Decisions in public
Budgets, officer advice, the media and the code of conduct.
- Level
- Bitesize
- Learning time
- 1 hour 15 minutes
- Where
- Being a Councillor
- 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
This module sets out the machinery behind council decisions: the scheme of delegation under section 101 of the Local Government Act 1972, the decision cycle, key decisions and call-in. It compares revenue and capital budgets, the annual budget cycle and the legal duty to set a balanced budget, explains the three statutory officers and section 114 reports, and distinguishes lawful predisposition from unlawful predetermination under section 25 of the Localism Act 2011. This module covers the councillor's public voice: when to speak, using a two question grid on how an issue touches your people and your standing, and why public money is not party money under section 2 of the Local Government Act 1986. It sets out the pre-election period, officer and politician roles, personal accounts, local media, the campaigning and governing voices, and preparation for the May 2027 Welsh local elections.
What you'll develop
In this Bitesize, you will develop the ability to:
- Outline how a scheme of delegation, the decision cycle, key decisions and call-in shape who decides what and how decisions are held to account.
- Distinguish revenue from capital budgets, and explain the balanced budget duty and the roles of the three statutory officers, including section 114 reports.
- Apply the distinction between predisposition and predetermination to the decisions you take, especially in planning, licensing and other quasi-judicial work.
- Use the two question grid to judge when to speak, when to amplify others, when to speak with care and when to stay out of an issue.
- Explain the rules on council publicity and the pre-election period, including what pauses, what continues and the separate roles of officers and politicians.
The Modules.
1 hour 15 minutes of learning.
- 06Decisions, Budgets and AdviceThis module sets out the machinery behind council decisions: the scheme of delegation under section 101 of the Local Government Act 1972, the decision cycle, key decisions and call-in. It compares revenue and capital budgets, the annual budget cycle and the legal duty to set a balanced budget, explains the three statutory officers and section 114 reports, and distinguishes lawful predisposition from unlawful predetermination under section 25 of the Localism Act 2011.37 min
- 07Public Voice, Media and the RulesThis module covers the councillor's public voice: when to speak, using a two question grid on how an issue touches your people and your standing, and why public money is not party money under section 2 of the Local Government Act 1986. It sets out the pre-election period, officer and politician roles, personal accounts, local media, the campaigning and governing voices, and preparation for the May 2027 Welsh local elections.35 min
Go deeper, and pay only the difference
- You are hereBitesize, 1 hour 15 minutes, £39
- Next stepFocus, Leading in public, 2 hours 30 minutes, £69. Already own the Bitesize? You pay £30.
- The whole topicExplore, Elected to serve, 5 hours 30 minutes, £129. Already own the Bitesize? You pay £90.
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. Prices per person. Read the full terms
Also part of: Leading from the front bench
