How does it work?

A team of experienced councillors and senior offices from other councils ("the peers") are assembled.   The team spends a whole day at the council, reviewing the key areas as outlined above.  After the visit the council develops its own timed action plan within three to six months and there is the option to for a brief follow-up review meeting to assess progress.

Who is it suitable for

The Suffolk Peer Challenge is a pilot scheme, based on the NALC/LGA framework.  The difference is that it is available to medium/larger councils (electorate/budged income of xxxx) and uses the broad headings above to tailor the discussion around the specific needs and challenges of the council concerned.  

How will the council benefit

Councils who take part should see this as a good way of identifying how they need to improve as an organisation by receiving feedback from people who are experiencing similar challenges in other councils. 

Peers from other councils bring fresh perspectives and independent validation of what’s working well. This helps build confidence among leadership, staff, and stakeholders.

The process encourages honest reflection and critical thinking about how the council operates, helping to identify blind spots or areas that need attention.

Councils receive bespoke, practical advice based on their local context—not generic solutions. This makes the feedback more actionable and relevant.

Peer teams share best practices and innovations from across the sector, helping councils learn from others and adopt proven approaches.

The process supports strategic planning, service improvement, and organisational development, helping councils become more effective and resilient.

Publishing an action plan demonstrates a commitment to transparency, continuous improvement, and community engagement.

Cost

There is currently no cost under the pilot scheme. 

What does it involve?

Before the Suffolk Peer Challenge is embarked upon, there is a scoping meeting involving SALC, the council clerk and councillors to identify the areas they particularly want to focus on.  For example this could include:

• reforming council governance

• integration of new areas of housing into an existing town

• improving workplace culture

• improving communications, engagement and consultation with residents

• devolution of services from a principal authority

• resilience due to staff or councillor turnover and

• future proofing/succession planning.

Who makes up the peer challenge team?

It is the people who take part in the Suffolk Peer Challenge that make it what it is so it is important that specifically for each challenge the needs of the individual councils is centre stage.  As a guide, below is an example of the type of people usually involved: 

Officer peer - this is normally a clerk from a similar-sized council or one with similar challenges, demographics or geography.

Councillor peer - an experienced councillor (from their role as a councillor or from other experience) from a similar council.


 

Officer peer – this will usually be a clerk of a similar-sized council or one with similar challenges, demographics or geography.

Councillor peer – an experienced councillor (from their role as a councillor or from other experience) from a similar council.

LGA representative – this will be a peer challenge manager, someone who is experienced at organising corporate peer challenges, and they will also handle most of the organisation of the CPC.

NALC representative – this will be a member of NALC staff or a county officer, who will bring their experience and understanding of the sector from across the country.

Shadow peer – some peer challenge teams include a shadow peer to add additional capacity. They will often be a member of LGA or NALC staff or someone from a smaller council.

Within the council itself, the key contacts will be the clerk and the chair or leader of the council, as appropriate.

Is training necessary beforehand?

New peers who have agreed to take part will be invited to a xx minute general briefing 

YAll new peers, who have already agreed to take part in a corporate peer challenge, will be invited to a 90 minute to two-hour general briefing with other new peers, not necessarily just those from town and parish councils. This session will explain in broad terms what is involved, is an opportunity to ask further questions and explains what happens next.

A couple of more focused 60 – 90 minute sessions for those taking part in a specific corporate peer challenge will be set up by the LGA in the weeks leading up to a corporate peer challenge.

NALC and the LGA also hold occasional general briefings for those who may be interested in taking part in corporate peer challenge or who just want to know more at this stage. These are open for anyone to attend.

All of these briefings are held using MS Teams.

• Meetings

• Committees

• Civility and Respect

Standards and the Code of Conduct

Slides 16 to 21  - standards and the Code of Conduct, the Nolan Principles and the national Civility and Respect project.

Section 27 of the Localism Act 2011 requires councils to promote and maintain high standards of conduct and, if doing so, to adopt a Code of Conduct.

In this section your trainer will introduce the concept of standards, key principles underpinning this and details of a national project known as Civility and Respect.

Model Council links:

• Code of Conduct

• Elections and co-option

• Civility and Respect