This online training session is designed to provide stewards with a thorough grounding in the key elements of local government finance and funding.

If you are a UNISON steward or organiser in Scotland working in local government and want to learn more about your Council's finances then read on.

No prior knowledge of council finance is required and all finance jargon, acronyms and terms will be explained.

UNISON has commissioned the LGiU to provide training on local government finance. Aimed at UNISON Stewards who work in local government this session will provide a good grounding and an opportunity to learn more about your local Council’s finances.

Session 1: An Introduction to Local Government Finance

It is more important than ever that all trade unionists working in local government understand how the local government finance system works because council budgets will continue to be under significant pressure until the end of the decade. Elected members (within the financial constraints they face) make political choices about budgets and council tax. If trade unionists are going to influence those decisions sound knowledge in local government finance is essential.

This session gives a very good grounding in how local government finance works in practice and sets out the ‘basics’ as part of the bigger picture of current developments and longer-term trends: the ‘emergency budget’, funding plans for the next five years announced in the Autumn Statement and the local government finance settlement. It will also cover the emerging impact of major changes to local government finance, the impact of Covid-19 on Council finances and the cost of living crisis.

By the end of the session, participants 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 HRA, reserves and balances.
Understand how local councils receive their funding.

Trainer: Ian Fifield

Ian Fifield, Ian is a CIPFA qualified accountant with over 20 years of experience in designing and delivering financial management training for local authorities and other public service organisations.

You are also encouraged to participate in the second session which looks at your Council's key financial reports produced each year when setting the annual budget.

Register here to attend drop-in workshops.

The online training will be hosted on Zoom.

An Introduction to Local Government Finance for UNISON (Scotland)