Improvement and innovation bulletin

August 2026

Welcome to the latest Improvement and Innovation bulletin. 

Sector support offers

Local Government Reorganisation Support

The LGA has launched its Local Government Reorganisation support offer for 2026/27, providing practical support to support councils through their LGR journey. The new offer funded by MHCLG includes:

• The LGR Toolkit, LGR and Devolution Hub and highly valued webinar series and councillor development opportunities, including councillor focused events on LGR.
• Bespoke peer support for members and officers, providing councils with unique access to senior officers and members with relevant knowledge and expertise.
• Targeted support focused on the most critical workforce implications of LGR, including providing tools and support for strategic workforce planning and risk management; tools and support to strengthen knowledge and skills to implement new structures effectively and critically, access to relevant legal and technical guidance, including to manage legal risks of this process.
• Access to practical tools to develop new governance arrangements playing a critical role in supporting councils to achieve effective governance and scrutiny at all phases of the LGR process.

If you would like to discuss any of the offers in more detail, please get in touch with your principal adviser.

Local Government Reorganisation Peers Programme

We're expanding the LGA's officer peer pool to support councils through Local Government Reorganisation. We're seeking experienced officers with expertise in LGR, transformation, system change, service reorganisation or programme delivery. If you're interested, update your peer profile to include your LGR experience or apply to become an officer peer by completing this short form.

Leadership Essentials LGR programmes

Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) is the most significant structural shift in local governance in a generation. Our Leadership Essentials LGR programmes will provide leadership training on LGR to give councillors the confidence, capability, and awareness to lead the LGR agenda within their local authorities and in their local areas. There is a choice of two programmes taking place at Warwick Conferences:

• Programme 4: Saturday 28 November – Sunday 29 November 2026
• Programme 5: Saturday 30 January – Sunday 31 January 2027

Please email grace.collins@local.gov.uk to book your place.

New toolkit helps you talk about LGA Sector Support Offer

A new toolkit and quick reference guide has been developed to support you in sharing your experience of receiving or delivering LGA Sector Support. 

Through your involvement in sector-led improvement, your leadership is invaluable, whether drawing on your own organisation's experience or contributing expertise through peer challenges, mentoring, service reviews, networks or other support.

The toolkit can help you share experiences with your networks, signpost colleagues to relevant programmes and contacts, share evidence of impact and value for money, and prepare for conversations about improvement support. The toolkit and supporting resources also provide a useful, quick reference overview of support available.

Toolkit for Disabled Councillors

Launched on 5 June 2026, the Local Government Disability Champions Network (LGDCN) Toolkit for Disabled Councillors provides practical guidance and resources to help councils create more accessible and inclusive environments for elected members. The toolkit was developed in partnership with disabled councillors and council officers and is designed to support both councillors and the councils that work alongside them.

Disabled Councillors Leadership Programme

Applications are now open for Cohort 5 of the Disabled Councillors Leadership Programme. This programme is a unique opportunity to grow your skills, confidence and experience, working with other disabled councillors and developing as a cohort of peers. Councillors can apply by completing this short online form.

Boosting Middle Leaders 2026/27: Applications are now open!

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 within organisations and across systems.

The programme is aimed at:

• Officers who are Heads of Service, Assistant Directors and Directors.
• Councillors who are Cabinet Members and Committee Chairs (including Overview & Scrutiny and regulatory committees).

To apply, please complete the application form by 23.59pm on 5 October 2026.

If you have any questions about the programme or application process, please contact annie.jones@local.gov.uk

LG Challenge 2027

Applications and nominations are now open for the Local Government Challenge 2027, 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

National Group for Chairs of Early Careers Networks

This group meets monthly, bringing together chairs and committee members of ECNs to share best practice, network, and access resources and support, enabling councils to deliver engaging networks across the sector. Contact workforce@local.gov.uk for more information on how to sign-up.

Retention Reset Programme launch

Our funded Retention Reset Programme, is a programme for local government HR and people professionals. It’s tailored towards retention with expert-led sessions focusing on whole employee experience. Participants will benefit from an honest maturity baseline across eight areas of the employee experience, a reset plan and a clearer picture of modern, evidence-informed practice. Taster session 11.00am on 19 August 2026 to learn more, email Camilla.Galway-Cooper@local.gov.uk.

Free support to help councils deliver more homes

The Council Housebuilding Support Service provides free, tailored support to help councils overcome barriers, strengthen delivery capacity and progress council-led housing plans. We welcome interest from councils that have not yet engaged with CHoSS, including those undergoing local government reorganisation and considering how to maintain housing delivery through change. Councils already receiving support can contact their Senior Regional Adviser or email CHoSS@local.gov.uk to discuss further assistance. Other councils can complete our short expression of interest form or email the CHoSS team to arrange an introductory discussion.

Innovation Zone 2026

This year’s Innovation Zone was designed to help councils and strategic authorities share innovative approaches from across local government, while providing practical insights and learning that delegates could take back to their own organisations. Councillors and officers shared their experiences of what has worked well, as well as the challenges they have faced. A clear message emerged throughout the sessions - authorities are not waiting for change to happen to them, they are actively shaping it. Key themes included Local Government Reorganisation, devolution, artificial intelligence and digital innovation, local growth, prevention, and housing. If you missed a session or would like to learn more about any of the presentations, the session slides are now available on our website.

Webinars and events

Local Government Reorganisation support: Pay alignment and industrial relations through LGR

Tuesday 18 August 2026, 2.00pm - 3.15pm

This virtual event will explore the workforce challenges of pay alignment and industrial relations in Local Government Reorganisation, including aligning pay structures, terms and conditions, and organisational cultures. It will highlight practical lessons from BCP Council, focusing on trade union engagement, fairness, affordability, and insights for councils beginning their reorganisation journey. This session is aimed at those involved in workforce, HR, and organisational change within councils undergoing LGR.

Book now: Local Government Reorganisation support.

LGA sector support: an introduction for new councillors

Tuesday 8 September 2026, 5.00pm - 6.30pm

This virtual event, for newly and recently elected councillors, will provide an insight into the LGA’s Sector Led Improvement offer. The session will provide information on the wide range of leadership, training and development opportunities to support councillors, as well as information on our Peer Challenge, mentoring and regional support offers.

Book now: LGA sector support: an introduction for new councillors.

Turning ambition into action: Decarbonising health and social care locally

Wednesday 16 September 2026, 10.00am - 11.30am

Join this virtual event to explore how councils can deliver low‑carbon, sustainable care. Hear practical examples, share challenges and identify collaboration opportunities. Discover how decarbonisation can reduce costs, improve health outcomes and ease system pressures across local services.

Book now: Turning ambition into action: Decarbonising health and social care locally

An introduction to financial governance

With finances in local authorities getting ever tighter, it is even more important that every council makes sure that it has the culture and systems to ensure that finance is well governed and controlled. Good governance starts at full council and every councillor has a role to play, but what does good financial governance look like?

These two virtual modules, funded by the UK Government, will explore this question.         

• Cohort 1 - Tuesday 22 September and Thursday 8 October 2026, 10.00am - 1.00pm.
• Cohort 2 - Thursday 12 November and Thursday 3 December 2026, 10.00am-1.00pm.

Leadership Essentials

Spaces are still available on our various 2026-27 LGA Leadership Essentials programmes including Finance, Audit Committee, Finance for non-Finance Cabinet Members, Risk Management and Leading Good Governance and Assurance. 

To book your place, please email grace.collins@local.gov.uk

Finance without numbers

Wednesday 14 October 2026, 6.00pm - 7.30pm

This virtual event will provide an overview of local government finance focusing on roles and responsibilities, key terminologies, and processes rather than on the numbers.

Book now: Finance without numbers.

Leadership Essentials Transformation

Saturday 31 October - Sunday 01 November 2026

(Session 7 – Warwick Conferences, Coventry CV4 7SH)

As a councillor, you’re likely hearing that ‘transformation programmes’ are the way to make efficiencies and savings but what does that really mean? Our series of Leadership Essentials on Transformation will help demystify transformation, giving councillors the confidence and capability to lead the transformation agenda within their councils.

Book now: LGA Transformation webpage.

Action Learning Sets

The LGA is running two separate free Action Learning Sets for English councils: one on transport and one on sustainable finance. Running across January–March 2027, each programme consists of three online sessions where participants can explore real-world challenges, share experiences and develop practical solutions with colleagues from other authorities.

Book now: Action Learning Sets.

Additionally, you might be interested in...

Neighbourhood Health Hub

The LGA has launched a new Neighbourhood Health Hub, bringing together guidance, information and learning to support councils in delivering neighbourhood health and enabling shared learning across the sector.

In the coming months, the LGA will work with councils, partners and communities to develop a Local Government Vision for Neighbourhood Health, setting out a clear local government and community-led perspective on what good neighbourhood health looks like in practice, with councils at its centre. For more information contact: healthandcare@local.gov.uk

LG Inform and LG Inform Plus

Updated LG Inform Report - Local Outcomes Framework statistical neighbours model comparison group

As you know, the Government published the first full edition of the Local Outcomes Framework (LOF) on 9 February 2026, alongside the 2026–27 to 2028–29 Local Government Finance Settlement. The Framework sets out 16 national priority outcomes to be delivered through strong partnership working between central and local government.

Recently, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) released their statistical neighbours model to councils. These are based on a range of demographic, socio-economic and service-related characteristics, allowing users to explore outcomes alongside authorities facing comparable opportunities and challenges.

The comparison group is now available within the LG Inform Outcomes Framework report, enabling users to quickly assess performance, identify areas of relative strength, and highlight where further investigation or peer learning may be beneficial. The report also allows comparison with more than 50 other groups, including regional, CIPFA nearest neighbours, or any bespoke group you choose. Watch our short video to see how to do this.

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.

Yours faithfully, 

Cllr Peter Mason

Chair of the LGA Improvement Committee