Lambeth Council is set to revamp its councillor training programme in preparation for the 2026 local elections. The Standards Committee met on Monday, 17 November 2025, to discuss improvements to the Member Learning and Development Programme and the Member Induction Programme 2026. All costs will be met from existing budgets, utilising a mix of officer time, in-house resources, and externally funded sources.
The council aims to equip both new and returning councillors with the necessary skills and knowledge to effectively serve their communities. The revamped programme will focus on providing a comprehensive understanding of the councillor's role and the council's governance framework. The training programme will cover a range of topics, including member induction, member enquiries, the member code of conduct, local government finance and procurement, GDPR, emergency planning, children's safeguarding, corporate parenting, EDI, and corporate safeguarding.
According to a report considered by the committee, the role of a councillor is increasingly complex, with high expectations from the public. The report quoted Professor Colin Copus of the Local Government Information Unit, who stated, The public expect local councillors to solve personal case work issues; address local community problems, from the mundane to the complex; provide access to the council; and take action to force change in the policies and practices of the council.
The training programme will be structured around several key principles, including prioritisation, digital accessibility, integration with wider member development, and high-quality content. Workshops and training will be categorised as compulsory, recommended, and ongoing. Councillors must complete compulsory training to undertake their duties, and decisions made by members who have not attended such training could be open to challenge. Democratic Services is working with the Monitoring Officer to ensure compliance with mandatory training requirements.
Councillor Jackie Meldrum raised concerns about the current training programme, suggesting that courses are often presented from an officer's perspective rather than a councillor's. She suggested, If they were led by councillors, I think we get a slightly different tone. They don't seem to be quite oriented enough at our perspective.
To address attendance challenges, the council is exploring e-learning modules with tests to ensure engagement. The intention is to include a test at the end of the e-learning modules to ensure that every Councillor has completed that training session. Councillor Tom Swaine-Jameson suggested that e-learning is ideal for people who struggle to make the evenings
and allows for more flexible learning.
The council is also working to improve the accessibility of information for councillors. This includes making the members' SharePoint site more accessible, even when councillors are not logged in with their Lambeth accounts, so they can access it on their phones or other devices.
The Member Learning and Development Working Group, consisting of Councillor Scarlett O'Hara (Chief Whip), Councillor James Bryan (Deputy Chief Whip), Councillor Ben Curtis (Group Whip), Councillor Jackie Meldrum and Councillor Tom Swaine-Jameson, will continue to play a key role in shaping the induction programme. The committee discussed scheduling working group meetings to further develop the programme. Provisional dates for induction sessions have been identified as the 13th and 17th of May.
Pre-election briefings will be arranged with agents and candidates in February and March 2026, covering essential information such as induction dates, ID requirements, training requirements, the Code of Conduct, and IT provision.
The council will measure the effectiveness of the new training programme by issuing evaluation forms after every session. Feedback from previous training will be reviewed, and ideas from groups will be welcomed. The council will also welcome views from the Constitution Working Group, Standards Committee, and the Member Learning and Development Working Group. The council will regularly report to the Standards Committee and continue to meet with the MLD Working Group to receive continuous feedback.
All induction and member learning and development sessions will be open and accessible to all Councillors, and information will be provided in a range of formats to accommodate different learning styles. Councillors will also have opportunities to indicate further development needs.