Get everything you can from your membership
Your events, training and resources
Now the repetition of my essential tips for membership makes even more sense. To better support you (and us) we’ve completed our own service redesign project.
Your membership account is now much more self-service than ever before.
This all went live yesterday, so do let us know what you think. A quick ‘how to’:
- Create your user account on socitm.net and then make sure your personal and organisation details are correct.
- The membership benefits list has been upgraded. You can see exactly what’s available but also what’s been used.
- Check if you have been assigned an Admin or Lead role. If you want to spend some training points, a colleague with a Lead role will be able to approve it.
- Apply directly for your innovation session and other benefits that are part of your organisational membership.
Add hello@socitm.gv-c.com to your Outlook safe senders list (I strongly encourage newsletter subscription as a handy summary of everything Socitm-related you need).
The end of February sees the first of our three national conference days in 2024. Join us in Sheffield as we reimagine your community through data, technology and service design.
I hope you can have a great weekend.
Best wishes,
Alex.
Your Resource Hub
2024’s Public Sector Digital and Technology Trends
The challenge for public service organisations in 2024 is managing growing demands and leading the momentum of digital opportunities – culture, technologies and data – ensuring no one and no place gets left behind. Get the super-top level overview first from the infographic and summary.
You might have missed…
Last week, Julie Measures from Go MAD Thinking joined Aidan Matthews to discuss problem solving and decision making. They gave you plenty of theory and practice to think about, a reading list and a great animation to watch later.
Watch Friday’s webinar.
The recording is divided into easy to navigate chapters, with subtitles and transcript available via the video player toolbar.
Website accessibility
Log in to check your Silktide Score and to complete your Digital Accessibility Maturity Assessment.
You will need a user account on socitm.net to access member-only resources. Let us know if need any support.
Reimagining communities and places
09.30 to 16.30 on Wednesday 28 February in Sheffield
A journey through data, technologies and service design
This week we considered whether mindset is more important than method in service design and transformation. Broadly we came down in favour of mindset over method. But that mindset will be tested even further this year with direction from DLUHC for a productivity plan.
This is on our list of things to discuss when we’re in Sheffield at the end of the month. Are you or one of your colleagues joining us?
National conference days are member-only events.
Training
February’s virtual and in-person programmes
- Thursday 22 February: Change Agent Reflector [6 weekly modules] | Teams | 0 points
- Wednesday 27 and Thursday 28 February: Top Talent | London | 4 points | CPD-certified
March’s in-person leadership programmes
- Monday 4 and Tuesday 5 March: Place-Based Leadership | London | 4 points
- Tuesday 12 and Wednesday 13 March: Empowering Women | Yorkshire | 3 points | CPD-certified
Training places are included in your organisational membership – subject to availability and membership level. If you have any questions or would like further information, please email the training team.
Events
Member-only meetings
Meet people for catching-up, problem sharing (and solving) and great networking.
- Wednesday 28 February: in-person conference day on service design and transformation (Sheffield)
- Thursday 29 February: Members Connection Hour
- Friday 1 March: in-person meeting for the South West (in Exeter)
Free webinars (from Socitm and our partners)
- Wednesday 14 February
- 13:00 Revolutionising social care with AI
- 14:00 Employer workshop: Are you disability confident?
- Friday 16 February: Tackling technical debt and reshaping service delivery
- Thursday 22 February: Role of AI and Data: Leveraging technology while reducing costs
- Friday 1 March: VP Matt Lewis explains his choice of cyber security partner
- Wednesday 6 March: Microsoft Innovation and Collaboration Forum
- Wednesday 6 to Friday 8 March: Powering Digital Public Services 2024
Missed a webinar? Past recordings are available to watch in the resource hub.
Webinars are open to anyone in the public sector, membership is not necessary, so please do share them with your network.
Come and say hello
- Wednesday 28 February: HETT North 2024 (Manchester)
Join Institute Director Sam Smith for a fireside chat with Mark Nicholas from NHS England: what does the future of digital look like in social care? - Wednesday 8 and Thursday 9 May: DigiGov Expo (London)
Join Nadira Hussain, Mark Lumley and Sam Smith on Wednesday
Presidents’ Conference
Wednesday 12 and Thursday 13 June in Birmingham
We left Brighton last year reinvigorated. What will you get from Birmingham this year? Reinvigoration in 2024 is still required. Over one and a half days (and one evening) of the serious and celebratory you will be supported and inspired by your Socitm local government colleagues.
Connecting the DDaT community
Wednesday 8 and Thursday 9 May | ExCeL London
Hear speakers from Socitm at DigiGov Expo. Nadira Hussain, Sam Smith and Mark Lumley are all part of the agenda at the UK’s largest public sector tech event.
Nadira is chairing the Citizen Experience Track on 8 May (and Mark is part of the panel discussion on Data-Driven Collaboration). Sam is on the Government ICT Track and talking part in the discussion on Driving transformation through an effective strategy.
Secure your FREE place and check out the rest of the agenda.
Thank you for reading (or scrolling) this far! Just one more thing…
Whether you’ve ever watched Kind Hearts and Coronets or not, the Comfort Blanket podcast episode about it is still a really lovely listen. You can then watch it on Channel 4 🙂
Photo by Med Badr Chemmaoui on Unsplash