National Conference 2023 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.

From Tragedy to Legislative Change
Figen Murray OBE

Explaining the personal impact of losing a family member to a terrorist attack and how the decision to not succumb to anger and hate led to activism for positive change.

Figen Murray OBE is the mother of Martyn Hett, who at 29 years of age was tragically killed alongside 21 others at the Manchester Arena terrorist attack in May 2017.

Since the Manchester Arena attack, Figen has been working with the government and the security industry to make the tangible changes that can help ensure no other family has to go through what hers has. She is the force behind Martyn’s Law (Protect Duty), a legislation requiring publicly accessible locations to improve security against the threat of terrorism. Her ambitions to better understand counter terrorism saw her achieve a distinction in a counter terrorism master’s degree from the University of Central Lancashire.

Figen’s dedication and work in counter terrorism saw her awarded an OBE in the 2022 New Year’s Honours List.

Lighting the Way Forward for the Next 50 Years
Garry Brown and Katherine Brown, Blachere Illumination

Blachere are celebrating 50 years in the business – come and join Katherine and Garry for an interactive session on Festive lighting and how Blachere can work with any sized budget. Remember Blachere are not just for Christmas as our Summer Range is proving very popular, and lets not forget our Eco Responsible our products are. Make sure you follow us on Twitter @blachereuk before the session – prizes to be won.

Finding Calm, Conquering Anxiety and Cultivating Inner Peace
Beckie Whitehouse

Stress and anxiety – similar but different, How they can affect us, The role of our brain – that just wants to keep us safe. What we can do – generally. Specific tools – Grounding exercise, box breathing, I minute meditation and journaling.

Get Your Council Heard Nationally
Malcolm Smith – Senior Education and Engagement Officer, UK Parliament

During this session about how UK Parliament operates, you will develop understanding of how to help your Council and community: Build relationships with MPs and Lords, Influence questions, debates, and legislation, Link with All Party Parliamentary Groups, & Work with Select Committees to scrutinise national policy. The UK Parliament Education and Engagement outreach service works to engage children and community groups with the work of the UK Parliament and get their voices heard.

Parish Councils: the Future of the Sector
Alistair Jones, De Montfort University

The status of politicians and politics has plummeted as a result of the actions of a former Prime Minister and many of his government ministers. Yet there is much positive news that is often glossed over below that national level of politics. The Levelling Up agenda has seen local government and parish and town councils attempt to be more proactive in delivering services for their communities. Should this be the point in time where there is a push to parish all of England? Or is there a lack of interest where parish councils do not exist, and a lack of capacity where they do? What might the future hold for the sector?

Protecting your Council’s business online: Adopting a .gov.uk domain
Khidr Suleman, Domains’ Governance Lead at Central Digital and Data Office (CDDO

Conducting Parish Council business in a safe and secure manner, protecting ourselves and our constituents against cyber threat and harm is a priority for all Clerks.

Come along to this informative session run by the Central Digital and Data Office (CDDO) to:

• Find out how adopting a .gov.uk domain could better protect your Council’s business online and communicate its professional relationship to wider government
• Learn about this summer’s pilot project where CDDO and volunteer Parish Councils and Domain Registrars came together to better understand the challenges faced by those hoping to adopt modern Cloud working practices, and the actions underway to make becoming more cyber secure easier than before.

About Khidr Suleman

Khidr Suleman is the Domains’ Governance Lead at Central Digital and Data Office (CDDO), which is part of the Cabinet Office. His particular area of focus is the .gov.uk domain: working to create a safe and secure operating model for all users. To this end, Khidr’s most recent projects have been developing new standards of operation for .gov.uk Domain Registrars and overseeing the pilot project to help Parish Councils more easily navigate the process of adopting the .gov.uk. Khidr’s ambition is for every Parish Council to enjoy the benefits and safety of working within the .gov.uk domain.

Asked about the SLCC National Conference this year, Khidr said, ‘I’m most looking forward to coming out from behind my desk and meeting Parish Council Clerks in person.  I’m excited to be talking about .gov.uk and listening to Clerks’ every-day working experiences and ideas for change.’

Outside of work, you’ll find Khidr either enjoying a round of golf at his local course or getting ready for the swearing in ceremony to become a magistrate.

Matters of topical interest for Clerks in Wales
Emma Smith, SLCC Welsh Advisor

This session will provide the latest updates for clerks in Wales. We will look at the most recent developments in the sector and discuss how these affect Welsh councils.

What can we do to level up our places?
Shivani Menon, Senior Researcher, UK Onward
Paris Suite

Onward’s seminal report ‘Levelling Up Locally’ provides a guide to local leaders to level up their communities. This presentation will discuss the common challenges to levelling up consistently raised by the public, and offer a playbook of interventions that local leaders can commission quickly and cost-effectively.

Taunton Town Council’s Story
Donna Ford PSLCC, Town Clerk & Proper Officer, Taunton Town Council

On the 1st April 2023, Somerset gave birth to a brand new Town Council to serve the county town of Taunton. Weighing in at a rather healthy two million pounds, there are great expectations that this new born will quickly go on to grow considerably and evolve into a leading council within the sector. But how did this all come about and what was SLCCs interest and involvement in this?

The Dutch Approach for more Resilience and Respect in Politics
Anne Jet, Dutch Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations

In the Netherlands, instances of aggression and intimidation against public officials have steadily increased in the last ten years. To support politicians and public officers with this trend, the Network Resilient Governance (“Netwerk Weerbaar Bestuur”) was formed. The network brings together various partners in politics and governance to collaborate on enhancing the resilience of local politicians and officials. In addition, the Dutch Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations has started the Resilient Governance programme. This programme designs policy to make politicians and public officers more resilient against forms of undue pressure like aggression, intimidation and criminal influences. In this presentation, Anne Jet will further elaborate on the aims of the Network and programme Resilient Governance.

Local Councils and their Uneasy Relationship with the Planning System
Andrew Towlerton, SLCC National Planning Advisor

Local councils have an important and arguably growing role in the planning system but for many clerks their experience of engaging in it is not an easy or straightforward one. In this session, we look at how councils and clerks can best approach and deal with the planning system. It will focus on those topics which clerks have told us they wish to know more about or face the greatest challenges such as transport, commenting on planning applications, the provision of infrastructure and affordable housing. It will also provide advice and tips on how they can best maximise their influence and impact on the planning system.

Internal Audit (EIA)
Jane Olds PSLCC, SLCC General Advisor

The sector – particularly those councils under £200,000 – is in desperate need of internal auditors who understand the processes and governance of local councils. With this in mind – and with support from the SAAA (Smaller Authorities Audit Appointments) – the SLCC is currently developing an Internal Auditor E-learning tool . This course will be a great addition for an experienced Clerk who would like to expand their knowledge – and help other councils in the process. Come and hear about the progress that we are making and how you might be able to get involved in Internal Audit from a different angle.

Seven Get Overexcited! An audience with the MA in PLM class of ’23
Ian Morris FSLCC, Chief Officer, Peterlee Town Council

Ever been curious about taking on a formal academic qualification on top of the day-job and home-life? In this fun, fun, fun session seven intrepid Clerks from councils large and small will recount their motivations, experiences and findings from completing the Masters in Public Leadership & Management at De Montfort University.
As well as hearing about the human stories of our journeys, you’ll also receive a summary of our main research topics and findings in areas as diverse as the role of clerks in decision-making, drivers for poor behaviour in the sector, public perceptions of the sector, the attitudes of senior officers in principal authorities towards local councils, and the role of youth councils in a representative democracy!

Serious Violence: A joined-up approach
James Vaughan, Retired Chief Constable

Reducing serious violence and particularly murder are among top priorities for the government. Following a 30-year career in policing, retired Chief Constable, James Vaughan, has been appointed by the Home Secretary to chair a new national oversight committee, leading Offensive Weapon Homicide Reviews across England and wales, in an structured pilot to understand how we can prevent murder in adults. James will discuss recent upward trends in serious violence and how new measures such as the Violence Duty, Violence Reduction Units and Offensive Weapon Homicide Reviews are contributing to the response. He will explore the vital role of local councils in working with other local partners to reduce violence and share some good practice on knife crime reduction from Dorset. He will reflect on the perception that knife-crime and serious violence is only a problem in large cities.

Bionically Beautiful
Tilly Lockey

At 15-months old, Tilly Lockey was diagnosed with Menigococal Septicemia which meant she had to lose her hands, forearms, and toes to meningitis as a baby.
Developing state-of-the-art bionic arms with Open Bionics which she wears every day, Tilly Lockey has received a Humanitarian award in New York, won a talent competition, ‘Got What It Takes’ and has performed to an audience of 20,000 at BBC Radio 1’s Big Weekend, all with a thriving online presence across all social platforms.

Tilly Lockey speaks on her journey, the challenges she has faced and how she found confidence to want to achieve her dreams and beat any obstacle in her way. Far from only thinking of her own severe challenges in life, Tilly draws on the deep resources of her heroism as a woman who refuses to be held back or disadvantaged by physical disability.