This page contains resources for candidates, new councillors and experienced councillors. The resources have been produced by the Improvement Service or by other organisations and will link to their website.
Preparing for Elected Office worksheet
Worksheet for people thinking about standing for election as a councillor. It encourages the candidate to think about their local area, the issues likely to arise there and how they would respond. It also encourages them to reflect on the commitments of being a councillor.
Preparing for elected office - Open University short course
The Improvement Service (IS) have developed a short course with the Open University for people considering becoming candidates to help them understand the roles and responsibilities of a councillor and to be better prepared for elected office.
We recommend you enrol on the course to save progress and access all the course features. To do this you will need to sign-up for a free OU account.
You can enrol on the course and access it for free at the Councillor Academy website.
Equal Representation in Politics Toolkit
The Equal Representation in Politics Toolkit is a free, comprehensive and easy-to-use set of resources for members of political parties to assess and enhance their current practice around accessibility, diversity and inclusivity. The toolkit was created by the Equal Representation Coalition, which includes Engender, The Equality Network, CEMVO, Stonewall Scotland, Women 50:50, CRER, BEMIS, Inclusion Scotland, YWCA Scotland - The Young Women's Movement and ElectHer.
Access to Elected Office Fund
The Access to Elected Office Fund pays for practical support to allow disabled people to fully participate in the political process. This covers reasonable adjustments that level the playing field between disabled and non-disabled candidates, but not general campaign costs. Applicants do not need to have been selected yet nor do they need to be members of a party to apply for the Fund. The Fund is funded by the Scottish Government and administered by Inclusion Scotland. For more details read the Blog: Understanding the Access to Elected Office Fund.
Candidate Safety
The Safer Politics project has been produced by the University of Liverpool’s Centre for Digital Politics, Media and Democracy (DigiPol) in co-operation with the Local Government Association and the Jo Cox Foundation and with funding from Research England. They have produced online safety toolkits for political representatives that use digital tools as an integral part of their day-to-day work; to communicate with constituents, pick up casework, and gain feedback on decisions.
Role Profiles
The Scottish Local Authorities Remuneration Committee developed role profiles to provide an indicative outline of the key roles and responsibilities of Councillors and those in receipt of Senior Responsibility Allowances.