The Practitioners’ Guide is issued by the Smaller Authorities Proper Practices Panel (SAPPP) - formerly JPAG - to support the preparation of statutory annual accounting and governance statements by smaller authorities in England found in the Annual Governance and Accountability Return.

The 2025 edition (available to view or download on the NALC website) applies to Annual Governance and Accountability Returns (AGAR) for financial years commencing on or after 1 April 2025. The proper practices laid down in sections one and two of this edition must be applied in the financial year ending 31 March 2026, and the Annual Governance and Accountability Return (AGAR) for the year ending 31 March 2026 must be prepared following sections one and two of this edition of the guide. Note that the comparative figures (the figures for the year ending 31 March 2025 included in the 2025 AGAR) must be stated on the same basis as those for the year ending 31 March 2026.

The Local Government Association has informed NALC that the National Joint Council for Local Government Services (NJC) has agreed on pay rates applicable from 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025.

Some of the key information includes:

• With effect from 1 April 2024, an increase of £1,290 (pro rata for part-time employees) will be paid as a consolidated, permanent addition on all NJC pay points 2 to 43 inclusive.
• With effect from 1 April 2024, an increase of 2.50 per cent on all pay points above 43.
• With effect from 1 April 2024, an increase of 2.50 per cent on all allowances.
• Backpay for employees who have left employment since 1 April 2024. If an ex-employee requests it, we recommend that employers pay any monies due to that employee from 1 April 2024 to the employee’s last day of employment.
• When salary arrears are paid to ex-employees in the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS), the employer must inform its local LGPS fund. 

For further information, please visit the NALC website to read the Briefing Note that had been issued as part of advice to local councils. 

NALC has published an updated edition of The Good Councillor’s Guide for member councils, an electronic copy of which can be downloaded from the NALC website.

BT Group announced last week their intention to delay the date for the switching off of the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN).  The original date around which plans have been made was early December 2025.  BT Group announced today the rescheduled date of 31 January 2027.  This additional 13 months allows more time for Communications Providers (CPs) to safely migrate their vulnerable customers from the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN).

What does this mean for local councils?
You should by now have an inventory of all your lines and associated Service Provider(s). If you’re not already talking to your Service Provider, please make plans to do so ASAP.

Please continue to audit any safety devices on your estate, whether that’s a lift alarm, monitoring service or telecare device. Reach out to your device suppliers and get help and advice on the compatibility of these devices on a digital network.

The urgency for switching customers onto digital services grows by the day because the 40-year-old analogue landline technology is becoming increasingly fragile and harder to maintain service. We encourage you to continue with your current plans to switch to digital as soon as possible.

What about the vulnerable?
We’ve been working closely with CPs to develop a new ‘Prove Telecare’ service which would help to ensure that telecare devices still work after an engineering visit to upgrade an end customer to a digital service. This service will be trialled later this year.

BT Business plan to launch a new service (available until 2030) called ‘Pre-digital Phone Line’. BT Business are inviting CPs to register their interest to become resellers of this service to their customers. This service will give end customers an analogue type of voice service, with power on the line via their master socket. This is a temporary solution rather than a long-term alternative to digital.

Pkease check the BT Group updated FAQs here if you have any questions.

Essential reading for Clerks/RFOs when considering any findings and recommendations for their own council., particularly for Finance Committees, 

2022-2023 was the first year of the second five-year appointing period during which SAAA was responsible for appointing auditors to Smaller Authorities. In 2021, SAAA appointed four audit firms, BDO, Mazars, Moore and PKF Littlejohn, for the five financial years beginning on 1 April 2022. This report gives details of their work with Smaller Authorities for the financial year 2022-2023.

The full report can be accessed here: SAAA 2022 to 2023 Report

You can book the Essential Councillor and Planning in Plain English Trainers to come to your council at your own venue and at a time convenient to your council.

We will run the session for your all your own councillors or you can work with other councils (participant limit is 15 when working with other councils).

There is a set fee for the training of £275 for up to 15 Councillors, plus trainer expenses.

Please contact the Chief Officer at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for further details and to make bookings.

What is effective community engagement and what can be learnt from for local practice?

NALC policy consultation briefing to all member councils

Infrastructure Levy consultation NALC Briefing

Closing date 9th June 2023

The Ornamental Wilderness in the English Garden with Dr James Bartos  22nd April

Garden visits:

Wednesday, 28 June 2023 - 10:30 am - 4:30 pm - Garden visit to High Glanau Manor and Wyndcliffe Court

Monday, 24 July 2023 at 2:00 pm - 4:00 pm - Garden Visit to Caisson House, Combe Hay, Bath, BA2 7EF

DETAILS

Please help with this research

“Diverse voices?  Are local councils in England and Wales attracting councillors with non-visible disabilities?”  This research aims to investigate whether the trend of under representation of disabled people in public and political life is reflected in the local council sector (town, parish and community councils in England and Wales)

LINK

Thank you.

A WORD FROM NALC AND SLCC CHIEF
EXECUTIVES
We are delighted that the number of councils signing up to
the civility pledge is over 1,000, a tremendous start, and we
encourage all councils to consider signing up to it.

Newsletter C&R newsletter 2023

Introducing a new guide to help local councils protect precious green spaces and paths, Kate Ashbrook, general secretary of the Open Spaces Society⁽¹⁾, Britain’s oldest conservation body, says:

‘Often town, parish and community councils (local councils) are unaware of all the extensive powers they have to deal with problems on open spaces and paths.

‘These powers are scattered in different and sometimes obscure pieces of legislation.  This is why we have brought them together in one document, What local councils can do for public access to town and countryside.

The ALCA Elections Information Pack is now in the Members Area of this website under "Toolkits" - log in to access and enjoy!

Hopefully you have already heard of Slow Ways. We are co-creating the first point to point walking network in Great Britain and we need your help! Slow Ways has 8000 routes over 2500 towns and cities so there will be one near you. There are already thousands of citizens who have walked thousands of Slow Way routes but it isn't completed yet - can your team get involved?

The Treasury has released the finer details for the snappily named replacement to the Energy Bill Relief Scheme which finishes on 31st March, the details for which we have summarised below: