Issue - meetings

The Service Manager, Scrutiny and Democratic Services presented the updated Member Development Strategy for approval.  Members were reminded that the draft Strategy had already been reviewed and considered at two informal meetings of the Standards and Personnel Appeals Committee held in August and November 2021.

The Strategy was a concise document that identified the training needs of Members, thus ensuring that any individual or group training was facilitated to offer opportunities to enhance Members’ skills for carrying out their roles as Councillors.

Members were aware that a pro-forma was available for them to complete (and submit to the Democratic Services team) at any time should any training needs be highlighted. 

A concern was raised that Members were often not informed of events/issues that were happening in their wards and that Cabinet Members were often hijacking events at the exclusion of the Ward Members who should be representing their communities.

The Chairman also requested that the maximum 15 minutes allocated for debates on submitted petitions needed to be reviewed and the Director of Legal and Governance (and Monitoring Officer) suggested that this could be done as part of the annual Constitution review undertaken during January-April each year.  Members were also reminded that they had the opportunity to give their views/suggestions on any changes to the Constitution as part of the annual review.

RESOLVED

that the updated Member Development Strategy, as presented, be agreed and recommended to Cabinet for approval.