National Conference 2024 Agenda

From 19.00, please join us in the London Suite where the exhibitors opening takes place. A chance to grab a drink and network with fellow colleagues and our commercial partners.

AI for the Average Joe, Winning Hearts and Minds
Erica Farmer, Co-Founder, Business Director and Professional Speaker
Paris Suite

This interactive, innovative, and energetic keynote provides new ideas and practical takeaways for using Gen AI in your organisation or business.

We explain why winning the hearts and minds of your teams is fundamental to the adoption of Gen AI and explore the wider considerations of future skills to define the human/robot relationship.

Be ready to be challenged, have fun, and think about your engagement in this revolutionary technology in a whole different way.
By the end of the session, you’ll understand:

• How to engage everyone in your organisation with AI
• What skills you need to develop for success in using AI and developing yourselves during the new technological revolution
• How to move forward with a plan of action.

The Analogue to Digital Switchover- Are You Ready?
John Livermore, All-IP Industry Engagement Manager, Openreach

This will be a discussion of how the UKs Telephony Network will need to move to Digital Lines from the old network which was last upgraded in the 1980s. We will discuss what is happening and why. How it will affect many of us at home and in business, from Local Authorities to Utilities and from the NHS to Telecare and Intruder alarms.

Wellbeing Through Meaningful Connection: A Lively albeit Light-Hearted Dialogue
Clare Evans, Town Clerk, Houghton Regis Town Council

Prioritising personal wellbeing is essential, yet can often feel challenging amidst the demands of everyday life. This interactive session offers a fun and engaging approach to foster meaningful insights on self-care and what makes you happiest. By fostering an environment of openness, humour, and mutual support, this session empowers participants to connect, share, and cultivate strategies for enhanced personal wellbeing.

Sustainable Christmas Lighting
Robert Stalker, Managing Director, Blachere Illumination

Learn from our Conference Sponsor about cost effective, quality, eco responsible lighting.

SAAA – An Introduction and Update
Annie Child, Chief Executive, Smaller Authorities’ Audit Appointments (SAAA)

This session will detail the role of SAAA, what we do and what we don’t do and our plans for future engagement with Practitioners’. This session will also touch upon legislative changes SAAA hopes to see.

Navigating Uncertainty: Embracing Change in a Dynamic World
Gemma Roe, Author, Keynote Speaker, Start-Up Founder

In today’s rapidly evolving landscape, uncertainty has become the new normal. Whether it’s technological advancements, geopolitical shifts, or global pandemics, change is constant and often unpredictable. In this keynote address, we will explore the mindset and strategies necessary to not just survive but thrive in such an environment of uncertainty.

Drawing upon insights from psychology, business, and personal development, we will delve into the importance of adaptability, resilience, and agility. Participants will learn how to cultivate a growth mindset that embraces change as an opportunity for learning and innovation, rather than fearing it as a threat.

Through real-life examples and practical frameworks, attendees will discover how to:
1. Embrace ambiguity and harness it as a catalyst for creativity and innovation.
2. Build resilience for their wards and communities to bounce back stronger from setbacks and challenges.
3. Develop agility to quickly pivot strategies and tactics in response to changing circumstances.
4. Foster a culture of continuous learning and adaptation within their organisations.
5. Leverage uncertainty as a competitive advantage in work and life.
By the end of the keynote, participants will leave with actionable insights and tools to navigate uncertainty with confidence and recognise opportunities for growth and transformation in an ever-changing world.

Building a Way to Play
Dr Amanda Gummer, Chair of the Association of Play Industries

Playgrounds have a crucial role to play in community cohesion and are an important part of the resources that children need government to provide to be able to thrive. The affordance is in the design and the API’s members continually innovate to improve accessibility and sustainability. When commissioning play spaces it’s about more than just the design: Compliance with safety standards, quality of installation, accessibility and community buy in as well as ongoing maintenance requirements are all important considerations. This talk will help councils understand the above and be better equipped to commission and maintain playgrounds that really benefit the community.

Reading Between the Lines – Engaging With Design and Planning Applications
Tom Sykes, Extended Studio Co-founder, Design Council Expert

This workshop will be an interactive session teaching you tips and tricks for understanding the full implications of planning applications. As a statutory consultee you are likely to see key development proposals and be invited to comment at pre-app and application stages. We will learn how to unpick architectural drawings to understand the real impact proposals will have. This will be followed by an overview of the ways to respond to applications constructively to affect positive change.

Job Evaluation – What Can it do for Your Council?
Reg Williams, Local Council Consultancy (LCC) Associate

The Local Council Consultancy has undertaken a number of full Job Evaluation exercises at differing councils within the sector over the past 3 years.  In that time a number of lessons have been learned and a good deal of experience gained regarding what a JE exercise can bring to a council within the sector – the positives and benefits, the potential issues and pitfalls, clarity around the process itself and so on.  If your council has been thinking about, or would simply like to hear a little more on this process then this could be the session for you.

Finding Light in the Dark
John McCarthy CBE, Journalist, Author and Motivational Speaker

John McCarthy CBE is a British journalist, writer and broadcaster.  In April 1986, as a young journalist on his first foreign assignment for the United Press International Television News, John was snatched on the way to the airport just before he was about to fly back home.  John was kidnapped by Islamic Jihad and became Britain’s longest-held hostage, being held in captivity for more than five years until his release on 8 August 1991.  He was appointed a CBE in 1992.John McCarthy tells the dramatic story of his captivity in a dignified, self-deprecating and inspiring way that makes you understand how he came through five years of not knowing whether he would see another day.