Trade association SELECT, which runs the Forum, said the ambitious recalibration will help the Forum deliver its collective expertise and experience to an even wider audience.

The significant expansion is reflected in new branding and a new name, with the collective being retitled the Local Authority & Client Forum.

As the industry moves to a future based on electricity, the revamped Forum will now continue to foster and encourage a unique support network, sharing electrical best practice and identifying key areas of concern.

The expansion will also help drive improvements in service delivery mechanisms and the effectiveness of operatives through a consistent approach to working and the standardisation of documentation across local authorities and new Forum members.

Alan Wilson, managing director of SELECT, said: “SELECT has played a leading role in the Forum since it was established in 2007 and has allowed councils and housing associations to come together to share experience, develop ideas and resolve common issues.

“Pre-Covid, it met quarterly, with informative and engaging discussions, and this effort was maintained over the period since March 2020 by means of virtual meetings on an impromptu basis.

“The expansion of the Forum to include non-local authority members will leverage the combined skills of its members to promote a shared approach to maintaining excellence in electrical standards.”

Forum chair Andy Graham, who is also housing services business change manager at Fife Council, said: “Since its inception, the Forum has helped local authorities consistently to deliver best value, which is a critical aspect of their operations.

“By widening its remit, we propose to embrace a new cohort of key stakeholders and build up a whole new network of partnerships in which people are willing to share their knowledge and expertise for the benefit of others.”

A second group which was established in 2010 for electrical engineers will now be known as the Local Authority Engineers & Client Forum. Both groups will continue to meet on a regular basis.

• To find out more about joining the Local Authority and Client Forum, email Yvonne Wilson at yvonne.wilson@select.org.uk.