North Training Seminar Agenda

Local Government Reorganisation, Localism & Levelling Up: Implications & Opportunities for the Sector
Dr Carlton Brand, Retired engineer, non-exec director, coach, trustee & governor at Wiltshire College & University Centre

Dr Carlton Brand, FRSA is a retired engineer, non-exec director, coach, trustee and governor at Wiltshire College and University Centre where he leads on safeguarding.

He was Programme Director at Somerset County Council where he authored the business case for a single unitary council for Somerset, where he lives, and steered the proposal through the democratic process locally and nationally – it being approved by the Secretary of State in 2021 for implementation April 2023 without amendment.

Carlton worked as a senior manager for Ford Motor Company designing and developing cars and trucks for 22 years, working and living throughout Europe, the United States and Japan.

Looking to work in his local community, he moved into local government, first as a Corporate Director at St Edmundsbury Borough Council before moving to Wiltshire County Council leading on unitary implementation. He was Executive Director for resources and transformation; place-based services (economy, environment, planning and transport); adult social services and public health (mental health, learning disabilities, older people, reablement and safeguarding). He held the statutory posts of Head of Paid Service, Director Adult Social Services and Electoral Registration Officer & Returning Officer for all elections.

Carlton holds a BA (Hons) Business Studies, MSc Advanced Automotive Engineering, Manufacture and Management and a Doctorate in Engineering; he is a level 7 qualified executive coach and programme & project manager and a Fellow of the Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce (FRSA). His biography appears in Who’s Who.

Naomi Bibi, Head of Member Services, SLCC 

Naomi Bibi will be talking about her new role as Head of Member Services. She will update you on the work that she has been doing with Local Branches, the Mentoring Service, and with the Advisory Service, and she will also be asking you what the SLCC can do to improve member engagement to ensure we are delivering exactly what you need. She also wants your help on how to be the best clerk in the country!  

Ian Morris, PSLCC, Peterlee Town Council

The County Durham & Cleveland Branch has looked long and hard at how well (or not!) it engages with colleagues in our area.  In this interactive session you’ll find out how the branch committee has changed the way that branch activity happens, and you’ll get a chance to shape the direction of branch activity in the future.

This session will be particularly useful for practitioners in the County Durham & Cleveland area who haven’t previously had much involvement or engagement with the local SLCC branch.  it will also be an opportunity to meet the branch committee, put some names to faces, and make some new connections.

Andrew Towlerton, SLCC National Advisor 

The Government has embarked on “radical” and “far-reaching” reforms of the planning system in England which will “streamline” and “modernise” it.
This session will examine the most significant developments over the last year that will have practical and strategic implications for clerks and the sector in more general. It will cover important reforms that have already taken place as well as those in the pipeline.