Agenda item

Nicky Old, Director of Communications

The Chair invited Nicky Old (NO), Director of Communications, to introduce the update.

NO updated members on progress since the previous report to IIB in February 2023 and noted that across the first quarter (April-June 2023), there was evidence to show that there had been a positive step change in terms of effective communications activity and support. NO reported that the communication improvement team was currently working on possible alternative ways of funding their support offer to councils in the light of the decision by DLUHC to no longer include this work as part of the overall improvement grant. There was likely to be competition from commercial organisations for this work and so communication with the sector about an LGA offer would commence very soon.

Members’ comments and questions:

·       In response to a question about plans for the LGA to use Instagram as a communication platform, NO confirmed that officers were looking at how it could be best used, making more use of visual messaging, and also how this could be sustained over a longer period.

·       Concern was expressed that if the LGA brought in charges to access communications support, this could effectively exclude the more financially challenged councils. NO said that the LGA could still offer these councils some limited initial ad hoc support free of charge but longer-term support, which the DLUHC grant previously funded, would need to be looked at on a case by case basis.

Decision:

Improvement & Innovation Board noted progress during Q1 of 2023/24 across a number of communications, marketing and events activity linked to the LGA’s sector support offer, and the impact of its programmes.