The LGIU’s introductory online training on local government finance explains the basics and is designed to provide you, as stewards, with a thorough grounding in the key elements of local government finance and funding.

No previous experience is required.  All jargon explained.

By the end of the training, you will:

• Understand the importance of good financial governance and the key role and responsibilities played by elected councillors.
• Understand the overall national legal and policy framework affecting council finance and budgets.
• Understand key concepts and terminology, such as capital and revenue, general fund and the Housing Revenue Account (HRA), reserves and balances.
• Understand how local councils receive their funding.

Lunch and learn workshop: Reviewing the Big 3 Financial Reports and Budget Setting

If you have attended the LGIU’s introductory training on local government finance or watched the LGIU’s bite-size learning on local government finance and reviewing the big 3 financial reports and want to know more about your local council’s finances then register for the LGIU’s lunchtime workshop that goes through both the key financial reports and budget setting.

The LGIU is running four lunchtime workshops that will help stewards and reps understand, interrogate and scrutinise the key financial reports that your Council produces each year including:

• The Medium Term Financial Strategy (MTFS) and Annual Budget
• The latest budget monitoring report
• The Statement of Accounts.

We will also touch on the political choices made when setting your Council’s annual budget and how UNISON stewards can influence the decision-making process including:

• Appraise and evaluate how stewards can most effectively influence budget and spending decisions
• The continued impacts of austerity, the pandemic and the cost of living crisis
• Look at the financial planning and control processes at a typical local council
• Look at the policy-making and budget-setting cycle.