The Healthy debate and debating skills resources are intended to support councillors in developing their debating skills and support councils delivering training on healthy debate as part of their member development offer.
Healthy debate and debating skills resources guide
About these resources
These resources help councils strengthen healthy debate in council meetings. Healthy debate supports effective decision-making by helping councillors test the aims, evidence, options, risks and reasons for a proposal before a decision is taken.
The pack is made up to four resources designed to work together. They are written for use across England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales and can be adapted to local governance arrangements, terminology and meeting structures.
How these resources were developed
The resources were commissioned by the Local Government Association (LGA), in partnership with the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA), the Northern Ireland Local Government Association (NILGA) and the Welsh Local Government Association (WLGA).
They draw on a four-nation survey, facilitated discussions and input from chairs, group leaders, governance leads, democratic services officers, and member development leads. The aim was to produce resources that are practical, recognisable and adaptable for local use.
The four resources
Model principles of healthy debate
A short template of shared expectations. Councils can adopt, adapt or use it as a starting point for their own principles.
A practical guide for councillors
A skills reference document that councillors can use as a basis for their own skills development. It covers constructive challenge, focused contributions, active listening, evidence and experience, disagreement without personalising and chairing.
The training pack
A 90-minute facilitated session resource is designed to support officers in delivering training to councillors and support councillors in applying healthy debate skills to real council dynamics.
The evaluative framework
A menu of proportionate tools to help councils check whether the resources are being used and whether practice is shifting. Tools include a confidence check, post-session reflection, three-month review, chair and officer prompts and a local ownership checklist.
How councils can use the suite
The resources are designed to be used flexibly in a manner that supports different councils with specific circumstances. Each resource can be used in isolation. However, the resources may also be used gradually to build a foundation of shared understanding about healthy debate, which can support improvements in debate.
- First consider the model principles of healthy debate and whether your council might want to adopt them or have a wider conversation to adapt them locally.
- Share the councillor guide regularly with members as a tool to aid them in their role.
- Run councillor training at the beginning of political cycles, particularly after an election of new councillors.
- Use the evaluative framework to assess whether the training is having the desired impact.
What these resources are not
These resources are not a code of conduct, legal advice or a substitute for local meeting rules, the constitution, standing orders or member-officer protocol. Councils should use the relevant local documents and seek their own advice where needed.
Terminology and adaptation
References to the chair can be read as convener, mayor, speaker or presiding member where that better fits local practice. References to the constitution, standing orders or member-officer protocol can be read as the equivalent local document. Service examples, asset types and committee names in the training pack can be replaced to fit local context.