Meet the team supporting councils through their Cyber Assessment Framework journey

Date published: June 25, 2025

Read time: 5 minutes

The Local Digital Collaboration and Engagement team works closely with councils across England to support them through their Cyber Assessment Framework (CAF) for local government journey.

This blog introduces you to the team members driving this work, showcases how we’re helping councils build their resilience, and shares our ongoing supporting efforts to increase collaboration across the sector.

Get to know the team

Leon (far left) and Eloise (second from left) presenting to colleagues at a Local Digital roundtable event in 2023. The presenters are standing in front of a display screen sharing information with the attendees. — Leon (far left) and Eloise (second from left) presenting to councils at a Local Digital roundtable event in 2023.

👋 Leon Ackie – Collaboration & Engagement Manager

‘Hi, I’ve been with the Local Digital team since 2021. Since joining the team, I have worked supporting councils on our Local Digital Fund projects, including Local Gov Drupal, Housing Repairs Service, Local Gov Income Management System (IMS), Children’s Placement Portal and the Low Code Digital Waste Service. Since April 2024, I have been focused on supporting Local Digital Cyber on the pilot for the CAF and launching the framework to sector.’

👋 Eloise Siani Djiakoua – Associate Collaboration & Engagement Manager

‘Hi, I’m Eloise! I’ve been part of the Local Digital team since 2023, working on numerous projects like Future Councils and the Local Digital Declaration. I now focus on spreading the news about the CAF to the sector and supporting councils through their CAF journey.’

Building cyber resilience through collaboration

The CAF for local government has become a vital tool for councils looking to strengthen their cyber security. To date, 201 councils across England have completed CAF Ready – a programme to help councils get started and navigate the most challenging parts of the assessment – and many have started their CAF self-assessment.

But we know a CAF for local government assessment can be challenging, especially for councils with limited cyber expertise. That’s where the Collaboration and Engagement team steps in. They help councils to connect, share knowledge, and build peer support networks to tackle cyber security challenges together.

How we’re supporting councils on their CAF journey

Speaking at cyber events

One of our key roles has been to raise awareness about the CAF and its benefits. Over the past year, we have spoken at national and regional cyber events including:

DigiGov Expo, Cyber4Good, and the Cyber Security Conference
The Northern WARP Conference
iNetwork’s annual conference and innovation awards
A CAF for local government webinar (attended by over 100 council officers)
Information Security for London Annual Conference

These sessions give councils a space to ask questions, hear directly from peers, and learn from real implementation experiences, helping to build momentum and understanding across the sector.

Engaging with regional WARPs

Regional Warning, Advice and Reporting Points (WARPs) play a key role in cyber threat intelligence sharing.

WARPs, with their community-based approach and focus on members ability to receive and share up-to-date advice on information security threats, incidents and solutions, present a useful channel for engaging with councils about the CAF. 

We’ve embedded CAF discussions into WARP meetings across the country, including ISfL, SEG WARP, SW WARP, and the Northern WARP, to:

encourage experience sharing across councils
surface common challenges and best practices
build trust-based networks that support long-term resilience

Learn more about our approach to strengthen cyber resilience in local government through WARPs.

Supporting peer support networks

During the CAF pilot, we facilitated a peer support network where councils undertaking a CAF assessment could collaborate and share insight on their approaches and experiences. 

We are continuing our work to support councils to connect with one another. Our participation in sector networks, Cyber Clinics and direct engagement is enabling councils to:

learn from peers who have successfully implemented the CAF
collaborate on cyber security initiatives beyond the framework
build lasting relationships that strengthen the sector’s overall cyber resilience

Peer support is happening through many of these forums and is proving to be invaluable, ensuring councils can benefit from collective knowledge and support.

Looking ahead

As cyber threats continue to evolve, collaboration across the sector remains essential.

We’re committed to expanding our engagement efforts, ensuring that councils have the guidance, connections, and confidence to implement the CAF effectively. This includes opportunities like:

We’re here to support councils with the practical guidance and peer connections needed to make the CAF for local government implementation a success.

Take advantage of our assurance offer

To support councils to get started with the CAF for local government, MHCLG has funding to provide a limited amount of independent assurance in the financial year ending 2026. Find out more about our assurance offer

If you’re ready for assurance, you can book an onboarding session by 4 July 2025 to join our current cohort.

Have a question? Reach out via this form or contact us at [email protected].