The Improvement Service's Councillor Academy - OU module on the Councillors' Code

14th September 2026

The Improvement Service's Councillor Academy - OU module on the Councillors' Code

The Councillor Academy is a dedicated learning portal designed to support councillors and candidates in Scottish local government. Developed in partnership with The Open University and delivered by the Improvement Service – the national improvement organisation for local government in Scotland – the Academy offers a range of bespoke learning resources tailored to the unique needs of councillors.

The portal includes a module on the Councillors’ Code developed by the Standards Commission. This aims to help councillors understand what the Councillors’ Code of Conduct requires, why compliance with it matters, and how to apply its provisions in the types of scenarios they may face.

In particular, the portal aims to help councillors:

• understand and apply an objective test to identify when they have an interest that must be declared
• understand what interests must be recorded in their Register of Interests
• identify regulatory and quasi regulatory matters (such as licensing and planning applications), and understand how they must conduct themselves when dealing with them
• recognise what is required of them when interacting with others, both in person and in writing, including when using social media
• evaluate whether information is confidential or can be shared appropriately
• support constituents appropriately by managing expectations, engaging respectfully with officers and avoiding becoming inappropriately involved in operational matters
   

More information on the Councillor Academy can be found on the Improvement Service’s website here. 

The Module on the Councillors’ Code can be found here.