LGA launches Sector Support offer for 2025/26

24 Apr 2025 08:58 AM

The LGA has launched its Sector Support offer for 2025/26.

The Local Government Association (LGA) has launched its Sector Support offer for 2025/26.

Including wide-ranging support programmes, funded by the UK Government, LGA support continues to be hugely valued and has been updated to reflect the current challenges and opportunities for local authorities across the country.

Access to this support has never been more important, responding directly to sector needs following the publication of the landmark English Devolution White Paper.

The LGA is already supporting councils going through devolution and local government reorganisation (LGR). This includes access to bespoke regional support and networks; support spanning governance, finance and workforce implications of these changes; service specific support, such as for children’s and adult services; webinars covering key topics; and opportunities to learn directly from local and combined authority representatives who have gone through the process. 

The Corporate Peer Challenge (CPC) programme remains an important and valued improvement and assurance tool, with 100 per cent of councils consistently saying that the process of preparing for and participating in a CPC has had a positive impact on their council. 

The strengthened CPC programme provides robust and credible challenge, with a stronger focus on performance, governance and culture to reflect the current challenges to the sector and Best Value duties. 

This year, the programme has been refreshed to ensure that both CPCs and progress reviews can be tailored as appropriate to support local and combined authorities navigating next steps and priorities in relation to LGR and devolution. 

Leadership programmes will continue to provide a vital role in ensuring local government has the skills and knowledge needed to deliver for communities, including through times of change. 

Last year the LGA hosted more than 2,000 councillor placements on programmes such as Leadership Academy, Leadership Essentials, and Next Generation, which will remain cornerstones of the sector support offer, alongside dedicated development programmes for Chief Executives and other statutory officers, delivered with partners including Solace, CIPFA and Lawyers in Local Government (LLG). 

The LGA award-winning national recruitment campaign, ‘Make a Difference, Work for your Local Council’ -delivered in partnership with Solace- will continue to be rolled out across the country, helping to attract new talent to the sector and promoting the opportunities a local government career can offer. 

Alongside the LGA’s graduate development programmes and workforce offers, such as the new ‘Retention and Reset’ programme, this support recognises the incredible capacity and demand pressures that all local authorities are facing. 

Programmes including Children’s Services Improvement, Partners in Care and Health and the Planning Advisory Service (PAS) also continue to provide further tools and support, in response to demand in service specific areas.  

This year, the LGA’s workforce programme will also provide support across wider issues to address complex challenges, including incoming Make Work Pay reforms and equal pay issues. This programme will also continue the important work of managing national collective bargaining arrangements for more than 1.4 million employees within the sector. 

With local elections approaching, the LGA’s support offer can be drawn on in the lead up to or after polling day, to help smooth transitions where there has been a change of leader or political control. This is part of the LGA’s wider regional support programme—underpinned by experienced member and officer peers—including mentoring, top-team development and a range of wider bespoke support and advice. 

Targeted support is also available for any local and combined authorities facing enhanced challenges, alongside wider range tools to prevent challenges from worsening. 

Finance support is central to the LGA’s offer and responding to demand, this year’s programme has an increased emphasis on audit and focus on Exceptional Financial Support (EFS). This includes support for new members to understand the implications of EFS, an ‘audit mapping’ pilot and a new masterclass on the recruitment, induction and use of independent members on audit committees, informed by new guidance. 

Financial Improvement Sustainability Advisers (FISAs)—all of whom are current or former Chief Finance Officers—remain a key part of this offer, providing advice and support across a range of budgetary issues. 

Underlining the vital importance of data in decision-making, the LGA’s freely available, award-winning tool, LG Inform, provides unique access to local government benchmarking data. This powerful platform integrates thousands of local-level data metrics to enable councils, the public sector, and communities to compare local authority performance, including those with similar characteristics.  
 
In addition to programmes mentioned above, the LGA also delivers support across further key areas, including: 

Cllr Abi Brown OBE, Chair of the LGA’s Improvement and Innovation Board, said:  

“This year’s Sector Support programme comes at a critical time for local government, which is going through its biggest reorganisation in 50 years. 

“Our councillor and officer peers are at the heart of our offers and continue to provide highly valued, expert support. No one understands local government better than those with direct experience. LGA peers are uniquely equipped to support and advise.

“This is alongside our established assurance and improvement tools, such as our Corporate Peer Challenge – which is consistently rated by councils as having a positive impact on their performance – providing local authorities with robust and credible challenge and can be tailored to respond to times of change. 

“Our wide-ranging programme will continue to provide local authorities with necessary support to deliver critical services, which residents rely on, while helping them to make the best of opportunities and drive improvement in their areas.  

“Given the scale of change and challenges facing local government, it is crucial that councils continue to have access to the support they need.” 

Notes to Editors

The LGA’s Sector support programmes are largely funded by the UK Government 

LGA: Sector support offer for local authorities 2025/26