Council Staff and Councillors

South Gloucestershire Council declared a Climate Emergency in 2019. This introduction explains what it is and what staff and councillors can do to respond to it. It provides information on the climate breakdown, the nature crisis and local climate change.

The aim of this e-module is to give you general information about us as an organisation and to provide links to key information about the council and where you can access staff systems and information when starting.

With more of us working remotely, under pressure and relying more on technology than ever before, we need to know you're keeping on top of cyber security and GDPR best practice. This is the mandatory Data Protection e-module for staff 2025.

Equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) are top priorities for the council. This e-module takes into consideration that staff and councillors come from a variety of backgrounds, experiences and levels of understanding on equalities so provides a general overview as part of your induction to the council.

This e-module gives an essential overview of good fire safety practice at work. You will learn how to identify potential fire risks, and what to do if you discover a fire or hear a fire alarm. It mainly covers fire precautions in offices but it applies to all premises, except where there are very high fire risk processes in place. 

This a mandatory e-module for new starters covers five key areas to help you increase and refresh your awareness of fraud. It looks at the meaning and prevention of fraud, bribery, corruption, and money laundering, and includes guidance on what to do if you suspect irregular activity.

This mandatory e-module for council ICT users covers security policies and data protection. Complete it from start to finish or in stages. You will need to pass the assessment with 80% to ensure safe and appropriate information sharing.

This e-module covers basic health and safety practices at work including identification, management and mitigation of risks. As most council staff are office based this course focuses on office environments. Employees who work in other settings will receive additional training. 

This e-module covers children and adults, including multi-agency working, best practices, and identifying and responding to abuse signs, whistleblowing, and handling suspected or disclosed abuse.

This e-module covers modern slavery, trafficking, exploitation and sex exploitation. It outlines the differences between these issues, explains how to identify vulnerable people, and how to report and respond.

This e-module explains PDPRs, their purpose, and how they help meet personal and organisational objectives. It emphasises personal responsibility for PDPRs and guides you through the process, so you can make the most of yours. 

Access training courses on the Prevent duty, the threat from terrorism and extremism in the UK and how to support people vulnerable to radicalisation. Provided by the Home Office. There are different modules you can select once you enter the course.

New council employees are invited to attend this induction session. It includes a welcome from the Chief Executive or an Executive Director, an overview of the council and its services with a guided tour (accessible version available).

This e-module covers workstation health and safety for office-based employees. Learn how to set up your workstation to prevent injuries, reduce health risks. It includes self-assessments and guidance to ensure optimal safety, comfort and overall health.

Any new employee to Children’s Social Care or Preventative Services is required to complete this e-module as part of their induction. It includes information you will need to successfully navigate your way around your new role in South Gloucestershire Council.

This half day introduction to Learning and Development, which follows on from the council induction session, is a valuable part of the new starters induction programme for all practitioners in Adults and Children’s Social Care.

This e-module introduces new managers to council culture, practices, policies, and support. It covers management expectations, serving as a refresher for experienced managers. The course takes about an hour, with 90 minutes recommended for a thorough review.

This e-module introduces reasonable adjustments, explaining their purpose, applicability, and examples of good practice at the council. It also covers the importance of aligning with the social model of disability and the council's ambition for disability equality.

This one-day course is for council managers. It covers the council’s recruitment guide and process from beginning to end. You will consider criteria for posts, advertising options, how to identify appropriate selection processes, shortlisting and preparing for interviews.

This e-module explains the processes, legislation, and good practice around the recruitment and induction of staff. All council managers are required to complete this and the one-day training course before they recruit.

This 5.5 day course for first line or middle managers covers the knowledge and skills needed as a manager. It is delivered through face to face and online training, psychometric assessment, 360 review, individual reflection, skills practice, and e-learning.

This e-module looks at how to build partnerships successfully within the council. It gives you the opportunity to reflect on your own experiences of partnership-working and introduces you to the skills and competencies needed to create better partnerships.

This e-module covers key management skills: people, finance, information, time, and change. You'll gain a better understanding of managing people, providing quality service, financial management, information processes, and effective time management.

In this e-module we introduce the concept of stakeholders and their influence on your team's work. We explain how to map stakeholders using a Power/Interest grid and discuss factors to consider when managing stakeholders in the council environment.

This e-module explores your role in leading change, addressing the strategic and operational forces driving change within the organisation. It delves into the psychology of change and how to work with individuals and stakeholders to effectively implement change.

This e-module provides an overview of managing Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) in teams. It builds on the EDI awareness course, offering tips and tools to challenge inequality and create an inclusive workplace.

This e-module explains the importance of managing team mental health and wellbeing. It defines mental health, stress, and wellbeing, and offers strategies and resources to enhance management practices.

In this e-module you will learn to use a learning needs analysis to identify gaps in knowledge, skills, and attitudes. You'll also learn how to create SMART development plans and understand potential barriers to development.

This e-module provides guidance on how to help new starters, or people taking on new roles, to learn in the workplace. Whether you are a manager or peer, the practical tips will help make the process more productive.

In this course we’ll cover the council’s employee performance management procedures, consider the principles, benefits and responsibilities associated with performance management, and the key techniques and skills to help you manage performance effectively.

This e-module explains how to get the most from the PDPR process, aligning individual performance with council objectives. It helps you motivate and support your team, ensuring they perform well and develop skills annually.

This practical one-day course is for South Gloucestershire Council managers. It explains the council’s PDPR process, how to make PDPRs meaningful and engaging, how to set performance and development objectives, conversation techniques, and equalities.

This course is for staff interested in finding out about management, and whether this is the next career move for them. It builds on the Aspiring Managers e-module and comprises a range of practical activities, discussion and self-reflection.

This e-module explores what management is and how you can develop the skills and experience to apply for a management role. You can complete it in isolation or as part of the one day face-to-face Aspiring Managers Programme.

This e-module is for people who are looking to change jobs or are at risk of redundancy within the council. It explains how to apply for roles in the council, preparing for the process and signposts to further support. Hints and tips are provided to help you get the job you want.

This short e-module will guide you through best practice in writing your CV and how to complete application forms and covering letters including: structure, presentation, how to handle gaps in employment, and how to tailor CVs and application forms for each specific job role.

This e-module offers interview preparation tips, guides you through the process, and explains post-interview steps. It helps you prepare, understand potential questions, answer effectively, and reflect on your performance to boost interview success.

This e-module will help you explore career development options. It supports skill-building in your current role or considers other career paths like lateral development or promotion. We hope these opportunities enable you to become an outstanding performer.

These sessions are for members of the South Gloucestershire Council Coaching and Mentoring Service. We also welcome external and independent coaches. Group supervision is an opportunity for you to reflect on your coaching practice, experiences and learning.

Are you a manager or professional interested in building coaching skills? This practical one-day course will give you an understanding of how to use coaching to empower people to achieve goals, to improve the performance of others, and to enable others to make positive, long-lasting changes.

This e-module covers what mentoring is and the basics to get started. It covers how people learn, and practical tips like learning plans and conversation structures. It's designed for those considering mentoring or wanting to enhance their mentoring relationships.

We rely on meetings to communicate and collaborate but unnecessary and unproductive meetings waste significant time. This course provides a guide to effective meetings from the perspectives of facilitators and participants.

The council uses agile working to deliver on our commitments. This course explores what agile working is, the difference it can make, and provides tools to support you. It also provides examples of successful projects based on an agile approach and the lessons learnt.

This online course forms part of a blended learning programme consisting of this e-module, a practical training session, and daily practice, to bring the theory to life and enhance this important life skill. It includes the theory to support the activities and skills practice.

This course explains the fundamentals of communication including the process of sharing information, what can get in the way of verbal, nonverbal and written communication, and how you can change how you communicate to ensure it is as effective as possible.

This course is aimed at any internal staff who would like to develop their practical skills and approaches to problem solving, creative idea generation, and decision-making where the solutions are not always obvious.

This e-module explains what action learning is and how to get the most from it. There is a video demonstration of a virtual action learning set, structures to use for discussions and ideas, tools and templates you can use.

This course helps you understand the impact of change, explore coping strategies, and access support. It acknowledges that change affects everyone differently and covers various council resources to help staff adapt to changing circumstances.

There are occasions when it's important to appear and feel confident. This e-module will help you use positive language and behaviours to create a confident impression and learn techniques to control nerves so you can present yourself confidently when it matters most.

The FREEDOM method personal development model® builds confidence, self-belief, and wellbeing. It helps achieve goals, provides clarity, and boosts decision-making. This 100-day programme offers tools and techniques to create positive career change. 

This e-module teaches effective time management. You'll learn to track, analyse, prioritise, and schedule your time to maximise each day, helping you juggle competing responsibilities and interests. Gain control over how you spend your time.

This e-module teaches professional writing fundamentals: defining goals, analysing your audience, and choosing the best medium. You'll learn techniques for structuring, editing, and proofreading your work, and tips to ensure your writing is clear, concise, and courteous.