Write a case study

SLCC publish six editions of The Clerk magazine every year and the bi-monthly publication is distributed to members in hard copy as well as being made available on our website. The informative read contains articles providing advice, information and best practice which many of our members use to refer back to at a later date. The publication is highly respected in the sector and 94% of respondents to the 2021 Membership Survey voted it ‘excellent’ or ‘good’. Case studies within the publication represent officers working for all sizes of parish, town and community councils across England and Wales.

Our upcoming special features for 2024 are as follows, although your 600-word case study does not need to fall within the theme:

  • January – No special feature
  • March – Community Engagement – including Cohesive Communities and Youth Councils
  • May – Green Initiatives, Strategies and Net Zero, and D-Day 80th Anniversary
  • July – Playground and Recreation Ground Management
  • September – Information Technology and Digital Health
  • November – Staff Management and Retention

If you have been involved with a project and want to share your experience with your colleagues, as well as gaining 3 CPD points, please contact Line Djuve-Wood, [email protected]

To support you with writing your article, click here to view the Editorial Requirements.

Speak at an event

SLCC deliver over 400 training webinars each year covering everything from ‘Agendas and Minutes’ to ‘Code of Conduct’ training. We also offer a variety of events from one-day Themed Summits to two-day conferences such as the National Conference.

We believe that one of the best ways to learn is by connecting what you learn to something you know. Therefore, our training programmes are packed with relatable case studies delivered by clerks who have actually undertaken the project(s).

Our speakers represent all sizes of parish, town and community councils across England and Wales and we have a wide range of opportunities available to suit your requirements – whether you prefer speaking to a smaller audience or a large audience in our high profile keynote sessions.

Speak at an SLCC event and you can claim CPD points as well as a discounted place at the conference!

Contact Helen Quick, Head of Conferences, Training & Education, for more information on [email protected]

Jane Biscombe FSLCC, Clerk to Weymouth Town Council

Become a mentor

SLCC’s New Clerk Mentoring Scheme is here to help new clerks (who have been clerking for 12 months or less) settle into the profession by guiding them through their responsibilities.

We have a network of mentors across England and Wales and their main responsibility is to help new clerks to understand their role and the roles of others by providing guidance and support over the telephone and/or email. Mentor’s will also introduce the new clerk to local, countywide and national networks to make sure that the new clerk knows who to contact when needed as well as answering basic technical questions and, when appropriate, referring the clerk to the SLCC’s advisory service or CALC officer for a response.

On occasion, the mentor might also help a clerk who is not new to the sector if a clerk is undergoing a period of change that requires a listener and the skills of the mentor (as opposed to the skills of an advisor).

To understand the role of a mentor or to become a mentor please contact Head Office on [email protected]

Help your local Branch

SLCC has 45 branches across England and Wales and the role of each Branch is to support SLCC members in their area and to develop and promote relations with other bodies in the local council sector. Branch meetings provide an invaluable resource to local members by offering training, friendship, support, and the sharing of informal advice and good practice. Branches appoint their own Branch Officers and organise their own meetings and events. They receive modest funding in the form of an annual grant, called a capitation fee, to cover Branch expenses, which is based on the number of members in the Branch. Branches should, as a minimum, hold an annual meeting, and appoint the following roles:

SLCC Branches

Branch Secretary
The main role of the Branch Secretary is to be the first point of contact for their Branch members and potential Branch members. The secretary works in conjunction with the other Branch Officers to increase the Branch membership and is responsible for organising, promoting and attending Branch meetings and taking the minutes of the meeting.
The Branch Secretary liaises with the SLCC Head Office on a regular basis to update them on their planned Branch events.
The Branch Secretary takes reasonable steps to ensure that any vacancy for the post of National Forum Branch Representative or National Forum Reserve Branch Representative is brought to the attention of Branch members and, wherever possible, that an item about forthcoming elections is included on the agenda of the relevant Branch meeting. The Branch Secretary will also pick up on local concerns raised at Branch meetings and pass them to the Branch Representative on the National Forum.

Branch Chair
The Chair presides over the Branch meeting and manages and provides leadership to the Branch. The Chair ensures that the meetings run smoothly and remain orderly, and works at achieving a consensus in AGM decisions.

Branch Treasurer
The Treasurer oversees the financial administration of the Branch, manages the branch funds and advises the Branch on financial strategy. The Treasurer is responsible for submitting the Branch accounts for the previous year every January, in line with the SLCC financial year.

Branch Membership Officer
It is recommended that, where possible, the Branch enrols a Membership Officer to maintain a list of new clerks in the county by liaising with various local sources including Monitoring Officers and County Associations. The information on the new clerk should then be communicated to SLCC Head Office in order for a new clerk pack to be sent and membership discussions to take place.

National Forum Branch Representative
The National Forum performs an important role in providing the opportunity for representatives from each branch to meet together, represent the views of their branch members, participate in collective decision-making and report back to their branches on matters considered by the Forum. It can submit matters to the Board which have been raised by branches, and, in turn, it receives reports from the Board for consideration and action. It may, if it chooses, request the Board to reconsider a decision previously taken by the Board.
The Forum is also a platform for colleagues to develop shared knowledge and good practice, and so assist in developing and improving the branch network.
The National Forum comprises of one member from each county branch.
Each branch appoints one representative to serve on the National Forum, plus a reserve representative to attend if the main representative is unavailable. These must be full members of the SLCC and members of the branch from which they are appointed, but cannot also be Directors on the Board. The term of office of the branch representatives (and reserve) commences immediately following the SLCC’s AGM and ends at the conclusion of the SLCC’s AGM a year later. Each branch therefore needs to appoint its National Forum representative (and reserve) at a branch meeting prior to the SLCC’s AGM of that year.

National Forum Reserve Branch Representative
Each Branch appoints one representative to serve on the National Forum, plus a reserve representative to attend if the main representative is unavailable. These must be full members of SLCC and members of the branch from which they are appointed, but cannot also be Directors on the Board. The term of office of the branch representatives (and reserve) commences immediately following the SLCC’s AGM and ends at the conclusion of the SLCC’s AGM a year later. Each branch therefore needs to appoint its National Forum representative (and reserve) at a branch meeting prior to the SLCC’s AGM of that year.
Should a vacancy for a branch representative (or reserve) occur during the year, the branch can appoint a replacement branch representative (or a reserve) to serve until the conclusion of the SLCC’s next AGM.

If you are interested in becoming a Branch Officer please contact your local Branch or  contact Head Office on [email protected]

Nominate your colleague(s)

SLCC’s Annual Awards celebrate the skills, dedication and professionalism of senior officers serving councils large and small throughout England and Wales.

Submit your nomination(s) and a panel appointed by the Board of Directors will determine the best three nominees in each category and the winner will be announced at National Conference 2023.

Nominations for 2023 have now closed.

The various categories of awards are:

  • New Clerk of the Year – presented to a clerk who has excelled in the early stages of their career. Nominees can be any clerk with less than three years’ service in the role (any clerk who entered the profession after 1 October 2020).
  • Bryan Metcalf Award for Volunteering – awarded in memory of one of the SLCC’s greatest and longest serving volunteers, this award is presented to a clerk who has demonstrated exceptional voluntary service to the SLCC.
  • Professional Innovation Award – awarded to recognise your SLCC’s core values, this award is presented to a clerk who has demonstrated exceptional creativity or an innovative approach in any element of the delivery of their council’s work.
  • Best magazine article by a member – presented to the clerk who has contributed the best article to The Clerk magazine in the preceding year (from 1 October 2022).
  • Best case study at an SLCC event – awarded to the clerk who has presented the best-case study at an SLCC conference or Themed Summit in the preceding year (from 1 October 2022).
  • Long Service Award(s) – awarded to a limited number of nominees annually who have served the SLCC over an extended period. Please note that the minimum criteria for a successful nomination are: 30 years’ service as a clerk, active service to SLCC, retired or retiring between 1 June 2023 and 31 May 2024.

 

 

Become a Locum

The Local Council Consultancy (LCC) is the consultancy arm of SLCC Enterprises Ltd dedicated to ensuring best practice and continuous improvement in the local council sector. LCC was launched in late 2018 by the SLCC as an additional capability to the advisory and membership services. LCC draw on the wide and deep expertise of the SLCC and seek to provide councils with a value for money, sector-leading consultancy service.

LCC is often contacted to provide locum support through our team of clerks. The requirement may arise due to sickness, maternity leave, vacancies or helping with workload, or a combination of factors. The work varies on an assignment-by-assignment basis and can be relatively short term for a few hours a week to a full-time or long-term commitment.

Locum work is rewarding, providing job satisfaction knowing that you are helping when help is needed. As assignments can be chosen to suit your skills and existing working patterns or personal commitments, being a Locum offers you flexibility, variation and valuable experience to enhance your CV.

You don’t need to have completed your qualification to join our team, we’re now looking for administration and deputy locums who meet the following criteria:

  • Administration Locum – currently studying or completed ILCA
  • Deputy Locum – currently studying or completed CiLCA
  • Locum – completed CiLCA

We employ our locums and manage all aspects of PAYE, National Insurance, pension contributions and holiday entitlement which means that if you work with us in this capacity everything is taken care of.

Click here to find out more.