Lifting the Lid on Local Government Finance

We are holding a webinar entitled 'Lifting the Lid on Local Government Finance’ at 2.00pm on 25th November 2021.

The webinar will last about an hour and costs £30 plus value added tax (a total of £36).

Local Government is going through a period of significant change, especially with austerity, devolution and coronavirus. Localisation of business rates is ongoing and revenue support grant is being phased out. There is uncertainty about local government finance because of the Fair Funding Review and ‘Brexit’. This is changing local government and how its finances are managed.

In the current climate of financial challenges and uncertainty, a working knowledge of local authority finance will put you and your colleagues in a position of advantage. However, what you really want to know is not only how local government finance is supposed to work but also how it REALLY WORKS in practice. This will not be about theory but about behaviour and managing that behaviour to allow you to get the most out of your budget.

The aim of the webinar is to provide you with the knowledge to be able to ask the right questions and better manage your budget and those who are managing it for you. The session will address the following issues:

• How do Local Government Finances really work?
• ‘Tricks of the trade’ including getting beneath what is really happening with budgets, final accounts, reserves, capital programme underspends / overspends and where the money is 'hidden'.
• How to get the financial processes right.
• How to get the most out of your budget and balance the books and explain the budget to the council taxpayer.

This webinar is relevant in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. Whether you are in a London Borough, Metropolitan, Unitary, County or District Council or otherwise involved in local government; whether you are an Elected Member, Non-Financial Manager, or a member of the Finance Team, you will benefit from“Lifting the Lid on Local Government Finance”. For example:

• Elected Members will find out what questions to ask to understand how budgets and accounts are really managed and how to influence how resources are used.
• Non-financial managers will gain a better understanding of how their budgets are prepared and managed.
• Finance managers will gain a better understanding of how to avoid some of the financial pitfalls.

The presenter will be Adrian Waite, a former Finance Director and advisor to the Local Government Association, who is well known for his ability to explain complex financial matters clearly.To view his biography, please click here.

It is possible to ask questions during and after the webinar. The webinar is also accompanied by a very useful briefing paper that will be provided to participants alongside a copy of the presentation used. A recording of the webinar is available after it is completed. Participants will also be provided with Continuing Professional Development (CPD) certificates.

To make a booking, please click on of the following link:

• Lifting the Lid on Local Government Finance - 2.00pm - 25th November 2021

AWICS offers Webinars on a broad range of subjects relevant to public services, local government, housing and finance.

Whether or not you have ever attended an AWICS webinar, we would like to know about your views on webinars. We would therefore be grateful if you could complete our short survey that you can find by clicking HERE