strategies in work and personal life Topics Topics explored in this course, Managing and Reducing Stress: Causes of stress Responses to stress Reducing stress Wellness Action Plans Stress coping strategies

Certain characteristics are protected by the equality law and it is necessary for every employee to know what these are, so they can abide by the equality legislation. If a person feels your organisation (or someone in your organisation) has treated them unfairly, they can start a grievance procedure or take their case to the employment tribunal. It is important to make sure everyone in your organisation complies with equality law. The course boosts understanding of the equality and diversity legislation, and its hand-picked examples demonstrate the benefits that come from promoting equality and diversity in the workplace. Objectives After completing the course, learners will be able to: Understand what is meant by 'equality' and 'diversity' and recognise how they benefit us Identify who is protected by the Equality Act, and explain what happens if their rights are compromised Recognise discrimination and other unfair practices in the workplace and know how to act on them Understand what they can do to promote equality and diversity Topics Topics explored in this course, Equality and Diversity: Equality and diversity Facts about equality and diversity Equality legislation Unlawful behaviour Making a complaint Discrimination Harassment and victimisation Responsibilities

Environmental Awareness Essentials. It explores the importance of being environmentally aware in your workplace and the steps we can all take to reduce our negative impact on the climate.

Main Features Every time we buy a product, sign up to a service or get a new job, we willingly hand over our personal information, placing our trust in countless companies to handle our data securely and responsibly, despite frequent news of hacks and data breaches. With technology now playing such an integral role in data management, it has been imperative that data protection laws evolve to reflect this.As a company employee, the responsibility falls on you to keep individuals' data safe, secure and processed appropriately. As such, you need to know about, and comply with, current data protection regulations – the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018 – to avoid serious legal consequences for you and your employer. This course will help you understand the aims and provisions of the UK's data protection legislation and offers essential, practical advice on how to make yourself compliant. This session is worth 1 CPD point Objectives After completing the course, learners will be able to: Recognise why fair and effective data management is important to individuals and to society as a whole. Understand relevant data protection legislation and regulations, along with the penalties for breaching these. Work with information in a way that does not breach the data protection principles and individuals' rights. Respond to requests for information from individuals in a way that is legal and effective Topics explored in this course, Data Protection Essentials: Understanding the need for data protection laws Explaining the GDPR and Data Protection Act 2018 Defining personal data Individuals' rights Data protection principles Working with data

This e-learning course, suitable for councillors, clerks and officers is designed to help broaden and develop your knowledge and understanding of the role of Parish, Town and Community Councils in relation to planning matters. Objectives After completing the course, learners will be able to understand how the planning system works and the role of the town and parish council in relation to planning matters. Topics covered include: Types of planning applications that exist What constitutes material and non-material considerations Recommendations the town or parish councils make Understanding of planning conditions and developer contributions

Mental health is an important part of everybody's wellbeing. During this course we'll explore the causes and impact of things that can affect peoples mental health. In part one we'll be looking at depression, and in part two we'll cover stress. We'll also have tips on how to spot signs of mental health issues in yourself and others, and ways to stay mentally healthy. By the end of the course learners will be able to: Understand the causes and impacts of mental health conditions Identify key signs and symptoms of mental health conditions Understand mental health needs, conditions and the continuum Know how to stay mentally healthy Explain how to support colleagues and family Recognise when they themselves need support

Parish and Town Council’s aspiring to be ‘Good Employers’ - this Councillor training will equip the Council with the best tools. The course is delivered in two sessions - the first covering the legal requirements of Council employment and the second looking at management, motivation and retention of employees. The first 60 places subsided by the LALC/LCC Professional Local Councils project: First 60 Councils pay the prices below. PT1 and PT2 MUST BE ATTENDED BY THE SAME PRSON TO RECEIVE ACCREDITATION *first 60 places subsided by the LALC/LCC Professional Local Councils project.