The Vale of Glamorgan Council

Democratic Services Committee: 18th April 2018

Report of the Head of Democratic Services

Member Induction / Member Development 2017-18

Purpose of the Report

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 the ongoing work undertaken by the Democratic and Scrutiny Services Section in relation to Member Induction and the 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

As Members will be aware, the initial Member Induction Programme for newly-elected and returning Councillors following the local government elections in May, included various "Mandatory" elements of the Programme, together with the requirement on relevant Members as identified to attend.
As alluded to in previous reports, 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 continue to be 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 as they bed into their new roles internally and externally to the Council.

Relevant Issues and Options

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.

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"

The initial Member Induction and Development Programme incorporated 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"); a total of 45 sessions have taken place. Of those, 14 (31%) have been day time sessions (between 09.00 and 16.00). and 31 (69%) have been evening sessions (16.00 - 21.00).
12 of the scheduled 26 training topics were labelled as mandatory, equating to 46% of the Programme. To maximise attendance and being sympathetic to Members' personal commitments, mop-up sessions were arranged on a 1:1 or small group basis. 100% attendance has been achieved on all 12 Mandatory topics..
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.
22 (85%) of the topics have been facilitated by Vale of Glamorgan Officers, with 4 (15%) being delivered by external facilitators.
Further statistical information can be found at Appendix A to the report.
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.
On 20th April 2018, a colleague from the WLGA is delivering a Focus Group for members newly-elected in May 2017. The aim of the event is to gauge experiences of the support and development provided by the Council to Members, from the time of deciding to stand for office up to the present. Feedback from the event will be taken into account in planning/ delivering future support and for Members and may also be used to inform national Member Support initiatives.
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)

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

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)

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

Crime and Disorder Implications

There are no direct implications arising from this report.

Equal Opportunities Implications (to include Welsh Language issues)

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

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

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)

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

Relevant Scrutiny Committee

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