CfGS Conference 2025: Bold Governance and Courageous Scrutiny: Restoring Hope to Public Services
Eastside Rooms, Birmingham on 20 March
Find out more about the conference, including travel and accommodation
Panels and workshop sessions
How do we want local democracy to look in a decade’s time? And how do we realise that vision today?
With local authorities in much of England forming plans for creating strategic authorities and larger councils there are urgent questions to answer that are pertinent to all.
How do we manage place, connect citizens to democracy at the right levels, and create the right governance and scrutiny arrangements? And how do we do this in a timeline of days, weeks, months, years and decades?
We’ve arranged a CfGS Conference that will feature panels and workshops addressing the practicalities, and the big questions arising from a changing landscape for scrutiny and governance.
Please note: Right now, the details below may be subject to some changes as we organise the conference, including changes to panels, workshops and speakers.
09.30 – 10.05am: General welcome, including ‘The landscape of today, the landscape of tomorrow – is opportunity knocking?’ Catherine Howe, CfGS Chair of Trustees
10.15 – 12.45am: Sessions one and two
12.45 – 14.00pm: Lunch – plus speed networking
14.00 – 16.30pm: Afternoon activities
16.30 – 17.00pm: Closing plenary – wrapping up, within the devolution context
Session one
Exploring and agreeing the critical elements for thriving hyperlocal governance across England
This panel, hosted by Mel Stevens will feature:
- Cllr Fiona Barrows, Frome Town Council
- Jason Leman, Neighbourhood Democracy Network
- Charlotte Eisenhart, Chief Executive, ADSO
The roadmap for scrutiny in combined authorities
Workshop, hosted by Camilla de Bernhardt Lane, Natalie Rotherham, Paul Cutler and Dave Burn
Not just the council: making governance work across a whole place
This panel, hosted by Ed Hammond will feature:
- Osian Jones, Head of Corporate Strategy, Camden Council
- Laura Hughes, Browne Jacobson
- Hamida Ali, The Future Governance Forum
Session two
Stories of transformation: Engaging citizens in the changing state
This panel, hosted by Andrew Brightwell, will feature:
- Catherine Howe, CfGS Chair of Trustees, Chief Executive, Adur & Worthing Councils
- Cllr Fiona Barrows, Communications lead, Frome Town Council
- Dawn Plimmer, Director of Practice, Collaborate
How do you know what you don’t know? The challenge of assurance
This panel, hosted by Ed Hammond, will feature:
- Jonathan Flowers
- Cllr Sir Albert Bore, Birmingham City Council
- Heather Wills, LGA
Beyond referral: Working with Health and the role of a Memorandum of Understanding
This workshop is hosted by Camilla de Bernhardt Lane, Fional Bottrill, Daniel Webster, Joseph Bright, Natalie Rotherham and Paul Cutler.
Session three
Who owns scrutiny? The role of community scrutiny in the scrutiny system
This panel, hosted by Mel Stevens and Dave Burn, features:
- Gloria Dawson, Research for Action
- Simon Morrow, Lambeth People’s Audit
- Julia Cushion, MySociety
Building a courageous scrutiny culture
Workshop hosted by Sarah Fenn, Heather Wills, Dave McKenna, Sunita Sharma
Five steps to reorganisation: explaining the mechanics of LGR and how scrutiny’s role fits in
This panel, hosted by Ed Hammond will feature:
- Cllr Leigh Redman, Somerset Council
Session four
Moving beyond traditional consultation models to more meaningful engagement
This workshop is hosted by Mel Stevens, Professor Diana Stirbu, and Dave McKenna
How councils’ financial context should inform scrutiny’s governance role
This panel, hosted by Ian Parry, features:
- Andy Burns, Associate Director, CIPFA
- Sunita Sharma, CfGS Associate
New accountability and governance systems for strategic authorities: making things work
This panel, hosted by Ed Hammond, features:
- Professor John Denham, Southampton University, Former Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government
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