Elected Member Development
Preparing for Induction
We are continuing to support officers to prepare for the induction of elected members following May’s election next year. Our third network event took place on 30th September, with 60 officers signed up. We spoke about the induction support we are providing and council colleagues had the opportunity to network and share local plans for effective induction.
Elected Member Briefing Notes
We published a briefing note with Public Health Scotland (PHS) on Marketing and Promotion of Health Harming Commodities - what action can Local Government take?
The briefing note provides a high-level overview of how local government can act to reduce the harms linked to the marketing of health harming commodities (HHC) and tackle inequalities. It aims to raise awareness and encourage discussion on this issue. HHC are products that, when consumed or used, contribute significantly to poor health outcomes and exacerbate health inequalities.
Support for candidates and people thinking of standing for election
We ran several webinars with ElectHer, Inclusion Scotland, and BEMIS, for people from underrepresented demographic groups who are thinking of standing for election.
Elected members can continue to signpost people to our resources for candidates, including our ‘Preparing for Elected Office in Scottish Local Government’ short Open University course, and our website for candidates www.localcouncillor.scot.
Community Councils Project
Free Training Series for Rural and Islands Community Councils
This autumn we have more free training sessions hosted by Imagine If and Place at the Table to provide Community Councils in rural and islands areas with the knowledge and tools to understand more about Local Place Plans and explore what could come next.
The 5 sessions, supported by Scottish Rural Network will help participants to gain practical insights into:
- What Local Place Plans are all about.
- Guidance on transitioning from plan submission to active project delivery and advocating for community priorities.
- Hints and tips for creating high-quality briefing and tender documents
- Practical entry points into community-led housing
Opportunities for Community Councils to tell their stories
We are looking for four community councils to partner with their local primary or secondary school and take part in this exciting project.
Magic Torch Comics specialises in working with communities and young people to tell local stories through engaging comic books and graphic novels.
This project will bring together community councils and local school pupils to create a comic book that showcases the role of the community council and highlights a successful local project, campaign, or initiative that has made a positive difference in the community.
The IS Community Councils Project is also looking for four community councils in rural and islands areas to talk about their work on a new podcast.
For more information about our work with Community Councils, contact scottishccs@improvementservice.org.uk or visit https://www.communitycouncils.scot/