13 May 2025In 2026, the Certificate in Local Council Administration (CiLCA) will have been an integral part of the educational structure for local council clerks for 25 years. It is recognised as the benchmark qualification for clerks to demonstrate their status as ‘qualified’.
SLCC reviews the CiLCA portfolio every five years to ensure it remains relevant, meets current standards and criteria, and reflects the latest legislative landscape. The last full review took place in 2021, with the next update due in 2026.
As part of the review, we carried out an extensive consultation during autumn 2024, where we sought feedback from county associations, qualified CiLCA trainers, CiLCA assessors, and students. In March, the updated portfolio was then circulated to working groups for further comment. Further revisions are now being made, with the portfolio due to go to a second round of consultation, including Ascentis, the awarding body.
We’d like to reassure all members that there will be no major changes to the 2026 portfolio. CiLCA 2026 will remain a Level 3 qualification with 30 Learning Outcomes (LOs) and 200 guided learning hours (up to 70% of the 200 hours may be part of your paid work with 20% spent on research and writing and 10% on training and group support), equating to 20 credits under the Ascentis framework. You can read more about the current CiLCA structure and framework in our 2021 Portfolio Guide.
Key changes and dates to note:
- From 2026 onwards, all CilCA candidates must undertake compulsory training with a recognised CiLCA trainer who has gone through an accreditation process to be registered as such with SLCC. These recognised trainers are allocated a registration number, to ensure the quality of the CiLCA training they provide. Please visit our website for a list of all current recognised trainers. Once training has commenced, candidates can register via the SLCC website, stating their trainer’s name.
- The last date to register for the current (2021) CiLCA portfolio is 1 August 2025, which will allow some 16 months for students to complete their portfolios, when this version together with the online platform closes on 31 December 2026.
- Clerks in England who completed CiLCA before 2012, and who wish to support their council in achieving the General Power of Competence (GPC) must register for the standalone LO7 module by 1 August 2025. After this date, the standalone LO7 course will no longer be available in England, and they will need to complete the full CiLCA 2026 qualification. Welsh clerks will still be able to access LO7 as a top-up for pre-2021 qualifications.
The new 2026 portfolio guide will be available directly from recognised CiLCA trainers once the review and update has been finalised.
SLCC is committed to ensuring that CiLCA continues to support professional development, career progression, and high standards in the local council sector.
For more details about CiLCA visit our website or email [email protected].
