In my last blog I presented the findings from our 2025 annual membership check-in survey.
We’re grateful to everyone who took part earlier this year. Your feedback ensures Socitm evolves – informed by our members, for the members.
Here I highlight what we did to address your feedback, strengthening our existing support to you and new additions to your services.
I also talk about what’s next and how you can get involved further via focus group or interview!
You asked us to
1. More actively promote the user account and membership benefits
- We’ve been conducting regular senior leadership team briefings to walk our members through making the most of a Socitm membership subscription. This focuses on how Socitm can support organisation challenges from research, training and collaboration throughout the sector.
- So far this year, we have added value across many of our member organisations. Want to understand how your organisation can take better advantage of your membership? Email dave.sanderson@socitm.net.
- Read the value of Socitm membership and our at-a-glance guide to Socitm membership.
2. Offer bespoke and certified training (including non-technical options)
Your membership already includes:
- Access to the Leadership Academy (focused on core and leadership skills) – with training points to spend on courses.
- Exclusive discounts on courses covering technical skills:
- Bring your favourite course in-house with personalised training.
3. Improve visibility of regional meetings and events
- We regularly host meetings to keep you informed about what’s going on. If you aren’t already registered, please sign up for a member connection hour or the Nations and Regions Forum (NRF). To join, email socitmnrf@socitm.net.
4. Provide more case studies
- We regularly add new case studies to the resource hub.
- We have also recently updated AI@Socitm with new case studies covering AI training and awareness, AI to detect potholes and traffic offences, AI powered chat bots and digital front doors, flood resilience with AI, planning tools improved by AI, community and citizen informed AI governance, AI council tax and HR assistants and much more!
- We’ve made it easier for you to share your project and what’s working where you are: Write for us.
- Got an idea, insight or story about your place and local public services? We want to hear about it! Your experiences and perspectives matter, and by sharing them you’ll help spark conversations and inspire others across our community.
5. Focus on providing more services aligning with members’ interests and needs
5.1 Digital accessibility and Microsoft tool overviews
- Norfolk County Council produced guidance for accessible Power BI reporting. A show and tell was presented at the September NRF meeting and at November’s Socitm in the East meeting. Weren’t able to catch those? Find out more on Thursday 11 December or watch the recording.
5.2 Ethics and the environmental impact of AI
- We’ve updated AI@Socitm with new case studies covering community and citizen informed AI governance as well as signposting to guidance and frameworks on ethical use.
- We’re currently updating our sample generative AI usage policy with more detail around ethical use. It will also have clauses on human oversight, bias, transparency and explainability, and environmental sustainability.
5.3 Preparing for and encouraging closer working to support LGR and devolution
- We’re working together to support local government reorganisation (LGR) and devolution – Socitm provides strategic support to local authorities going through LGR.
- As an independent DDaT partner, we offer expert-led workshops, access to digital and data tools (including assessments, frameworks and workforce enablement) so you can build in-house expertise, and deliver citizen-centric transformation.
- Over the past months, we held 30 workshops with councils impacted by LGR. Learn more:
5.4 Alignment with and distilling central government information to apply to local government
- AI: We’ve started a project with the Local Government Association to localise the AI Playbook for the UK Government to give you tailored guidance around AI implementation.
- Social value in procurement: we’re supporting you and your suppliers around the changes necessitated by the new Procurement Act 2023:
5.5 How new technology and innovative use of existing technology and data analysis can help meet challenges.
This is our bread and butter! Visit the following resources to find out more:
- AI@Socitm
- Benchmarking
- Cyber@Socitm
- Digital Trends collection
- Digital twins briefing series
- Harnessing data collection
- Place Insight
- WeChange.AI and Using WeChange.AI to increase technology utilisation at Folkestone and Hythe District Council
- Socitm’s innovative support to build local public service self-sufficiency
5.6 Managing change during financial challenging times for organisations
- The cost of your ICT service was a complimentary benchmarking module in 2025. We recently held a workshop with participants to discuss the results. Our members were able to come together to discuss the challenges of delivering services with tightening budgets. Visit benchmarking to find out more about how to get involved.
What we still need to do
- We’re working on a new customer stories and testimonials page so you can better understand how other members are benefiting from using Socitm services.
- Continue to increase awareness and visibility of the Socitm membership services and benefits.
- Continue to strengthen our webinars, events, local meetings, and national conferences to meet your requests for more opportunities to engage, share knowledge, and network.
- Make research and policy publications more accessible – through webinars, holding slides, and quarterly updates.
- Understand how to address the barriers members face when it comes to pursuing benchmarking.
- Conduct more research with you to support current challenges and shape future needs.
What’s next?
- Membership benefits are revised yearly; 2026 membership benefits packages will be updated on your account in early January 2026.
Didn’t get a chance to have your say?
Don’t worry! We’re committed to continuing the annual survey in 2026 and improving how we gather and act on your feedback.
But don’t wait until next year! We’re keen to carry on the conversation and would like to explore more opportunities to shape the future of Socitm with our members’ input.
Take part in our focus group!
We will be running 2 1-hour focus groups in March and April on Microsoft Teams. If you’re interested in joining, please keep an eye out for when we advertise these in the coming months.
Interview me please!
Don’t fancy the focus group? If you would rather speak to us one-on-one, please schedule a meeting with Yasmine Hajji (Research Analyst) at a time convenient for you.
Thank you again for your insights and support.
If you’d like to get involved in shaping next year’s survey, the focus groups or interviews - or you have any other questions please get in touch me on yasmine.hajji@socitm.net