Local Government - Government Events

AI and the Next Generation: Staying Aware and Safe

12 minute read

Apr 2026

Technology changes rapidly, making it essential that we stay on top of online safety to keep the internet a safe and positive place for children. We recently hosted the Online Safety Conference 2026 and it was a massive success. We had over 100 people attend and a collection of brilliant speakers. One of these was Will Gardner OBE, the CEO of Childnet International with 26 years of experience at the children’s charity. He is also the co-director of the UK Safer Internet Centre. Will delivered an insightful keynote about protecting children and young people from online harm with a specific focus on children and Artificial Intelligence (AI). We’ve recapped his session below, believing that there’s a lot of value here.

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5 Challenges Public Sector Leaders Must Navigate in 2026

5 minute read

Mar 2026

The public sector is undergoing fundamental change. Rising demand, workforce shortages, and rapid digital transformation are reshaping how organisations operate - and how they must evolve heading into the 2030s. Each of these challenges is an opportunity for organisations to evolve into more effective, innovative operations, leading to a healthier and more impactful public sector.

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Cyber Incident Exercising: Transform Your Response Strategy To Minimise Cyber Incidents

7 minute read

Mar 2026

Jonathan Ellwood, Head of Cyber Incident Exercising and Cyber Incident Response for IASME, delivered a seminar on cyber incident exercising at The Public Sector Cyber Security Conference 2026 this February. Jonathan used his seminar session to highlight the benefits of cyber incident exercising - how it can transform the response strategy and actual implementation of a cyber response plan in organisations both big and small, resulting in a more effective and prepared operation, if an incident occurs.

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Discussing Cyber Security with the Detective Superintendent at the NPCC

4 minute read

Mar 2026

The Public Sector Cyber Security Conference 2026 took place on Thursday 05 February at the QEII Centre in London and welcomed senior cyber, digital, security, risk and public service leaders from across government and wider national sectors to the QEII Centre in Westminster, London, for what proved to be our largest and most impactful event to date. “The event is always one of the most informative and useful conferences of the year. It has interesting speakers covering topics that are an issue today as well as topics that will be an issue to be addressed in the future.” - Crown Prosecution Service

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Youth Culture vs. Gang Anthems: Drill Music and its Role in Youth Representation

12 minute read

Mar 2026

David Kingsley, an Associate at Criminology Services Limited, recently took the stage at our National Tackling Gang Crime, Violence and Weapon Crime Conference 2026, where he delivered an insightful keynote on Drill music. “Today's session is not about music appreciation. It is not about defending violence. It's not about suggesting that music causes violence or crime. It's about understanding how drill music operates within certain environments, how it sometimes intersects with real world dynamics, and why it has become increasingly relevant to policing, safeguarding, and the courts.” - David Kingsley

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The Rise in Unemployment and the Risk of a “Broken Ladder” Emerging

6 minute read

Mar 2026

It was recently reported that the UK unemployment rate rose to 5.2% going into 2026. This is the highest rate in 5 years. On its own, this number isn’t that worrying, but when looking at this through the lens of young people, there is a risk of a broken ladder emerging. This rise in unemployment has been gradual. Over recent quarters, job vacancies have fallen, wage growth has slowed and the number of people competing for each role has increased.

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From Buying to Belonging: Rethinking the Purpose of Our Town Centres

10 minute read

Feb 2026

Where do high streets sit in the modern world? They aren’t the shopping hub they used to be, with the dominance of online shopping. Too many high streets are falling into disuse, with shops opening and then falling under. Work needs to be done to restore high streets up and down the country. This will drive the economy, knit communities and support local businesses. We recently hosted The Restoring the High Street Conference 2025, which explored the ways in which we can restore high streets to be the community hubs they once were. One of the incredible speakers in attendance was Rowenna Davis, a councillor from Croydon Council, who delivered a compelling case study which we have summarised below. Rowenna believes that the key to restoring high streets is to transform them into social hubs, places where people can connect and rebuild a sense of community. Find out more below!

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Ending Youth Homelessness: The Role of Schools and Local Councils

6 minute read

Feb 2026

Last year, around 118,000 young people presented themselves to their local authority in need of housing support. This is a worrying statistic. Yet it is one that with proactive steps, can be greatly reduced. It was one of the big topics at the recent National Homelessness Event 2026, which brought together industry experts and passionate speakers to explore how we can support the homeless and reduce the rate of people entering homelessness in the UK. It was a powerfully moving day, where great conversation, networking and learning took place. One of the stand out sessions was Stephen Elder’s case study, ‘Preventing Youth Homelessness Before It Happens – Working in Schools to Identify and Support Children at Risk’.

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Building Resilience in the Age of AI: Lessons from Industry Experts

12 minute read

Feb 2026

We recently hosted the Cyber and AI Preparedness Free Webinar, which brought together 3 incredible speakers from different industries. The webinar saw a lively discussion between Isabel Scavetta, a multi-award-winning cyber and diversity advocate; Matthew Forshaw, a senior advisor for skills at The Alan Turing Institute and AI researcher at Newcastle University; and James Tumbridge, an intellectual property and data regulation lawyer at Keystone Law who also chairs digital services for the City of London Corporation. As AI rapidly reshapes every industry, the UK’s public sector faces a critical moment. How can public bodies embrace innovation without exposing themselves to new risks? AI offers incredible potential, but how do we ensure that the workforce is prepared for this revolution?

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Practical Cyber Security Checklist for SMEs

5 minute read

Feb 2026

Cyber security is no longer just a concern for large corporations. In the UK, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are increasingly targeted by cyber criminals precisely because they are often less protected. From phishing emails to ransomware attacks, the risks are growing - but the good news is that strong cyber security doesn’t have to be complex or expensive. This practical cyber security checklist, brought to you by the Public Sector Cyber Security Conference, is designed to help UK SMEs strengthen their defences, reduce risk, and build a more resilient organisation.

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The Hidden Cost of Youth Violence: What Communities Lose When Young People Slip Through the Cracks

6 minute read

Feb 2026

Youth violence is often discussed in moments of crisis. A headline. A police cordon. A court appearance. What’s rarely discussed is the costs this violence has on communities, individuals and economies. Behind every incident is usually a young person who didn’t suddenly 'go wrong', but gradually slipped through a series of cracks: in education, mental health support, youth services, housing, and community connection. The topics discussed in this article directly relate to the National Tackling Gang Crime, Violence and Weapon Crime Conference 2026, which was held on the 29th January 2026.

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Embedding Biodiversity and Community Into the Heart of Development: Lessons from The Land Trust

10 minute read

Feb 2026

As the climate crisis deepens, sustainability has shifted from a niche concern to a core pillar of business strategy, Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) is redefining how the UK thinks about land use, planning and community development. Yet while legislation and metrics can guide the what of environmental policy, it’s the people and organisations behind implementation that bring the how to life. BNG is an approach to development that makes sure that habitats for wildlife are left in a measurably better state than they were before the development. It requires developments to result in at least a 10% increase in biodiversity compared to the pre-development state. This can be achieved on-site, through green infrastructure, off-site or a combination of both. Importantly, BNG is a mandatory requirement for most planning permissions in England.

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