Devolution and the political map
The Senedd, devolution and the wider political landscape.
- Level
- Bitesize
- Learning time
- 1 hour 30 minutes
- Where
- Serving the public
- Price
- £39
When you step up to a higher level, what you paid in the last 12 months for lower-level courses inside the bigger course comes off its price, in proportion to how much of each is inside it, whichever topic it's from. Courses at the same or a lower level don't give credit against each other. A Focus course or above always costs at least £15. Read the full terms
Certificate of Completion
Overview and Outcomes.
Overview
Knowing who holds which power is the first step to giving residents the right answer. Beginning in Cardiff, the course sets out the reserved powers model introduced by the Wales Act 2017, how the settlement grew from 1999 to a ninety six Member Senedd, the weight its committees carry, how the Welsh Government is led and the Sewel convention. It then widens to the political landscape, mapping three tiers of government in England and four in Wales, comparing the casework of councillors, MPs and Members of the Senedd, and using the Renters' Rights Act 2025 to show one issue falling under two regimes.
What you'll develop
In this Bitesize, you will develop the ability to:
- Identify whether a policy area is devolved, reserved or partly devolved under the reserved powers model, and why that decides who you engage.
- Describe the tiers of government in England and in Wales and explain how the Senedd changes the shape of the Welsh system.
- Explain how the Senedd makes law as a single chamber and why its committees carry comparatively more weight than those at Westminster.
- Distinguish reserved, devolved and council delivered matters and identify how they differ between England and Wales.
- Apply practical habits for working with the Welsh settlement, including early engagement, reading Welsh sources first and recognising the role of the Sewel convention.
- Route a resident's enquiry to the right tier and the right elected representative, quickly and courteously.
The Modules.
1 hour 30 minutes of learning.
- 05The Senedd and Devolved Decision-Making in WalesThis module looks at how Wales makes decisions differently from Westminster. It sets out the reserved powers model introduced by the Wales Act 2017, the policy by policy map of devolved and reserved areas, and how the settlement grew from 1999 to a ninety six Member Senedd. It then explores the Senedd's single chamber, the weight its committees carry, how the Welsh Government is led and the Sewel convention.42 min
- 03The Wider Political LandscapeResidents rarely know which tier of government owns their problem, and officers who know only their own tier can give confident but wrong answers. This module maps the three tiers in England and four in Wales, explains devolved and reserved powers, compares the casework of councillors, MPs and Members of the Senedd, and uses the Renters' Rights Act 2025 to show one issue falling under two regimes either side of the border.43 min