Course Details:
How to be an Effective Caseworker
Audience: MPs' caseworkers and councillors
Tuesday 1 June & Friday 4 June, 0930-1200
Being a councillor or MP's caseworker can be one of the most impactful and rewarding jobs in politics, but there is little formal training available to help you help constituents.
Councillors and caseworkers are on the front line, often acting as the first point of contact for constituents facing serious problems, some of whom can be in distress: asylum seekers who need urgent advice on finding somewhere to live; vulnerable people whose benefits have been stopped or delayed for no apparent reason; or council tenants living in homes that are in need of urgent repair.
Above all else, caseworkers and councillors are the face and voice of local politics, whether that's as a powerful advocate for the people they represent or for the MP they work for.
The training course will run across two mornings and will cover:
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How to manage casework: what to prioritise and why
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What your MP is responsible for – and what they are not
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How to work with government agencies and other stakeholders to get results for constituents
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Dealing with constituents in distress
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Liaising with the police, local councils, the charitable sector and other NGOs
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Raising cases with government ministers using the ‘usual channels’
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Highlighting cases in the local media
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How to manage stress levels and personal wellbeing
Who this course is for:
This course is open to councillors or staff employed by MPs, from any political party, and we anticipate a politically mixed audience. It will cover parliamentary work only. No advice will be given on political campaigning.
The Scheme of MPs's Business Costs and Expenses recognises courses for parliamentary staff that concentrate on parliamentary work as a 'claimable cost' which can be reclaimed from the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (IPSA).
