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Agenda Item No. 4

 

The Vale of Glamorgan Council

 

Democratic Services Committee: 18th October 2017

 

Report of the Head of Democratic Services

 

Member Induction / Member Development 2017

 

Purpose of the Report

  1. To provide the Committee with an update on work undertaken by the Democratic and Scrutiny Services Section in developing, preparing and delivering the Council's agreed Member Induction programme for newly-elected and returning Councillors following the local government elections in May 2017.

Recommendation

THAT work undertaken by the Democratic and Scrutiny Services Section in relation to Member Induction and the ongoing Member Development programme and associated activities be noted.

Reason for the Recommendation

To ensure Members are aware of how this Training/Development will assist them in their elected role and wider running of the Council.

Background

  1. The previous Administration's Cabinet at its meeting on 18th January, 2017 approved the Induction Programme for newly-elected and returning Councillors following the local government elections in May, 2017 and further approved the designation of the "Mandatory Induction" elements of the Programme, together with the requirement on relevant Members as identified to attend.
  2. It is worth acknowledging from the perspective of both officers and returning Members that the work of an elected Member is complicated and challenging and the political, legislative and local landscape in which they work is changing constantly. Local communities quite rightly have high expectations of their elected representatives from the day of their election and throughout their period of office. It is essential, therefore, that elected Members are given every assistance in preparing to be able to quickly and successfully navigate the numerous different aspects of local government. It is also important to stress the importance of the ongoing commitment of Members to participate in development opportunities beyond the current Programme as they bed into their new roles internally and externally to the Council.

Relevant Issues and Options

  1. A detailed report was submitted to the last meeting, setting out the considerable amount of wok undertaken, both prior to, and since, the May 2017 election. As such, it is not considered necessary to reproduce that information in this report.
  2. Member training and development is required by the Local Government Act 2000, Local Government Measure (Wales) 2011 and the Council's Member Development Strategy. Both the initial Member Induction Programme and the ongoing Member Development Programme, in addition to their obvious importance for Members generally, are being, and will continue to be, delivered against the background of the following Well-being Goals within the Well-being of Future Generations Act (Wales):
  • A prosperous Wales
  • A resilient Wales
  • A healthier Wales
  • A more equal Wales
  • A Wales of cohesive communities
  • A Wales of vibrant culture and thriving Welsh language
  • A globally responsible Wales.
  1. The Council as an organisation views its Member Induction and ongoing Member Development Programme as extremely important for Members.

"The Member Induction and Development Programmes"

  1. The overall Member Induction and Development Programme incorporates 26 training topics (including 2 topics having been identified as relevant to Members since the initial Programme began in May 2017 - on "Rules of Debate" and "Treasury Management"). 44 sessions have, or will have, taken place by the end of October. Out of the 44 sessions held or arranged to date, 14 (32%) have been day time sessions (between 09.00 and 16.00). and 30 (68%) have been evening sessions (16.00 - 21.00).
  2. 12 of the currently scheduled 24 training topics have been labelled as mandatory, equating to 50% of the Programme. To maximise attendance and being sympathetic to Members' personal commitments, mop-up sessions have been arranged on a 1:1 or small group basis; this process is continuing. Out of the 12 Mandatory topics, 7 (58%) have been completed with 5 (42%) requiring a further mop-up session. The 12 mandatory topics have been delivered over 24 scheduled sessions with a maximum expected attendance level of 347 places.
  3. Out of the 347 expected attendance places, 301 have been filled, giving an 86% overall attendance rate for mandatory sessions. Over the 12 development topics that have already taken place, attendance figures are very positive. The largest amount of individuals still left to attend a mop-up session is 23 for the Corporate Parenting & Safeguarding topic and the lowest being 7 for both the Equality & Welsh Language topic and the General Chairing Skills topic. Democratic Services staff are currently in the process of arranging the relevant mop-up sessions.
  4. Feedback has been sought from members, following each session, using the online survey tool Survey Monkey. Feedback to date has been largely positive and will be analysed to inform future development and delivery needs.
  5. 21 (88%) of the topics have been facilitated by Vale of Glamorgan Officers, with three (12%) being delivered by an external facilitator; from the Welsh Local Government Association (WLGA).
  6. Further statistical information can be found at Appendix A to the report.
  7. The ongoing Programme will continue to largely be delivered in-house and will comprise a mix of delivery methods, which will include access to e-learning (for example, utilising the All-Wales Academy training material, now hosted on the National Health Service portal). The E-learning resources are now available on MemberNet under the newly created 'Member Development Training Sessions and Resource Material' webpage. The "How To Guides" developed pre and post-induction Programme are also available via Member desktops as a resource tool, including important links to websites i.e. WLGA - Academy Wales Training resources.
  8. In addition to any reports to the Democratic Services Committee and Cabinet as appropriate, the Council's (Officer) Insight Board will be kept updated regarding the ongoing Member Development Programme.

Resource Implications (Financial and Employment)

  1. The majority of the Programme has been delivered on an in-house basis. Any expenditure incurred on external facilitators (e.g. the WLGA in respect of Chairing Skills) has been met from within the existing budgets.

Sustainability and Climate Change Implications

  1. There are no direct implications arising from this report. However, this comprehensive package of Training and Development will contribute to the sustainable running of the Council. It is also a reflection of the pace of change within the Authority, the significant legislative changes and how Local Government generally has evolved over the five years since the last Council elections in 2012.

Legal Implications (to Include Human Rights Implications)

  1. Member training and development is required by the Local Government Act 2000, Local Government Measure (Wales) 2011.

Crime and Disorder Implications

  1. There are no direct implications arising from this report.

Equal Opportunities Implications (to include Welsh Language issues)

  1. Members will note that a number of sessions have been delivered at least twice (i.e. on different days and times of day) including, a number of "mop up" sessions arranged for Members who were unable to attend on one of the original Induction Programme dates.

Corporate/Service Objectives

  1. This report contributes to the Well-being Goals as set out earlier in the report. It is consistent with the five ways of working as defined within the sustainable development principle in the Act in that an Induction Programme will help prepare Members for their decision-making responsibilities in which they will need to consider the positive and negative impacts on future generations, long term community resilience, economic, environmental and social capital.

Policy Framework and Budget

  1. The Council's Corporate Plan 2016-2020 states that the Values set out in the Corporate Plan will be built in to our Personal Development Review processes and Member Development Programme. This will ensure that everyone understands their role and the importance of taking pride in our work, being open and working together to achieve our ambitions.

Consultation (including Ward Member Consultation)

  1. This is an internal matter, and, therefore, no consultation has been necessary.

Relevant Scrutiny Committee

  1. Corporate Performance and Resources.

Background Papers

Member Development Strategy

Local Government (Wales) Measure 2011

Contact Officer

Jeff Wyatt, Tel: 01446 709408

Officers Consulted

Head of Democratic Services

Responsible Officer:

Jeff Wyatt, Head of Democratic Services