Who we are - What we do
We are the largest local authority regulatory support network in England, supporting over two thirds of all local authorities across the country.
Why?
Our service is designed to be immediately cost neutral to our members. We provide the highest quality training on the market, together with active email support, network support and web based resources.
Members receive free training, networking, resources and expert email support annually for less than it costs to send a single officer on some courses provided by external providers. Not only are our training Academies free of charge to our members but members also receive discounted bespoke training and consultancy.
Members regularly report both significant increases in income generation but also more importantly substantial efficiency and costs savings arising from better working practices. Contact support@mallard-consultancy.co.uk
David Armstrong, "The Wig"
We are the largest local authority regulatory support network in England, supporting over two thirds of all local authorities across the country.
Why?
Our service is designed to be immediately cost neutral to our members. We provide the highest quality training on the market, together with active email support, network support and web based resources.
Members receive free training, networking, resources and expert email support annually for less than it costs to send a single officer on some courses provided by external providers. Not only are our training Academies free of charge to our members but members also receive discounted bespoke training and consultancy.
Members regularly report both significant increases in income generation but also more importantly substantial efficiency and costs savings arising from better working practices. Contact support@mallard-consultancy.co.uk
David Armstrong, "The Wig"
| See David's in depth profile on |  |
IMPORTANT DEVELOPMENT - Traveller Injunctions - Supreme Court upholds Court of Appeal enabling newcomer injunctions to protect against unlawful encampments (29/11/2023) Download
Case Update - CPN Third Party Liability Download
Staffs Moorlands v Caroline Sanderson Download
Important Update on Section 108 - Court Restriction Download
Walker v Chelmsford CC (2020) Summary Download
Who we are - What we do
We provide a complete support resource for local authorities.
We are specialists in all aspects of local authority regulation and enforcement from Enviro-Crime and ASB through to Planning Enforcement, Licensing, Food and Health and Safety.
Mallard Consultancy was founded in 1996 and provides a comprehensive training and consultancy service: Mallard has a proven track record of obtaining regular and significant efficiency savings for local authorities.
Our founder, David Armstrong, is widely known to public sector agencies as “the Wig”, the original expert consultant and adviser to Keep Britain Tidy and the Keep Britain Tidy Network, and also regular consultant to Tidy Northern Ireland and Keep Wales Tidy. In other areas David won the first defining case on the scope of Part 1 EPA authorisations. He prosecuted the largest food / local authority prosecution to have been prosecuted in the jurisdiction and also trained the FSA’s Illegal Meat Task Force. He has regularly advised local authorities and police officers in many forms of regulation and enforcement.
Data Protection.
Please note that it is a fundamental function of the support network that members and their officers shall be able to assist each other in training and other relevant functions. Accordingly, it is a fundamental condition of use of any of our services that users agree to the company’s retention of their business contact details, where provided, solely to further those objectives. The company will only use these contact details to further the objectives of membership or to keep officers informed of significant developments or training events.
The company will not sell these details, or otherwise provide any of these contact details to any parties outside of the support network without consent from those concerned.
If you wish to delete your contact details from our records, then this will be done on request. Simply contact us at support@mallard-consultancy.co.uk.
'Face to Face' Training Academies 2024/2025
TRAINING ACADEMIES (All CPD Accredited)
Places cost £75.00 (+vat) per person (non-members). Free Places available for Member Authorities
Contact: support@mallard-consultancy.co.uk
Full days training (9.00am - 4.00pm)
On-Site - Interpersonal Skills in Regulation and Enforcement
This Academy will focus upon interactive modules leading through understanding of behavioural motivation and rapport building, with a view to changing and shaping behaviour, to identification of stress cues and deception detection. This will lead to demonstration and interactive work on questioning techniques that may be applied in interviewing and debriefing both compliant and deceptive subjects.
The format of the training is EDIP – Explain, Demonstrate, Imitate and Practice.
The aim is that by employing this hands-on multi-dimensional style of teaching, the learning will be better understood and absorbed by those participating in the training.
1st July 2024 Hackney Council (Hackney, London)
9th September 2024 Bradford Council (Bradford)
7th October 2024 Central Bedfordshire Council (Shefford)
21st October 2024 Babergh Mid Suffolk Council (Ipswich)
18th November 2024 Cheshire West & Chester Council (Chester)
2nd December 2024 Hinckley & Bosworth Council (Hinckley)
13th January 2025 BCP Council (Bournemouth)
10th February 2025 Bath & NE Somerset Council (Keynsham)
3rd March 2025 Cornwall Council (Bodmin)
Virtual Training Academies 2024/2025 via MS Teams (2.5 hours core training session + 30 minutes for extra questions and networking if required)
Places cost £75.00 (+vat) per person (non-members). Free Places available for Member Authorities
Contact: support@mallard-consultancy.co.uk
All courses are CPD accredited.
Housing Disrepair and Damp - This training will cover causes of action, rights and liabilities relating to housing and tenanted properties. We will consider identification of causation in damp cases, attribution of fault and identification of relevant contractual and statutory obligations. We will also consider both regulatory options to enforce action, and approaches and tactics to deal with spurious claims, experts and "claims farmers".
18th June 2024 10.00am – 12.30pm
11th September 2024 10.00am – 12.30pm
19th November 2024 10.00am – 12.30pm
29th January 2025 10.00am – 12.30pm
Dogs and the Law - This training will cover legislation relating to licensing, dangerous dogs, dog nuisance, micro-chipping, and the law relating to stray dogs. The training will include consideration of the new fixed penalty facility and issues relating to banned dogs, such as the XL Bully and primary responsibilities of enforcement agencies.
19th June 2024 10.00am – 12.30pm
17th September 2024 10.00am – 12.30pm
27th November 2024 10.00am – 12.30pm
4th February 2025 10.00am – 12.30pm
CPN & ASB - This training will identify potential approaches to ASB, and the pragmatic and tactical choices involved (injunction, PSPO, closure order, etc.). However, there will be an emphasis upon elements required for issue of CPW and CPN, tips on drafting and examples of typical scenarios. It will cover aspects of third-party liability (premises-related, support or encouragement) reasonable expectations, and wording.
26th June 2024 10.00am – 12.30pm
24th September 2024 10.00am – 12.30pm
4th December 2024 10.00am – 12.30pm
11th February 2025 10.00am – 12.30pm
Criminal Investigation / PACE - This training will provide a general anatomy of evidence gathering, use of statutory powers, PACE requirements (when it applies and when it does not), case management, disclosure and eventual prosecution.
2nd July 2024 10.00am – 12.30pm
2nd October 2024 10.00am – 12.30pm
10th December 2024 10.00am – 12.30pm
4th March 2025 10.00am – 12.30pm
Streetscene and Patrolling FPN – This training will focus upon general matters of nuisance and complaint concerning residential neighbourhoods, such as litter / waste, dog fouling and vehicular nuisance, combining generic ASB powers with waste and environmental crime solutions. The training will also cover approaches to and requirements relating to issue of FPN by patrolling officers.
9th July 2024 10.00am – 12.30pm
16th October 2024 10.00am – 12.30pm
17th December 2024 10.00am – 12.30pm
12th March 2025 10.00am – 12.30pm
Waste Crime and Scrap Metal – This training will focus upon the key environmental offences and the options available for investigation and enforcement. It will cover the difficulties involved in investigation and suggest possible solutions and short-cuts. We will also consider the requirements and implications of the Scrap Metal Dealers Act and its interaction with the wider waste environment. This training will equip local authority officers carrying out enforcement work and / or legal functions in relation to waste and other environmental offences with sufficient knowledge and skills to effectively investigate and enforce against environmental nuisance.
10th July 2024 10.00am – 12.30pm
12th November 2024 10.00am – 12.30pm
15th January 2025 10.00am – 12.30pm
18th March 2025 10.00am – 12.30pm
Caravan Licensing – This training will focus upon the planning and licensing requirements for caravan sites. The criteria for licensing conditions and typical regulatory issues. The training will include the requirements for and evaluation of applications to register managers as fit and proper persons, compliance notices and alternative legislation available to remedy issues found on inspection.
16th July 2024 10.00am – 12.30pm
13th November 2024 10.00am – 12.30pm
21st January 2025 10.00am – 12.30pm
26th March 2025 10.00am – 12.30pm
Typical Member Feedback:
"David, hope you don't mind feedback; Thanks to your advice on dealing with issues around flats and their waste the situation has really improved – the owners are presenting the bins as per the CPW, and the occupiers are using them correctly as per the s46, so thank you."
Environmental Crime, Croydon.
"David many thanks for the help and advice. Yesterday we commenced action, based around your advice and it appears that the matter will be promptly resolved. Thanks for your help, I find it absolutely invaluable."
Community Safety, Dartford.
"Many thanks for the prompt helpful reply, appreciated. I now have some successful prosecutions of CPN breaches - none of which had an end date. One person was fined £2000 and his stereo equipment destroyed, That was an interesting case as before conviction we obtained a magistrates warrant to enter and seize his equipment as he was continuing to breach his CPN."
Avon and Somerset Police.
"We were fortunate enough to be invited along and what a good day. Since then we have used CPN's on 6 occasions in relation to Travellers and only once have we had to resort to Bailiffs. We are looking to join the syndicate. David also gave me some helpful advice on CBO's, please pass on my thanks to David for a brilliant course and his advice."
Spelthorne.
"I organised David to speak to over 40 Environmental Health staff in Kent at 2 x 2 day training sessions. Never have I had so much positive feedback from the attendees about a course. His energy and ability to adapt to his audience is impressive. I was enthralled and if I was ever going to be in court, I definitely want him on my side!
Recommended to anyone to go for the "courtroom" role play scenario – really makes you think and gives you a pretty close experience to the real thing."
Annie Sargent,
Environmental Health Manager,
Dartford & Sevenoaks