Programme
Thursday 17th September 2009
9:00
Registration and refreshments
9:45
Chairs opening remarks
10:00
Understanding the role of service charging in developing a more efficient council
- Why charge?
- Policy objectives: efficiency and fairness
- Costing and pricing
Peter Watt
INLOGOV
University of Birmingham
10:25
Planning and monitoring income to maintain stable charges
- Developing a charging policy
- Understanding the role of charges in wider financial planning
- Establishing the link between costs and charging
- Practical considerations when undertaking a charging review
Jude Ranasinghe
Director of Consultancy and Training
LG Futures
10:50
Question and answer session
11:00
Morning refreshments
11:20
Understanding the legal regulations and their impact on you
- Determining what you can legally charge for
- Carry out a legal risk assessment
- Applying what is possible legally to what can be achieved locally
Rahul Bijlani
Senior Associate
Bircham Dyson Bell
11:45
Implementing “Positively Charged”
- A step beyond thinking about the charges: How does “Positively Charged” support you?
- Ensuring your charges remain competitive: Benchmarking your charging abilities
- Understanding the impact of the charges on your staff and service users
John Kirkpatrick
Director of Studies
Audit Commission
12:10
Question and answer session
12:20
Lunch
STREAM A
13:20
Case Study: How the London Borough of Merton has increased their generated income through a “Scrutiny of Income Generation” review
- How was the review carried out?
- Corporate charging concessions
- What is the role of councillors in generating income for your council?
- Knowing what you own and what you can charge for
Daniel Moore
Scrutiny Officer
Andy Thompson
Advertising, Filming and Sponsorship Officer
London Borough of Merton
13:45
Generating income through trading
- Identifying trading opportunities: Market Moderation
- Determining who would be best to trade with both internally and externally
- Establishing the value of what you are trading to set costs
Bryan Sweetland
Deputy Cabinet Member for Corporate Support and Performance Management
Kent County Council
14:10
Interactive Discussion: What can you do within your councils to generate income?
Discuss the issues and ideas outlined in the previous sessions. What can you do to implement them in your organisation?
14:35
Question, answer and feedback session
STREAM B
13:20
Case Study: Securing buy-in across council departments to successfully generate income
- Why is it so important to achieve buy-in?
- How did East Hampshire promote income generation to secure buy-in?
- How has it benefited the work they are doing within the district?
Jo Gabell
Head of Legal Services
East Hampshire District Council
13:45
Case Study: Generating additional income and delivering community benefits at the same time
- Pershore Hospital and Health Centre project
- Droitwich Superstore project
Vic Allison
Deputy Managing Director
Wychavon District Council
14:10
Interactive Discussion: What can you do within your councils to generate income?
Discuss the issues and ideas outlined in the previous sessions. What can you do to implement them in your organisation?
14:35
Question, answer and feedback session
14:50
Afternoon refreshments
15:10
Partnership working: Linking with organisations within your area to maximise your capacity to charge
- Understanding and identifying what different organisations can offer
- Establishing leadership and accountability across your partnerships
- How can you work with Police, PCTs and Fire and Rescue Services in your area?
Amelia Cookson
Head of Service Transformation
Local Goverment Information Unit
15:35
Combating problems with costs and staffing: Resourcing your charging programme
- Managing the impact of the current economic climate on the resources available
- Forging strong working relationships to successfully achieve and manage charges
- Communicating the value of charging: Devising a business case to justify your charges
Alison O’Neill
Assistant Head of Community Services
Sunderland City Council
16:00
Question and answer session
16:10
