Agenda item

Report of Head of Democratic Services & Elections - A.1 - Councillor Development Statement

To ensure that the Committee is aware of the development of the Statement, has the opportunity to input into the Statement and can be re-assured that within the overall ambit of good governance at the Council the need to support the development of Councillors in their roles is being given further recognition through the development of the Statement.

Minutes:

There was submitted a report of the Head of Democratic Services & Elections (report A.1) which sought to ensure that the Committee:-

 

(i)     was aware of the development of the Councillor Development Statement;

(ii)    had the opportunity to input into the Statement; and

(iii)  could be re-assured that within the overall ambit of good governance at the Council the need to support the development of Councillors in their roles was being given further recognition through the development of the Statement.

 

It was reported that the draft Councillor Development Statement 2019-2023 attached at Appendix A to the Officer’s report sought to provide the overarching position in respect of Councillor development at the Council whilst addressing needs analysis and different modes of provision in order to address those needs. 

 

The Committee was requested to consider the draft Statement and determine whether to endorse it for adoption as the framework for Councillor development over the term of the current Council.  The Statement would be kept under review and, should there be a need to substantially update, refine and amend it there would be a further report to the Committee. 

 

Members were aware that ensuring that Councillors were as best equipped as practically possible to fulfil the range of responsibilities that role entailed was a key component to delivering good governance.

 

The Committee raised areas of concern which included:-

 

Member Comment/Suggestions

Officer Response

 

[Councillor J Henderson]

 

Training should be offered for newly appointed Members of the Cabinet in order to help them adjust to their new responsibilities and duties.

 

[HoDS&E]

 

This was a good suggestion that would be taken on board moving forward.

[Councillor Steady]

 

Overview and Scrutiny Members should be allowed to attend Management Team meetings and the Senior Managers’ Forum in order to increase their understanding of the operational decision making process and how information is shared across the Authority.

 

[HoDS&E]

 

Undertook to take up this suggestion with the Chief Executive, as Head of Paid Service as the request related to operational management of the Authority, rather than the item under consideration

 

[HoGLS&MO]

 

Reminded Members that the items discussed at Group Leader meetings with the Chief Executive and at All Member Briefings are for information purposes and share similar topics to those discussed with senior officers, at Management Team/Senior Managers’ Forum, for example the draft emerging corporate plan

 

[Councillor Harris]

 

Newly elected Councillors need prompt training on the “calling in” process for Planning Applications to go to the Planning Committee especially in teasing out the valid planning reasons for doing so.

[HoDS&E]

 

This was a good suggestion that would be taken on board moving forward.

 

[HoGLS&MO]

 

Undertook to re-circulate to Members the Members’ Referral Scheme & Guidance Note for Planning Applications (January 2019) and also to arrange a training session on this at a future All Members’ Briefing.

 

[Councillor Land]

 

Guidance should be produced for newly elected Councillors on how best to represent their communities.

 

[HoDS&E]

 

This was a good suggestion that would be taken on board moving forward.

[Councillor Alexander]

 

Concerned that proposal to introduce video recordings of All Member Briefings for later circulation to Members could then get out into the public domain and be used to cause political embarrassment for a Member amongst other nefarious purposes. This could result in a chilling effect on discussions and Members’ ability to speak freely.

 

[Councillor J Henderson]

 

This proposal could introduce a disincentive for Members to attend.

 

[Councillor Harris]

 

Suggested that video recordings of the Officer presentations to the All Member Briefing be produced separately to the Briefing itself.

 

[HoDS&E]

 

Officer presentations to the All Member Briefing would be video recorded but not the Member discussions themselves.

 

[N.B. refer also to resolution (b) below.]

[Councillors Alexander and Steady]

 

All Member Briefings at present are poorly attended. Attendance at these events should be made compulsory as they are a vital source of information for Members.

 

[HoDS&E]

 

Undertook to try to ascertain the reasons why Members do not, or are unable to, attend All Member Briefings and then carry out an analysis of Members’ needs going forward.

 

Having thus considered and discussed the contents of the draft Councillor Development Statement 2019-2023:-

 

It was moved by Councillor Alexander, seconded by Councillor Harris and:-

 

RESOLVED that the Committee –

(a)    confirms its commitment to seeing good Councillor development as a key component of good governance;

 

(b)    endorses the draft Councillor Development Statement 2019/23, as set out at Appendix A to the report of the Head of Democratic Services & Elections, with the exception of the paragraph on page 9 of the Statement which refers to the intention to video record All Member Briefings which should be deleted pending a re-draft and re-submission of that paragraph to a future meeting of the Committee;

 

(c)    notes that the Statement will be kept under review and that any substantial alteration to it will be the subject of a further report to this Committee; and

 

(d)   authorises the Head of Democratic Services and Elections to make minor amendments to the Statement, as necessary.

 

 

 

Supporting documents: