The LGA offers a wide range of courses and resources
The votes are counted. The results are in. And all that hard work delivering leaflets, knocking on doors and speaking to residents has finally paid off.
Congratulations and welcome to local government!
Becoming a councillor, and representing and advocating for your residents, businesses and local organisations, is one of the most important public services you can perform. It is both rewarding and challenging, and you will find yourself with many different hats to wear and responsibilities to manage.
Your community will be made up of a diverse range of people with differing opinions – all of whom will expect you to represent them fairly and understand their needs, provide answers to questions about how the council is run and how it spends its (their!) money, and what you will do to support and advocate for them.
Every day, you will be expected to balance the needs of your local area, your political party (if you belong to one) and your council – in addition to your own personal, family and workplace commitments.
While all this might appear to be a daunting prospect, we at the LGA are here to help you.
In addition to the induction and training provided by your council and your political party, by becoming a councillor in England you are automatically eligible to access the LGA’s wide-ranging support for elected members.
Our councillor hub is your first port of call for learning, leadership and development opportunities that can help you progress your local government career.
There, you will find a Briefing for New Councillors, an overview of the information, resources and support you need to get started. This covers the role of local government and the councillor, council governance, working with officers, and the Public Sector Equality Duty, as well as an introduction to the LGA and its sector support offer.
Also on the hub is a link to our councillor e-learning platform, with a choice of free e-learning modules on everything from influencing skills and scrutiny for councillors to supporting your constituents and being an effective councillor for your ward.
Our Local Leadership Framework for Councillors helps you think about the skills you need as a new councillor, and to map out the things you might want to explore through induction and beyond.
The hub also includes a link to our Civility in Public Life programme, providing tailored advice for councillors on handling abuse and intimidation, and managing personal safety.
Away from the hub, if you are interested in specific council policy and service areas, we would encourage you to subscribe to the relevant LGA e-bulletin. These documents cover everything from apprenticeships and devolution to transformation and workforce.
Once you’ve got yourself established, don’t forget that the LGA provides training and support programmes relevant to your development throughout your time in local government.
You can network with and learn from councillors with shared characteristics on our Focus on Leadership events for black, Asian and ethnic minority councillors, LGTBQ+ councillors, opposition leaders and deputy leaders, and young councillors (those aged under 40). For disabled councillors and candidates, we run bespoke programmes to increase representation and support your development to become leaders within local government.
Our Next Generation programme supports and encourages you to be a bold, confident political leader; Boosting Middle Leaders enables leaders and officers to learn together; and Leadership Essentials provides bespoke support on key portfolio and service areas – such as children’s services, finance, and planning – aimed at new and aspiring cabinet members.
You can find out about all these programmes and more at the LGA website.
As councillors, you are uniquely placed to make a real difference to residents’ lives and shape your local area.
The LGA is here to help you do this, with opportunities to develop your skills throughout your councillor journey, from newly elected to new leader.
To find out more and access the support you need, contact your LGA regional team and principal adviser.
Events for newly elected councillors
- New member induction event with Local Government East – 9 June, 10am-12pm.
- Introduction to council audit committees – 9 June, 2-3.30pm.
- Local government reorganisation support: the experience of being a unitary councillor – 10 June, 2-3.15pm.
- How do councils work? An introduction to governance for new councillors – 17 June, 2-3.30pm.
- Regional welcome event for newly elected councillors in London (hybrid) – 17 June, 5.30-7.30pm.
- Hitting the ground running: a development session for newly elected councillors in the North East and Yorkshire and Humber – 14 July, 5-8.15pm in Leeds; and 15 July, 9.45am-1pm in Newcastle upon Tyne.
- AI in local government: what councillors need to know – 16 July, 3.30pm.
- LGA sector support: an introduction for new councillors – 8 September, 5-6.30pm.
Book your free place on these and other LGA events, and visit our Councillor hub for additional and forthcoming events for new councillors.
Useful links and resources
- LG Inform – the LGA’s free data benchmarking platform, providing up-to-date published data about your local area and how your council’s performance compares with other authorities.
- Case studies database – the LGA regularly captures and publishes council good practice.
- first magazine – the LGA’s monthly membership magazine includes policy and improvement updates, and our regular local elections analysis. Email karen.thornton@local.gov.uk to get your print copy sent to your home address or if your contact details have changed.
- Councillor induction essentials – our new guide for officers working with councillors to develop their council’s councillor induction programme.
Your questions answered
See below for some frequently asked questions from new councillors. You can find more questions and top tips at local.gov.uk/new-councillors-frequently-asked-questions.
Q: I receive a lot of invitations. How do I decide which ones to accept or decline?
A: A good tip is to accept once, and then you can assess whether this is a valuable forum/event to attend on a regular basis. Immerse yourself – but realise there will come a point when you’ll know where you can best spend your time. If you are in a multi-member ward, you may be able to divide the engagements up between yourselves.
Q: How do I manage all the different demands on my time?
A: When you first become a councillor, it can be completely overwhelming, especially if you have other commitments, such as employment or caring responsibilities. It is up to you how long you spend on your councillor duties, and what type of councillor you see yourself being. Most councillors are very keen to spend time in their communities as well as in the town hall. This is a difficult balancing act and tends to change as you progress in your councillor career.
Q: What are some top tips for managing casework?
A: Identify what the problem is, avoid promising to sort out every problem, refer the problem to the appropriate council department, provide feedback, consider the wider issues, and let your co-members know. A number of similar concerns raised with members may suggest that an issue needs to be dealt with by a new or revised policy, or a scrutiny review. Where you have had a success, it is also worth letting your fellow ward members know, in case they face a similar situation.