About our partners
We are driving excellence in the local council sector and represent our members interests by partnering with a number of other local council sector stakeholders, the key ones of which are listed below:
National Association of Local Councils (NALC)
NALC and its 38 County Associations of Local Councils (CALCs) represent the interests of all town and parish councils in England, provides guidance on their powers and how they might be exercised and offer training to councillors. SLCC recognises that NALC has the primary role of representing the sector to Government and endeavours to support that role by providing practitioner input where appropriate. SLCC also shares NALC’s desire to develop and improve the local council sector generally and is pleased to be an active partner to that end in the Improvement and Development Board (IDB) on which government officials, Local Government Association (LGA) and County Associations and SLCC county branches are represented. SLCC participates in many other partnership initiatives with NALC including the Joint Practitioners Advisory Group (JPAG), which produces statutory accounting and governance guidance for the sector.
SLCC and NALC also cooperate in a number of other areas and are currently exploring the publication of joint dispute resolution advice and are supporting each other in seeking to establish with Government an improved Standards Regime for the sector.
Click here to view the Strategic Partnership Agreement between SLCC and NALC.
International Institute of Municipal Clerks (IIMC)
All Full members of the SLCC will have automatic membership to the IIMC unless notified otherwise.
This is the international professional body for clerks with members based in a number of countries worldwide, particularly in The USA and Canada. The SLCC has a partnership arrangement with the IIMC which includes a range of programmes including bursaries for visits to the IIMC conference and exchange programmes with clerks in other countries.
IIMC’s 9,500-plus members represent municipalities with populations ranging from 250 people to more than 10 million people in North America and 15 other countries. It is divided into 11 regions.
The SLCC belongs to Region XI – Outside North America – Australia, Belgium, Bulgaria, Israel, Nepal, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Philippines, South Africa, United Kingdom (Bermuda, England, Scotland)
One Voice Wales (OVW)
OVW performs the same function in Wales as NALC does in England, although it does not have county branches. SLCC supports that role in a similar way in which it supports NALC and together with colleagues from the Wales Government and Wales Local Government Association (WLGA), SLCC and OVW are active participants in the National Training and Advisory Group (NTAG) which seeks to enhance the development of local councils in Wales through training measures and other support techniques.
Smaller Authorities Audit Appointments Ltd
Jointly with NALC and the Association of Internal Drainage Boards, SLCC established the SAAA Ltd as a sector led body which procures contracts for external auditors on behalf of all local councils and internal drainage boards in England. All three bodies appoint Directors to the Board of the company and the Minister also appoints independent Directors.
Association of Local Council Clerks (ALCC)
For most of its life SLCC has performed the dual role of a professional body and that of a Trade Union and was included on the Schedule to the Trade Union Acts. In 2016 SLCC followed the very successful example of the Society of Local Authority Chief Executives (SOLACE) and established its own independent trade union, the ALCC, leaving SLCC to concentrate on its role as a solely professional body. ALCC now has its own membership and governance structures and is able to represent members in employment matters and collective bargaining issues on pay and terms and conditions of employment. SLCC provided initial funding support (from its commercial activities) to the new union but this tapers off until ALCC is fully self-funding by 2020. SLCC provides services to ALCC for a fee under a service level agreement but most of its activities, including membership of the governing National Committee and the position of General Secretary are undertaken voluntarily by its members in order to contain costs.
Local Council Consultancy (LCC)
Following once again the model the Society of Local Authority Chief Executives (SOLACE) which for over 30 years has provided a popular and successful consultancy service to principal councils using the skills and experience of mainly recently retired members, SLCC in 2018 established a new consultancy service. Whilst there are several commercial enterprises offering a variety of consultancy specialisms to local councils, it was perceived that there remained a demand for additional capacity in this area. Many councils with capacity issues are seeking additional support for project management, recruitment of senior staff, service reviews, locum clerk and similar services. These services will be delivered by our team of associates who are grounded in core public service values, having spent the major part of their own careers with local councils. We intend to operate on a ‘profit-for-purpose’ basis, reinvesting all surpluses to further the development of professional clerks.
Society of Local Authority Chief Executives (SOLACE)
Solace is the leading members’ network for local government and public sector professionals throughout the UK. We offer a range of services including personal and organisational development, events, and both interim and executive recruitment through our profit for purpose subsidiary, Solace in Business. In addition to our services, we also have an active policy team, who along with our policy leads influence debate around the future of public services to ensure that policy and legislation are informed by the experience and expertise of our members.
SOLAR
SOLAR are a membership organisation for those employed as solicitors or central democratic services.
SOLAR organise a range of activities for members, including regular meetings of the Executive Committee and a range of Working Groups for those working in specific areas of legal and administrative services. They confer on all matters affecting local government, promoting sound administrative and legal practice within Scottish local authorities and aiming to promote and develop the professional knowledge and talents of SOLAR members.
Institute of Cemetery and Crematorium Management (ICCM)
The ICCM was founded in 1913 and since that time has provided policy and best practice guidance to Burial and Cremation authorities, its Corporate members. It represents its Corporate members at government level.
The ICCM is the only provider of accredited education and training opportunities for those persons working within the service, its Professional members.
The aim of the ICCM is to raise standards for bereaved people through the promotion of the above.
Association of Democratic Services Officers (ADSO)
ADSO was formally launched at its first national conference held on 14th October 2009 and now has over 800 members.
Aims of the Association
- To promote the professional status of democratic services within all aspects of local and community governance
- To foster the advancement of efficient and where relevant consistent practice in democratic services
- To promote the professional development of its members by the provision of qualifications for all our membership and learning opportunities for all
- To represent the democratic services profession through active engagement with others
- To act as a body of influence on all matters relating to democratic services
- To provide opportunities for the exchange of views and experiences amongst members of the Association and with others
- To disseminate information and advice on all aspects of democratic services
- To assist the membership in the development of good practice in democratic services
NABMA
For over 100 years NABMA has served the interests of its members and in recent years it has increased its profile, particularly on the national stage by working with Government to secure recognition for markets in a number of major policy areas.
In particular NABMA has secured a reference to markets in the Government’s Planning Policy Framework and also secured major recognition for markets in the Mary Portas report which led to the Love Your Local Market Campaign. Such has been the success of Love Your Local Market that it has become the single biggest market event ever promoted.
While working on the national stage, NABMA also cooperates with other organisations which play an important role in securing the future of markets. NABMA is a special interest group within the Local Government Association and works closely with the Association of Town Centre Management, National Market Traders Federation, and the National Association of Local Councils, to share agendas and develop partnership working.
BRAMM
The British Register of Accredited Memorial Masons (BRAMM) Scheme was set up in 2004 with the aim of establishing a network of nationally accredited businesses and registered fixers that will ultimately replace individual Registration Schemes.
Membership is free too burial authorities and they will help ensure that all memorials are installed in accordance with British Standard 8415 and current industry standards. Ensure compliance and reduce instances of unstable and dangerous memorials.
SLCC Educational Trust
The SLCC Educational Trust was launched by the Society of Local Council Clerks (SLCC) to increase access to education within the town and parish council sector and to raise public awareness of local government and how people can make change in their communities. We aspire to be registered as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation and are currently compiling an application.
The objects of the SLCC Educational Trust are:
- To advance, for the public benefit, education within the local council sector
- To promote, for the public benefit, knowledge of and participation in local government
