Keep getting everything you can from your membership
Your events, training and resources
You are local government’s biggest asset.
Contribute to improving wellbeing in the sector by completing a short survey put together by the RPNA and the Truth about Local Government.
Well planned initiatives can transform employee experiences, but they need to be informed by data.
Here’s a top 5 (in no special order) of hopefully relevant/useful/interesting things:
- Empowering Women and Top Talent training courses are coming to Birmingham next month.
Read your guide to using training points. Log in for the current number of available points. Don’t have enough or you’ve run out?
Log in for the current number of available points. Don’t have enough or you’ve run out? Let us know. - ICYMI Open data publication guide: guidance for public bodies and other organisations in Wales on publishing their data openly.
- Your next Public Sector Challenge is set for Friday 5 September. Join everyone in the Derbyshire for Peak Pursuit.
Routes of 8, 15, 21 and 26 miles plus a wheelchair-accessible route offer a perfect challenge for every fitness level. - Catherine Howe’s [Chief Exec at Adur District and Worthing] blog posts Devolution by design and Local digital: SPRINT!
- Blog post: Services by design
Service patterns are reusable designs for common problems that help create consistent functions and services.
Take care. I hope you can have a great weekend.
Best wishes,
Alex.
In Your Resource Hub
Updated for 2025: Public Sector Digital Trends
Drawing on experiences from across the UK and internationally, the analysis is designed to help you plan your digital journey.
The whole thing: Public Sector Digital Trends: Beyond Borders
Some things to think about: 10 key questions for public sector leaders
How to use the Digital Trends collection
How should I use Digital Trends in my organisation and place? Can I trust Socitm’s Public Sector Digital Trends?
You might have missed…
Watch Burnout Breakthrough: Strategies for Workplace Resilience
For ease of viewing, the recordings are divided into easy to navigate chapters, with subtitles and transcript available via the video player toolbar.
You will need a user account on socitm.net to access member-only resources. Let us know if need any support.
AI@Socitm
It’s easier and quicker to get to what you most need now we’ve reorganised the resources. This isn’t a static collection. New content is added regularly. Bookmark it and keep coming back.
Got a Use of GenAI Policy? Create your own from the template policy document.
East Riding Council successfully develops AI Policy using Socitm guidance
You might also like:
Watch AI – What impact does it have on Digital Accessibility?
Wed-26-Feb Safeguarding sensitive information with AI
Wed-26-Feb AI in action: 3 examples of AI solving real council challenges
Wed-5-Mar Introducing SMART: Staff Copilot - Magic Notes & Copilot Capabilities Combined
Wed-12-Mar Scottish AI Summit [Inverness]
Mon-17 to Tue-18-Mar AI UK 2025 [London] Join virtually for £20.
Wed-26-Mar Targeting AI to deliver for residents
Cyber security
NEW Cyber@Socitm
Get and stay secure
Find practical help, skills and a deeper understanding of cyber security in public services with this live collection of curated resources.
NEW Cyber security guidance for public sector practitioners
Cyber security is a critical concern for all of us. Our growing reliance on digital services means that threats are a daily reality. With those threats themselves constantly evolving.
Mark Brett provides tailored information covering cyber threats and incidents, support and guidance, opportunities and resources.
Jump to the section of most relevance for you: chief executives and chief officers; social care; finance; HR; procurement; electoral registration.
You might also like:
Watch Cyber Incident Response: The last line of defence
Listen MHCLG's CAF for local government
Thu-27-Feb Anatomy of a DDoS Attack
Thu-6-Mar Cyber NI Conference [Belfast]
Thu-6-Mar ISfL Annual Conference 2025 [London]
Thu-13-Mar Socitm C-TAG Workshop: MTA-STS
Thu-20-Mar What is good Cyber Governance?
Cyber NI Conference: a highlight of CyberNI Week
The conference will bring together cyber security professionals and senior leaders from the public and private sectors, offering a prime opportunity for networking, further enhancing the local cyber security community.
The event features a number of high calibre expert speakers and promises to be an engaging and informative experience.
ISfL Annual Conference 2025: AI, governance and cyber security
Navigating the challenges of AI in the public sectorAs AI continues to transform the public sector, ensuring the security and integrity of these systems has become a critical priority.
This year’s conference explores the challenges and opportunities AI presents to cyber security in local government and the wider public sector.
From defending against AI-driven threats to leveraging AI for enhanced security, experts will share insights on best practices, compliance and governance strategies that safeguard public trust.
It’s open to all public sector WARP members and attendance is free.
Procurement in 2025
Are you ready for Monday 24 February?
NEW Briefing: Preparing for the new Procurement Act 2023
This briefing gives you the knowledge and tools you need to comply with the new Act.
ICYMI The National Procurement Policy Statement sets out strategic priorities for public procurement and how contracting authorities can support their delivery, and will come into effect 24 February 2025.
You might also like:
Wed-12-Mar | 13:00 to 14:00 | Cloud marketplace: a new age of procurement
Harnessing data
Can AI help?
The development of AI will put greater pressure on data, amplifying risks and requiring new skills. However, there are some dimensions in which AI can help with data management:
- Data collection: ingesting from multiple sources, and cleaning and organising for analysis.
- Data analysis: identify patterns, correlations, anomalies and trends.
- Data quality: data cleansing algorithms can detect and correct errors, standardise formats and resolve duplicates.
- Data privacy, protection and security: automate compliance checks and ensure records are archived or destroyed as needed.
- Data reporting: automate report generation, saving time and ensures that all employees have access to the same information in a timely manner, regardless of their location or background.
Note: When applying AI to data, exercise caution. Ensure you have the necessary permissions, follow data security procedures and conduct risk assessments before implementation in your organisations.
Data driven decision making with Place Insight
Place Insight is a revolutionary tool that combines diverse data sources into a single, simple to use platform.
Designed by Impera Analytics with input from across the public sector, it features a comprehensive Social Progress Index at English local authority level, covering all 294 councils.
Users are given actionable insights about people and places to support compelling storytelling with data and enable effective resource allocation. It will also assist in building community-based research capacity.
Exclusive offer for members
Gain cost-effective access to Place Insight as an add-on to your membership, during renewal or at any time throughout the year.
To find out more contact Head of operations Poppy Brummell.
You might also like:
Wed-12-Mar Harnessing data to improve local public services
Tue-25-Mar Measuring what matters most: understanding national well-being
Accessibility and inclusion
Check your website’s Silktide Accessibility Score
If you’re competitive, see where you’re council ranks in the index for January.
Log in to find your personalised monthly report and advice by clicking the ‘Check your website’s accessibility score’ tile.
Follow Silktide’s YouTube series: What in the World is WCAG?. Their most recent video is 3.1 Readable. #LearnWithCats
Fill out your Digital Accessibility Maturity Assessment
Hassell lnclusion’s DAMA is a comprehensive self-assessment of your current level of digital accessibility maturity.
Next accessibility-themed webinars
Thu-27-Feb | 16:00 to 17:00 | Debunking Accessibility Myths
Thu-13-Mar | 12:00 to 13:00 | DIY Accessibility Audits: How to Achieve and Maintain EAA Compliance
PAUSE
Creating fair and equitable organisations and services is everybody’s responsibility. Take time to reflect and review on your approach and identify where there may be gaps in the way in which you do things. Pause – reflect – act
You might also like:
Watch AI – What impact does it have on Digital Accessibility?
Fri-21-Mar Duolingo's Owl Scares Me: An Introduction to Trauma-centred Design
Next core skills course
Tue-4-Mar | 09:30 to 12:30 | Equality, Diversity and Inclusion | 1 point
Can't make the date? Register to join in June, October or November.
Wellbeing
You are local government’s biggest asset
RPNA and Truth about Local Government are conducting this first annual survey to help everyone in the sector understand wellbeing better.
How happy, fulfilled, resilient, and ready for change do you feel? What’s contributing to attrition, and what do you need in order to flourish?
Well planned initiatives can transform employee experiences, but they need to be informed by data.
Take their completely anonymous survey and contribute to improving wellbeing in the sector. Making local government an even better place to work.
Training
Build your confidence and resilience to develop and better apply your skills, ideas, and experience.
In-person leadership courses
Empowering Women
- Birmingham | Mon-17 to Tue-18-Mar and Tue-11-Jun | 3 points
- Taunton |Tue-1 to Wed-2-Jul and Fri-3-Oct | 3 points
- Huntingdon | Thu-18 to Fri-19-Sep and Thu-20-Oct | 3 points
Place-based Leadership
- London |Thu-27 and Fri-28-Feb | 4 points
- Manchester | Tue-13 to Wed-14-May | 4 points
- Birmingham | Mon-27 and Tue-28-Oct | 4 points
Top Talent
- FULLY BOOKED Leeds | Mon-24 to Tue-25-Feb and Wed-21 to Thu-22 May | 4 points
- Birmingham | Thu-27 to Fri-28-Mar and Mon-9 to Tue-10-Jun | 4 points
- Glasgow | Wed-25 to Thu-26-Jun and Thu-28 to Fri-29 Aug | 4 points
- Cardiff |Tues-9 to Wed-10-Sep and Mon-13 to Tue-14-Oct | 4 points
Online core skills courses
- Tue-4-Mar | 09:30 to 12:30 | Equality, Diversity and Inclusion | 1 point
- Weds-2 and 23-Apr | 09:30 to 12:30 | Managing And Motivating Hybrid Teams | 1 point
- Tue-15-April | 09:30 to 12:30 | Introduction to Emotional Intelligence | 1 point
- Tues-6 and 20-May | 09:30 to 12:30 | How to be an Effective Coach | 1 point
Registering for training
Read your guide to using training points. Log in for the current number of available points. Don’t have enough or you’ve run out? Let us know.
Things happen. If you can’t make the date of your training course let us know ASAP and we’ll get you onto the next suitable one available. And your training points will transfer with you.
Please note: non-attendance without letting us know will mean training points getting deducted from your organisation’s annual total.
How was your course? Tell us about it and be a training champion 🙂.
Better data improves everything
NEW for your membership (in 2025 ONLY)
Use one benchmarking module. Choose from: cost, delivery, performance or user skills.
You want evidence to support your business cases, and insight into positive changes you can make. Get a concise overview of your service coupled with data to support it.
Never benchmarked before? Know what you’d doing and want to get going? Let benchmarking boss 😉 Matthew Fraser know and he’ll support you as much or as little as you need: benchmarking@socitm.net
Other people are using benchmarking and so can you:
- Argyll and Bute
- Dorset Council
Read more about what you can do and how in the Benchmarking Services Help Centre.
Watch Benchmarking: what will you measure in 2025?
Events
Member-only meetings
Meet people for catching-up, problem sharing (and solving) and great networking.
- Thu-27-Feb Members’ Connection Hour
- Wed-5-Mar Meeting for the South West in Exeter
- Thu-13-Mar Meeting for the East on Teams
- Tue-18-Mar Meeting for the North West in Manchester
- Wed-2-Apr Meeting for London and the South East in London
- Mon-7-Apr Meeting for the Midlands in [location TBC]
Free webinars and meetings hosted by Socitm
Webinars are open to anyone in the public sector, membership is not necessary, so please do share them with your network.
- Wed-26-Feb AI in action: 3 examples of AI solving real council challenges
- Wed-5-Mar Introducing SMART: Staff Copilot – Magic Notes & Copilot Capabilities Combined
- Wed-12-Mar Cloud marketplace: a new age of procurement
- Wed-19-Mar Mastering IT service delivery challenges with ITIL4 processes
- Fri-21-Mar Duolingo’s Owl Scares Me: An Introduction to Trauma-centred Design
- Wed-26-Mar How councils are eliminating integration headaches and connecting data silos with Citizen Hub
Missed one? Recordings of Socitm webinars are available in the Resource hub.
President’s Conference: Beyond Borders
Tuesday 10 and Wednesday 11 June
Never been to President’s Conference before? What’s it like?
As you’d expect, you’ll hear leaders from local, national and international perspectives. But it’s more than that.
This conference is about getting things done. You’ll take away practical actions and contacts to help solve the challenges we’re all facing.
All this will be wrapped within the Socitm community to create a conference that gives you the right mix of presentations and people in a collaborative and relaxed atmosphere.
The beyond borders agenda
Take away ideas and inspiration with sessions covering:
- Overcoming barriers stopping progress in your organisation
- How councils are revolutionising service delivery with AI and automation
- Insights from the devolved nations on what’s working and what’s next
- Harnessing your data for social progress
- If you were working in a local council in New Zealand what would you be doing? Would it be that different?
- The future of local government by the people running local government
Mostly free webinars and events hosted by partners and others
February
- Tue-25-Feb Cyber Security 2025 [Glasgow]
- Wed-26-Feb
- 09:00 to 17:00 HETT North [Manchester]
It’s free for you to attend. Got private sector colleagues? check your newsletter for a code to get 10% off their registration. - 10:00 to 16:00 Netcall’s local government user group [Carlisle] Hear from Cumberland, East Lothian, Lancashire and Newcastle
- 11:00 to 12:00 Safeguarding sensitive information with AI
- 09:00 to 17:00 HETT North [Manchester]
- Thu-27-Feb
- 08:00 to 19:00 AWS Public Sector Day 2025 [London]
- 11:00 to 12:00 Anatomy of a DDoS Attack – VP Kurt Frary (CTO at Norfolk) is one of the speakers
- 16:00 to 17:00 Debunking Accessibility Myths
March
- Wed-5-Mar Request to attend the Microsoft AI Tour in London
- Wed-5-Mar Microsoft Innovation and Collaboration Forum
- Wed-5 to Fri-7-Mar Powering Digital Public Services 2025
- Thu-6-Mar
- 09:00 to 16:00 Cyber NI Conference [Belfast]
- 10:00 to 16:00 ISfL Annual Conference 2025 [London]
Socitm will be at both of these conferences.
- Wed-12-Mar Scottish AI Summit [Inverness]
- Wed-12-Mar Harnessing data to improve local public services
- Thu-13-Mar Socitm C-TAG Workshop: MTA-STS
- Mon-17 to Tue-18-Mar AI UK 2025 [London] Join virtually for £20.
- Wed-19-Mar GovTech Show and Exhibitor 2025 Check your email newsletter for a member-only code to register free of charge.
- Thu-20-Mar What is good Cyber Governance?
- Tue-25-Mar Measuring what matters most: understanding national well-being
- Wed-26-Mar Targeting AI to deliver for residents
- Thu-27-Mar NILGA Local Government Celebration and Awards [Banbridge]
GovTech Show and Exhibition 2025
Wednesday 19 March | 09:00 to 17:00 | London W1G 0AE
You’ll walk away with actionable insights on
- harnessing efficient, secure, and sustainable technology
- delivering cost-effective, citizen-centric services
- improving social progress through insights driven by data.
Connect with like-minded colleagues across the public sector and discover what works and what could work to improve outcomes for people, communities, and places.
Check your email newsletter for a member-only code to register free of charge.
CivicLAB Conference: Thursday 26 June
Keynote speaker: VP Yogita Popat (Programme Director, Strategy and Engagement, Culture and Sustainability for Barnet Council)
Call for papers
The conference, at the University of Derby, focuses on understanding the changing nature of communities, sustaining and enhancing life through inclusive connected practices, research, teaching and learning.
Socitm’s partnership with CivicLAB reflects our shared commitment to a place-based approach to improving outcomes for all.
You and your organisation can benefit from innovative research, fresh insights, and a focus on delivering real public value.
Together, we aim to support and inspire transformation that makes a tangible difference in the communities we serve.
Submit your abstract (max 250 words) by Monday 17 March 2025.
Thank you for reading (or scrolling) this far! Just one more thing…
A few things that were mentioned during last Friday’s workplace resilience webinar:
Watch: Kelly McGonigal’s TED Talk How to make stress your friend
From the Harvard Business Review: Collaborative Overload. Too much teamwork exhausts employees and saps productivity. Here’s how to avoid it.
Jess Stuart’s book From Burnout to Brilliance
Ruby Wax’s book A Mindfulness Guide for the Frazzled