Improvement and innovation bulletin

September 2025

Sector support offers

Local Government Reorganisation and Devolution

We are working with organisations across the sector to keep our LGR and Devo Hub up-to-date with resources and information. The FAQs are updated regularly by MHCLG to ensure that councils are receiving consistent information on key areas, while the resources page has a wealth of tools, information and guidance. Finally, we are setting up free monthly webinars which you can sign up for online, with September’s webinar focussing on workforce. These are advertised on our LGR and devo webinars page, which also includes recordings, presentations and summaries from past webinars.

Supporting constituent councils within a mayoral combined authority context

We have recently released a peer-led report offering valuable insights for councils working within Mayoral Combined Authorities (MCAs). Based on insights from over 70 senior leaders in the sector, the report emphasises the importance of collaboration, adaptability, and shared purpose in the evolving landscape of local government, especially as the UK government expands devolution and establishes strategic authorities. The report is accompanied by a considerations toolkit designed for both constituent councils within an existing combined authority and those seeking to establish a strategic authority. The toolkit aims to support councils to review their current status, undertake a gap analysis and assist in setting a future state.

Must know: Capital expenditure

The LGA has published a new finance guide, which provides an overview of how local authority capital expenditure works. It is aimed at chief executives and other local government non-finance professionals (including elected members) and provides an accessible reference document for those without an accountancy background. It supplements a suite of other ‘Must Know’ finance guides including ‘The annual budget process’, ‘The statement of accounts’ and ‘Working with auditors’, which are available on the LGA’s finance webpage.

LG Challenge 2026

Applications and nominations are now open for the LG Challenge 2026, the LGA’s unique officer leadership programme to develop the future generation of local government leaders. The programme takes place over a six-month period, where a cohort of ten officers tackle five real-life challenges in councils across the country. Interested officers can email questions, or arrange an informal call, via lgchallenge@local.gov.uk

Boosting Middle Leaders: spaces still available!

Boosting Middle Leaders is a leadership development programme designed to strengthen the connection between councillors and officers. The programme’s unique blend of political and professional leadership builds trust, tests new ways of working and develops the confidence and skills needed to lead change in organisations and across systems. It is particularly suited to those who are navigating complexity and working at the intersection of political, professional, and community leadership. Previous participants consistently described it as confidence-building, eye-opening, and highly practical. 

We have a limited number of places available on our next cohort. We are particularly looking for applications from both elected members and officers working in combined authorities. 

Apply for Boosting Middle Leaders by Friday 2 October.

Disabled Councillors Leadership Programme

Applications are now open for Cohort 4 of the Disabled Councillors Leadership Programme which runs from November 2025 to March 2026. This programme is a unique opportunity to meet other disabled councillors, learn from each other and develop as a cohort of peers. The content has been shaped in co-production with disabled people and councillors, and delegates will attend a mix of residential, in-person and online workshops. 

Apply for the Disabled Councillors Leadership programme

Webinars and events

Leadership Essentials: Leading good governance and assurance

Tuesday 9 September 2025, 10.00am – 4.00pm

This session for senior councillors, in particular leaders, elected mayors, portfolio holders and chairs of audit, governance and scrutiny committees, will support participants to explore their roles as leaders of good governance and assurance and understand how to identify signs of governance weaknesses in their councils. 

Book now: Leadership Essentials: Leading good governance and assurance

Local government's role in biodiversity and nature recovery roundtable

Thursday 11 September 2025, 10.00am - 11.45am 

Recovering our biodiversity and restoring thriving ecosystems is not just an environmental imperative; it underpins our food security, water quality, climate resilience, and public wellbeing. Councils stand at the forefront of this area with the introduction of Local Nature Recovery Strategies (LNRSs) and Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) requirements.

Local authorities are uniquely positioned to drive tangible nature recovery on the ground. This roundtable will explore how local government can effectively take up a leadership role and champion the implementation of biodiversity and nature recovery initiatives as a key partner.

Book now: Biodiversity and nature recovery roundtable

LGR support: Workforce transformation in LGR

Wednesday 17 September 2025, 10.00am - 11.15am

This virtual event will be an opportunity to hear how you can support the resilience of your workforce and how to lead and manage change effectively within the context of the LGR process. It will also consider issues around recruitment, retention and employee engagement. The session will feature presentations from officers, and time will be allocated for questions and discussion.

Suffolk Office of Data and Analytics: A guide to successful data sharing across public services

Wednesday 17 September 2025, 11.00am - 12.00pm

Our next data webinar looks at data sharing across public services. The Suffolk Office of Data and Analytics (SODA) will share how they overcome information governance, processes and systems including how they shared record-level data that is identifiable.

Book now: A guide to successful data sharing across public services

Better mental health for councillors: Looking after your own wellbeing as an elected member in stressful times

Wednesday 24 September 2025. 1.30pm - 3.00pm

This virtual event will consider how councillors can look after their own wellbeing and mental health. It will examine some of the wellbeing and resilience challenges faced in the role. Taking a look at how to manage relationships, social media and other external pressures. This webinar is a standalone event, however there will be a ‘part 2’ examining mental health with residents by using council powers and influence to create mentally healthier communities on Monday 1 December 2025 at 2.00pm. You are invited to sign up to one or both parts which will need to be booked separately.

Book now: Looking after your own wellbeing as an elected member in stressful times

An introduction to local government finance

First session: Monday 29 September 2025, 2.00pm - 3.30pm

Second session: Thursday 9 October 2025, 6.00pm - 7.30pm

This Government funded virtual event for councillors will provide an overview of local government finance without any numbers – focusing instead on roles and responsibilities, key terminologies and processes. It will give you an understanding of both what you need to be aware of in your role as a councillor and what you need to understand about your authority’s role. The session is aimed at newly elected members or those just looking for a refresh.

The session will cover:

• a member’s role in finance
• how finance decisions are made
• some key financial issues and terminology.

Book your place on Session one

Book your place on Session two

Transformation action learning workshops

Workshop 1: Wednesday 8 October 2025, 9.30am - 12.00pm

Workshop 2: Thursday 27 November 2025, 9.30am - 12.00pm

Workshop 3: Tuesday 9 December 2025, 9.30am - 12.00pm

The LGA transformation action learning workshops are half-day development opportunities for councillors and officers to explore possible solutions in an action learning based environment, to work through shared obstacles in their transformation programmes. Attendees will be matched with councils with similar challenges to collaborate and benefit from enhanced networking and cross-sector learning. For further information and to sign up, please visit the LGA website.

Find out more about the Transformation Action earning workshops

Additionally, you might be interested in...

LG Inform app

The LG Inform App is now available for download! The App gives you easy access to key data about your council and how it compares to others. Providing a snapshot of 110 metrics over 11 topic areas, the LGA developed the App to complement the popular LG Inform website. It is available to all on the Apple App Store or Google Play Store, or via QR code.

For information on LG Inform contact us at lginform@local.gov.uk, or to take advantage of the benefits of subscribing to LG Inform Plus contact lginformplus@local.gov.uk.

first magazine

first is the LGA's membership magazine, distributed to around 18,000 councillors and local authority chief executives in England and Wales.

Yours faithfully,

Cllr Jane Scullion

Chair of the LGA Improvement Committee