KLOE 2.3
1.The Constitution contains details of the following:-
Article 2 -roles and responsibilities of members of Council
Article 4 -duties and responsibilities of full Council
Article 5-the Mayor and Chairing Council
Article 6 -roles and responsibilities and terms of reference of Executive Scrutiny Committee and Select Committees
Article 7 -Leader and Cabinet - roles and responsibilities
Part 8-Cabinet Member portfolios
Article 8-roles and responsibilities of regulatory and other committees
The Scheme of Delegation (Council functions) provides details of the specific decision making powers of the planning and licensing committees.
Article 9-role and responsibilities of the standards committee and the terms of reference of the Assessment, Review, Consideration and Hearings Sub-Committees
Article 12 -the role and responsibilities of the Chief Executive, Section 151 Officer and the Monitoring Officer
Part 5-Protocol on Member/Officer Relations
-Code of Conduct on Publicity
-Confidential Reporting Policy
-Concordat for Communication and Consultation with Members
-Planning Code of Good Practice
Part 8-General guidance on Code of Conduct for Members
-Protocol for submitting and determining dispensations
-Members’ Guide to IT Security
-Protocol on use of IT equipment
-Gifts and Hospitality protocol
The Constitution also contains a link to the Council’s Scrutiny Toolkit, which provides information and guidance on the scrutiny function, duties and responsibilities for the benefit of Members and Officers (
2(a)CMT meets weekly, It also meets for regular away days. CMT has joint away days with Cabinet. A series of regular policy briefing sessions for all Members has been established. Individual CMT Officers meet with their relevant Cabinet Members on a regular basis. CMT and Heads of Service present service plans and the Council Plan annually to all Members at special meetings of Council.
See also, as per 1, protocol on member/officer relations and the concordat for communication and consultation with members (Part 5 - Constitution), which regulate Members and Officers working relationships.
Officers meet monthly with political group Leaders/Deputy Leaders to discuss the forward plan and emerging issues for the Authority from both a local, regional and national perspective.
Please also refer to the Council’s April 2008 Corporate Assessment Report - finding that Council had Councillors and Officers who worked together well across the organisation.
Employee Survey 2008 outcomes will also be relevant. They are to be reported to Members in due course.
2(b)All new members receive induction training and information following their election to the Council.
All members have the opportunity for further training throughout their term of office under the Members Learning and Development Strategy.
This involves an assessment of their training needs and the production of their own personal development plan.
Training regarding the scrutiny role is provided on an ongoing basis for all select committee members, and in particular for members new to scrutiny.
A Scrutiny Toolkit has been produced which provides information and guidance for Members and Officers regarding the scrutiny function, roles and responsibilities (
All select committees are currently in the process of receiving training for their roles in relation to the Efficiency, Improvement and Transformation Programme.
Training for members of planning and licensing committees and the Employee Appeal Panel is mandatory, and this applies to those members who substitute for other members of the committees and panel.
Please see the most recent report to the Members Advisory Panel regarding Members Learning and Development.
2 (c)Please see the comments regarding 2 (b). A copy of the most recent report to the Members Advisory Panel regarding the Members’ Learning and Development Strategy is attached.
The report highlights developments regarding:-
- Refresh of the Member Role Guides
- Personal Support Planning
- Member Support System
- Member Learning and Support Activities
- Mentoring
Note
* CMT need to comment on the appraisal and organisational development process for Officers, which includes CMT members.
AGENDA ITEM:
REPORT TO MEMBERS ADVISORY PANEL
25TH MARCH 2009
REPORT OF
HEAD OF DEMOCRATIC SERVICES
LEARNING AND DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY FOR MEMBERS - PROGRESS UPDATE
SUMMARY
Further to the meeting of this Panel held on 14th May 2008, the purpose of this report is to provide Members with an update of progress made regarding the delivery of the Member Learning and Development Strategy and in particular developments regarding:-
- Refresh of Member Role Guides
- Personal Support Planning
- Member Support System
- Member Learning and Support Activities
- Mentoring
RECOMMENDED that:-
1.Updates on the development of the Member Support System be provided to this Panel, and the Chairman of this Panel (the Member Development Champion) be invited to participate in the Officer Steering Group discussions overseeing the development of the system.
2. The content of the report in relation to ongoing work in relation to Member Support, Learning and Development be noted.
3.The arrangements made with regard to training provided in 2009/2010 in respect of Planning, Licensing and Employee Appeals, be noted.
BACKGROUND
- At its meeting held on 14th May 2008, Members received an update on progress which had been made with regard to meeting their own personal needs and how work on the development of an in-house database was proceeding allowing the recording of learning information obtained by members, and detailing future learning and development opportunities. As part of the database, the opportunity would be included for Members to complete their Personal Support Plan (PSP’s) interview on-line to assist those with work or other commitments to complete them at a time suitable for them.
DETAIL
Guide to Member Roles - Refresh
2.As an Authority, we understand that Councillors undertake a range of increasingly complex roles. We recognise the demands placed on Members so in order to keep pace with these requirements, the Authority has, for the second year, been commissioned by the North East Regional Improvement and Efficiency Partnership to update and refresh the Guide to Members Roles, which we use in our Personal Support Planning process (PSP), to now include a new Role Guide in respect of an Audit Committee Member. This work has been undertaken, the refreshed guides have been sent to the North East Regional Improvement and Efficiency Partnership and the roles have been incorporated into the Member Support System (database) being developed by this Council (paragraph 7 - 9 refers). For this work the Authority has received grant funding.
Personal Support Plans (PSP)
3.All Members has been offered the opportunity to attend a personal 1-2-1 session with the Principal Development Officer – Member Support to discuss their support requirements for this year. To date 24 (43%) members have undertaken their PSP’s in this way, with emerging training needs have included:-
- Cultural Awareness
- Risk Assessment/Management
- Chairing
- Media
- Public Speaking
- Conflict Management/Resolution
- Negotiating
- Debate/Questioning
4.For those members unable to attend PSP interview sessions in person it is now possible to undertake the session on-line via the Member Support System.
5. The remit for this years Personal Support Planning sessions follows the Guide to Members Role, with each member completing an assessment based on their roles on the Council. Each assessment requires the member to assess themselves on a statement using a traffic light system. On completion of each assessment members are asked to identify further areas of required support and expand on areas where they feel they are competent.
6.The budget for Elected Member Development for 2008/09 is £18,191 with £16,930 being spent so far this year. Members undertaking PSP’s are able to influence the spending of this budget as as emerging training needs are identified. Officers would continue to utilise opportunities presented by the Regional Improvement and Efficiency Partnership for Member Learning and Development as they arise; and these available resources will be referred within the Member Support System (Database).
Member Support System (Database)
7.Members have previously been advised of work commenced in house on the development of aMembers Support System allowing the recording of learning information obtained by members and detailing future learning and development opportunities. The system will automate and make more effective current practice and provide a remote means of access for members who wish to use the facility on-line to self assess their learning requirements. Updates on the development of the system will be provided to this Panel.
8.A function of the new Members Support System will be the ability to record securely members support needs, linked to a programme of available resources both internally and externally, with the ability to chart progress in meeting members identified need. The system will also maintain a record of training/support provided; with opportunity for members to submit feedback helpful in evaluating the suitability and success of the choice of resource offered. One of the recommendations from our Charter Assessment was the need for this Authority to place more emphasis on the dissemination of its learning and subsequent evaluation of resources provided with a view to influencing future programmes and learning opportunities. In this respect, details of presentations from Training events/Seminars are, where possible, added to the intranet under Members Information, along with individual reports from conferences for any member to view/refresh themselves.
9.Final testing of the Database is underway and thereafter the system will be shared and offered for use with other North East Councils, Fire and Rescue Authorities etc.
Delivery of Training to Meet Members Learning Needs
10.In the current Municipal Year, members have received training on the following:-
- Planning – training provided by Trevor Roberts Associates
- Licensing – training provided by internal officers
11.Evaluation in respect of the training indicates that the structure and content of the training was very good and 100% of respondents indicated that the training had met the stated objectives. Officers felt that there was a good mix of practical exercises as well as ‘traditional presentations’.
12.An additional Planning session focusing on Design Considerations has been provided by Trevor Roberts Associates. This session was an introduction to the design and again focused on a local practical exercise looking at issues of design in Planning Applications. It will be followed with a further session from the Council’s Design Team in September 2009.
13.There have also been regular ‘Sound Bite’ sessions following meetings of the Planning Committee to which all members have been invited, these have included:-
- Changes to the Town and Country Planning General Permitted Development Order
- Windfarms
- Affordable Housing
- Killian Pretty Review
14. Members have also attended various training sessions in respect of ICT and seminars in relation to the Councillors Commission, Momentum, Stockton Darlington Partnership, Building Schools for the Future, Standards, Ethical Governance, Audit and Health Scrutiny. Further details of the content of these sessions can found within the Members Information section of the Council’s Intranet (
15.Evaluation in respect of the Health Scrutiny event was disappointing, however, a letter expressing our disappointment has been sent to the Centre for Public Scrutiny requesting their views on how the Centre can support us to overcome the negative views of Members and assist in the much needed training for our Members. A letter of apology has been received, by way of compensation the Authority has been offered a further half day training session for 2009/10.
16.Policy Update sessions commenced for all members in December 2008 and further sessions are diarised on a two monthly cycle, with an additional seminar in March covering Comprehensive Area Assessment. In order to maximise attendance at these seminars, a new arrangements procedure has been implemented, as endorsed by this Panel at its meeting held on 24th September 2008. These arrangements were put in place for the session provided on 22nd January. Forthcoming sessions are scheduled as follows:-
- 27th April 2009
- 15th June 2009
- 4th August 2009
- 6th October 2009
- 1st December 2009
- 4th February 2010
Forthcoming Training
17.Arrangements have been made for officers to provide new members of the Planning Committee (as well as those members seeking a refresh, and any member who wishes to act as a substitute) a half day introduction session on the ‘Role of the Planning Committee’ on the 2nd April 2009. In addition, all members of the Committee (and other members of Council) will be provided with advice produced by the Planning Advisory Service entitled ‘Positive Engagement – A guide for Planning Councillors’.
18.On 13th May 2009, Members will receive a day’s training on Public Inquiries and Hearings run by an external trainer, tailored to our specific requirements. Further to this, on the 17th September 2009, Officers will provide a half day design considerations seminar which will be complemented by a half day site visit looking around sites which have been previously approved. This will supplement the previous training received on design from Trevor Roberts Associates during 2008. The Head of Planning Services has been invited to attend this meeting to consider any feedback from members regarding the proposed training programme for Planning. Regular ‘sound bite sessions’ will also continue to be held immediately following meetings of the Planning Committee, to which all members of the Council will be invited to attend.
19.Training for the Licensing Committee will take the same form as that of the Planning Committee with a half day session being provided to new members of the Committee and those seeking a refresh, and any member who wishes to act as a substitute on the ‘Role of the Licensing Committee’. This session has been scheduled to take place on the morning of 18th June 2009; followed by an afternoon session on that date which will include an update on recent case law for both new and existing members.
20.In respect of training for the Employee Appeals Panel, the Head of Legal Services has indicated that there has been an introduction of new proposals regarding Disciplinary and Grievance Procedures which will be the focus of the training provided this year for Members; and which will be held on 12th May 2009.
21.Details of presentations from Training events/Seminars are, where possible, added to the intranet under Members Information, along with individual reports from conferences for any member to view/refresh themselves which was a recommendation from the North East Charter for Elected Member Development Assessment undertaken in October 2007.
Mentoring
22.The change in the Authorities administration led to changes in the key leadership roles. The need for support to the new leadership and for councillors who had changed roles was recognised by the council and the provision of councillor mentoring for key members was agreed. In addition, the first councillor from a BME group was elected to the council in May 2007 and the council committed to provide appropriate support to this councillor which included some mentoring from an experienced BME councillor.
23.Funding was made available for the project from the North East Improvement Partnership.The project started in September 2007 and was completed by the end of June 2008.
24.Feedback was requested from all the peers involved in the mentoring process. It should be noted that the mentoring relationship is confidential and the evaluation was based on general feedback rather than specific feedback on individuals.The benefits of councillor mentoring can be clearly seen from the evaluation. Consideration should be given to opening up councillor mentoring to other councillors in the authority, particularly those from other Independent groups. In addition some follow up sessions for those who have participated in this programme would be beneficial to measure the longer term impact of the mentoring.
COMMUNITY STRATEGY IMPLICATIONS
25.Assessment and delivery of the Council’s Member Learning and Development Strategy; contributing to the Council Plan aim to ‘Enhance Member Development’.
CONSULTATION
26.Regular updates on Member Learning and Development are undertaken with the Chairman of this Panel as well as Group Leaders.
Margaret Waggott
Head of Democratic Services
Contact Officer:Jo McGeeney, Principal Development Officer- Member Services
Telephone No.:01642 526186
E-mail Address:
3.Outcomes of the 2008 Employee Survey are to be reported to Members. The survey includes responses to questions about Officers’ roles and responsibilities and their understanding of them.
The findings of the April 2008 Corporate Assessment demonstrate that the Authority is effective in aligning Members and Officers’ roles and responsibilities, in order to be able to deliver the Council’s priorities. The CA report found strong community leadership, significant improvement in services and high levels of resident satisfaction.
Two of the Cabinet Member portfolios have recently been revised as a result of reports to full Council:-
Flood management has been added to the Corporate Management and Finance portfolio.
Communications has been transferred to the Access and Communities Portfolio.
The roles and responsibilities of planning and licensing committee members have been reviewed and updated on a regular basis.
Similarly the scrutiny function has developed significantly over time in response to organisational and legislative change eg the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act.
Executive Scrutiny and Select Committees’ roles have recently been expanded to accommodate specific responsibilities in relation to the Efficiency, Improvement and Transformation Programme.
As indicated at 2 (c), the Council’s member role guides are in the process of being refreshed.
Note
*CMT need to comment on the organisational review and development aspects involved in this question. Services and individual’s roles within them are reviewed and developed on an ongoing basis in response to a range of drivers eg changing Council priorities.
4.Note