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Guide to conference session formats
So that you know what to expect from sessions at the conference, we indicate, throughout the programme, the format that each session takes. Definitions of the session formats are as follows:
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Plenary sessions are attended by all delegates and take place in Hall 1. There are four plenaries in this year’s conference programme. They include presentations from expert speakers and an opportunity for delegates to ask questions. |
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Mini plenary sessions include information from expert speakers and an opportunity for questions and answers. Most of these sessions have a maximum attendance of 100. |
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Workshops take place in smaller halls, with a maximum attendance of 70. These sessions take a practical approach to topics. They give delegates the chance to get hands-on experience, for example by working through case examples. |
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Q & A sessions take place in smaller halls, with a maximum attendance of 70. They provide an open house for delegates to put questions to the Standards Board for England. This year, there are four different Q&A sessions, one for new standards committee members, one for more experienced members, one for monitoring officers, and one session open to all delegates. |
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Fringe events are optional. They are run by a range of organisations from the local government family. |
Choosing breakout sessions
There are 21 breakout sessions to choose from. These include several sessions with a practical focus, such as The Code made clear and Delivering local assessment. These sessions are designed to help you put the local standards framework and the Code into action in your authority. There are also several sessions which address wider issues of governance, leadership and ethics, including Mind the gap: Accountability and joint working and Joining the dots: Understanding corporate governance.
Delegates will have the opportunity to attend four breakout sessions during the conference. In addition to these breakout sessions, there are two main plenary sessions: A higher level and Making an impact? which all delegates are encouraged to attend.
Feedback from authorities shows that it can be useful to discuss your breakout session choices with colleagues who are also planning to attend the conference. This helps to ensure you do not all attend the same breakout sessions, and your authority gets the benefit of as wide a range of information and training as possible.
Each breakout session description includes information on who we think may find it useful. However, this is just a suggestion, and any delegate can attend any session they choose.