2011/2012 Councillor’s guide
Improvement Edited by Andy Jackson
The information contained in this guide was believed correct at time of going to press. Opinions expressed by individuals remain their personal views and do not necessarily express those of the Local Government Group (LG Group). The content does not purport to give legal opinion and councillors should raise any points of law with the relevant officer. The LG Group cannot take responsibility for errors or omissions.
References to government, government policy, plans and intentions, refer to their status in March 2011.
Some councillors quoted in the text may no longer hold the offices ascribed to them.
If you have difficulty reading the Councillor’s Guide please contact [email protected]
The Councillor’s Guide is published simultaneously on the Local Government Group website at www.local.gov.uk and may be downloaded free of charge. Foreword
Congratulations on becoming a Local government can be a very complex councillor – and on behalf of the Local world and can come with a language Government Group I want to offer you seemingly of its own! a warm welcome to the world of local government and to offer our help and While of course you will have your fellow expertise. councillors and council officers to call up on for help, beyond that there is a great This is a tough time to be in local politics deal of information available from the LG and public life and I congratulate you on Group. We’ll be sending you a fortnightly putting yourself forward. We’ve received magazine, First, to keep you up to date the toughest financial settlement in living with latest policy developments and we memory and that will mean we all have have a full events programme throughout to make some very difficult choices. the year.
As you know having just fought an I hope to have the opportunity to meet election, keeping up that level of you myself at the annual conference in dialogue with your residents now the June where I’ll be stepping down at the election has passed will be really end of my term as chairman. Throughout important. Explaining and involving your my time at the Local Government local community in making the decisions Association I have really valued the will help make sure that if even if these support of my fellow councillors. are tough decisions, that they are the right ones.
With pressures on budgets, it’s quite easy to see just how interconnected local public services are and how during good and bad times it’s vitally important to Councillor Baroness work with others in different parts of the Margaret Eaton, DBE DL public sector. Chairman of the Local Government Association It might feel like your life has been swamped by meetings! But I would advise you to look at how certain meetings with other public sector partners can be incredibly helpful as we work to make a difference to our local area.
Councillor’s Guide 2011/12 1 Introduction Local Government Group website www.local.gov.uk The Councillor’s Guide is an introduction to the world of local The Local Government (LG) Group’s new government. It covers the main things website features extensive information new councillors need to know. Whether for councillors that is not covered by this you have a few hours to spare or just Guide. The site’s pages are regularly 10 minutes, you can dip into this guide updated. The site is due for launch in to find information about the key areas June 2011. in which you will become involved. The website has a section devoted to the This year’s guide is published at a time development of councillors. It contains of great change for local government as guidance on political leadership and the Localism Bill makes its way through advice on the different aspects of a Parliament. councillor’s role.
In view of the speed of change, The website also contains ‘Councillor councillors are urged to use internet Comment’ – dedicated to showcasing resources to find the most up to date lively and provocative opinion pieces and in-depth information about the from councillors throughout England and topics and issues that concern them. Wales.
Readers will find two of the most useful Allied to this, the website features websites are that of the Department of guidance and good practice on more Communities and Local Government at than 40 areas of local government www.communities.gov.uk and the improvement, ranging from equality and Local Government Group’s new site at diversity to economic development. www.local.gov.uk The LG Group website also provides:
• information about all the LG Group’s products and services for councils, including the political leadership training offered by the Leadership Academy • details on what central government policy means at a local level • an overview of how the LG Group is working on behalf of the sector and how councillors can feed into this process • email bulletins that feature handy digests of the latest news and best practice from across the LG Group.
2 Councillor’s Guide 2011/12 The LG Group website is also closely The Knowledge Hub connected with the Knowledge Hub – an online environment for local In tandem with the new corporate government to produce and capture its website will be a new Knowledge Hub. own knowledge and innovation. This is an innovative social business environment that will enable councillors The website offers practical guidance to take greater advantage of social to help councillors use social media. It media tools and techniques to support references some key publications, for more effective knowledge sharing. example ‘Connected councillors: a guide to social media’, which demonstrates: The Knowledge Hub is intended it to become the definitive online resource • how councillors are already using for local government to generate and social media to engage with local capture knowledge. It will offer a suite residents and campaign on important of free online tools to help councils local issues and councillors innovate and improve • how councils can use social media together. more effectively to support better services for local people Launching later in 2011, the Knowledge Hub will build on the current community • the role councillors can take in leading of practice platform at www.local.gov. this digital revolution. uk/communities to support networking, Access these free resources by going collaboration and knowledge sharing. to www.local.gov.uk and clicking on For more detailed information on ‘Local Leadership’ in the left-hand menu. the Knowledge Hub go to: www.local.gov.uk/knowledgehub
Features
Councillor’s Snapshot Hot topic Top tips Case study viewpoint
Councillor’s Guide 2011/12 3 Contents
1 Being a councillor
Local government powers 7 Local government structures 9 Council services 11 How the council works 12 The councillor’s role 21
2 Civic life
Representing the ward 30 Understanding the ward 34 Working with others 35 Surgeries and casework 40 Planning and fettered discretion 44 Standards and ethics 46 Strategy and policy 49 Finance, the budget and productivity 51 Freedom of information 56 Open data 56 Data protection 56 Local Government Ombudsman 59 Police authorities 59 Fire and rescue authorities 63 Health and safety 64 Councillors and communications 65
3 Community leadership
The Localism Bill 79 The voluntary and community sector 80 Partnerships 84 Performance and regulation 86 Overview and scrutiny 88 Sustainable development, climate change and energy 92 Equality and cohesion 94 Children’s services 102 Adult social care 103 Local government and health 104
1. Being a councillor
1 1 Being a councillor
Local government powers 7
Local government structures 9
Council services 11 Services provided by county councils 11 Services provided by district councils 12
How the council works 12 Council structures 13 Political arrangements 13 Co-options 14 Procedures 14 Standing orders 14 Agendas and minutes 14 Defamation and privilege 15 Roles at meetings 15 Roles of officers 16 Statutory officers 16 Senior managers 16 Councillor-officer relationships 18 The councillor’s role 20 Representing the ward 20 Community leadership and engagement 20 Decision-making 20 Policy and strategy 20 Overview and scrutiny 21 Regulatory duties 21
The councillor’s role 21 Allowances 22 Information technology 23 Councillors’ web pages 24 Research and information 24 Training and development 24 Member development and the charter 26 Local government powers
Local authorities are created by acts “We want to see a radical shift in the of Parliament. balance of power and to decentralise power as far as possible. Localism isn’t They may be abolished by Parliament simply about giving power back to local and their powers are determined by government. Parliament. The powers of a councillor are very different from those of an “This Government trusts people to individual citizen. take charge of their lives and we will push power downwards and Citizens are free to do anything that is outwards to the lowest possible level, not specifically illegal. Councillors and including individuals, neighbourhoods, their authority can only do what they are professionals and communities as well as specifically permitted to do by law. Acts of local councils and other local institutions.” Parliament lay down specific duties that must be carried out – mandatory acts more information: and things that may be done by choice, Department for Communities and permissive and adoptive acts. Local Government website at www.communities.gov.uk Councillors are bound by statutes but statutes will not stop them making Local Government Group website important policy decisions and there is at www.local.gov.uk often scope for discretion in individual cases.
Some of the decisions councillors reach may be subject to an appeal to a minister or a government department. Since local government power is embodied in statutes and regulations, its decisions can be challenged in the courts.
The Government does control many of the activities of local government but its Localism Bill is intended to give councils and communities more influence and control over the services they provide or receive.
Publishing the bill in December 2010, the Government stated: “Over time central government has become too big, too interfering, too controlling and too bureaucratic. This has undermined local democracy and individual responsibility, and stifled innovation and enterprise within public services.
Councillor’s Guide 2011/12 Being a councillor 7 Councillor’s viewpoint
My Day Councillor Louise McKinlay, Brentwood Borough Council
As a resident of Brentwood for more than 15 years, I was thrilled to be elected to lead the council last year at the age of 31. I am passionate about our town and all the wonderful things that Brentwood has to offer: beautiful open spaces, great parks, clean streets and a fantastic quality of life.
I start today by taking part in a brilliant initiative that Brentwood is involved with called ‘Love where you live’. It’s a scheme to engage schools, businesses and residents in tacking the cleanliness of the environment where they live. I’m getting stuck in with various initiatives, like removing graffiti and leading a litter pick in an area of my ward. Seeing how many people are joining me proves that people really do care about their surroundings, and that this new approach to all working together can really deliver.
I am a big fan of Twitter and use it to keep in touch with residents. It allows me to convey messages instantly – something I make full use of by Tweeting regularly from my phone. Today, I’m telling everyone about the litter pick while I’m actually doing it (which also gives me a few minutes break!).
I find Twitter a brilliant tool that allows instant two-way communications, unlike some more traditional ways of contacting people. I can link in with national MPs and I even have a bit of friendly banter with opposition councillors! I think any councillors who aren’t embracing new technology like Twitter are really missing a trick.
I’m aware that residents may think: I’ve taken the time to vote but what exactly does my councillor do for me? Therefore I believe in transparency and allowing residents to see what their elected representatives do. By me updating Twitter regularly, they are able to see what my day consists of. I use it to inform and promote what we are doing and have had local issues raised with me by residents. This allows action to be taken so much more quickly.
After a successful (and mucky!) litter pick, it’s back to the town hall, where I make a start on today’s council website blog. I update this a few times a week to let residents know what’s new, and they often come back to me with concerns or questions they may have.
I then attend a meeting with fellow senior councillors, in which we outline plans for the coming year. We go over residents’ priorities and start looking at areas where we can invest more, and those where we can make savings.
8 Being a councillor Councillor’s Guide 2011/12 Local government
structures
It is important that councillors understand the structure of their own council and We also make plans to hold our its responsibilities to the community. first question time session at a local Councillors will also find it useful to library, giving residents the chance understand the broader local government to come and quiz us on decisions picture. that we are looking to take. Not all local authorities are structured in After a productive day I’m off home the same way. They do not provide the to make the most of the sunny same services and do not necessarily evening, with a barbeque with the even have the same system for elections. family. The term local authority does not necessarily refer to a council – it can I go through the photos that were also apply to a number of other taken of the rugby sevens at authorities such as a police authority. Twickenham a couple of weeks ago, when I went with a group of There are two distinct structures of girlfriends. As we sit down to eat, local government in England: my husband removes my BlackBerry to 1 Unitary – a single-tier structure stop me Tweeting all in which an all-purpose authority is evening! responsible for providing most of the services. They are to be found in A version of this article London, other metropolitan areas first appeared as ‘A day in the life’, and parts of shire England. in First magazine, published by the Local Government Association. 2 County and district – comprising at least two levels of local government and found in the remaining counties of England. Often there is a third tier of parish or town councils as well.
England has 54 unitary authorities, 37 metropolitan districts, 27 county councils, 201 shire districts, and 32 London boroughs, plus the City of London Corporation and the Greater London Authority.
Councillor’s Guide 2011/12 Being a councillor 9 Unitary authorities Counties and districts A unitary authority is responsible for all England’s counties often have two local government functions within its and sometimes three levels of local area. government. Each county has an elected county council providing strategic and Typically, unitary authorities cover towns more costly services like social services or cities that are large enough to function and education. independently from county or other regional administration. Each county is divided into several districts, each with its own elected Each unitary authority sends district council providing more local representatives to a joint board that services such as the collection of council oversees police, fire and civil defence taxes and non-domestic rates, housing arrangements across the whole area. benefits, health and housing. These boards are authorities in their own right and set precepts or raise council Some of these councils are called taxes, but they are not directly elected. borough or city councils. These titles are ceremonial and indicate that the authority There are also joint arrangements in has a royal charter and a mayor. Many most areas for waste disposal. Some district councils are further divided into unitary authorities have parish or town elected parish or town councils. A town councils in their area. council is a parish council with a mayor. Most parish or town councils are found in Metropolitan districts rural areas. Parishes deal with services Metropolitan districts are also unitary and problems such as allotments, authorities, responsible for all services for which they have a statutory within their boundaries. They are often responsibility, footpaths, bus shelters, called borough or city councils. In each litter and dog fouling. metropolitan area there are two joint boards that oversee police, fire and civil London defence arrangements. There may also London has 32 London boroughs and be joint authorities for waste disposal The City of London Corporation, plus the and for transport. Greater London Authority. The boroughs and City of London Corporation are They include metropolitan areas such responsible for local government as: West Midlands, Greater Manchester, services in their areas but the mayor Merseyside, Tyne and Wear, West and the Greater London Assembly – as Yorkshire and South Yorkshire. the Greater London Authority – act in a The responsibilities of metropolitan strategic way on behalf of the capital to district councils are the same as those promote its special needs. of unitary authorities. There are very few Generally, the mayor is responsible parish councils in metropolitan areas. for developing strategies to improve London’s transport, economy and environment, as well as running the police and fire services. The assembly
10 Being a councillor Councillor’s Guide 2011/12 holds the mayor to account and makes • country parks and countryside sure services are being run effectively. management • cycle routes Neither takes responsibilities from the London boroughs. • emergency planning • highway maintenance Council services • industrial and craft units • libraries and archives Councils provide three types of service to their communities: • local economy support and development • statutory services – such as refuse • meals on wheels collection – that councils must provide • minerals and quarries • regulatory services – such as pub licensing and trading standards – that • museums and arts councils must also provide • maintenance of public rights of way • discretionary services – such as youth • protecting and enhancing the services – that councils may choose to environment provide. • public and community transport Unitary councils supply all the services • recycling listed below. In two-tier areas services • registration of births, deaths and are divided between the county council marriages and its associated district councils. A few councils may have different • road clearance e.g. fly tipping arrangements because of their location • road safety or circumstances. • schools, school transport and other Although services such as highway education maintenance are sometimes contracted • strategic planning for the county out to district councils by county councils, • street lighting and furniture they remain the statutory responsibility of the county councils. This is also the case • tourism when council services are contracted out • trading standards and consumer to third-party suppliers. protection
Services provided by county councils • traffic management and transport • care and protection of children planning • care for elderly people • tree protection • care for people with a disability • village halls and community facilities • community safety • voluntary organisation support
• concessionary travel and public • water courses transport support • waste disposal • conservation/listed buildings • youth clubs.
Councillor’s Guide 2011/12 Being a councillor 11 Services provided by district • licensing councils • taxis • building control • alcohol and public entertainment • regulatory • gambling • public protection • museums and arts • car parks • national non-domestic rate • cemeteries and crematoria • planning • council tax benefit • development control • council tax collection • local delivery framework • Crime and Disorder Act • heritage • community wardens • countryside management • economic development • property searches and land charges • electoral registration and elections • sea defences, watercourses and
• emergency planning drainage
• environmental services • street naming
• environmental health • tourism. • pollution control • refuse collection How the council works • private sector housing standards Councils are large organisations
• street sweeping employing hundreds of staff and they • food hygiene and health and safety adhere to set rules and procedures to help them function effectively and legitimately. • dog wardens • public conveniences New councillors should be given a copy of their council’s constitution. This • streetscene (graffiti, litter and so on) provides the framework within which • grounds maintenance (parks and open the council conducts its business and spaces) makes decisions. It describes who is • housing responsible for making decisions and how decisions are taken. • strategy and development • advice and assistance The legal nature of constitutions means they are not easy reading but new • provision councillors should familiarise themselves • housing benefit administration with the constitution and, in the first • leisure instance, concentrate on four key topics:
12 Being a councillor Councillor’s Guide 2011/12 • decision-making and council structures • the leader is able to choose the • procedural matters cabinet, which must include at least two other councillors • roles of officers • the budget can only be defeated if • standards and ethical governance. at least two-thirds voted it down.
Council structures One of the key differences between the The full council meeting is the sovereign two systems is that elected mayors are body of the council. Full council is where not councillors – residents elect them all councillors meet to debate and take directly once every four years. It is also decisions. more likely that a directly elected mayor who is not a member of a political party Most councils operate a system that will choose a cross-party cabinet. separates the decision-making executive from the monitoring and representative This legislation also scrapped the right of functions of the council. smaller councils to retain their committee systems and the option of having a Full council: directly elected mayor and council • makes decisions on the constitution manager. • decides policy framework The executive mayor or strong leader • decides the budget and the cabinet is responsible for: • appoints chief officers. • agreeing new policy and proposing the Political arrangements budget The Local Government Act 2000, • conducting strategic service reviews required councils to adopt one of two • promoting the council’s interests in political management arrangements, partnership leader and cabinet or directly elected mayor and cabinet, by 2010. • implementing decisions of the full council with the council’s officers. Before that most councils had a leader and cabinet system. Each year the There are some areas where the council would appoint a leader and each executive does not have responsibility. year the leader would decide on how Quasi-judicial and regulatory functions many and which councillors would make such as development control, planning up the cabinet, as well as what roles the applications and licensing decisions are cabinet undertook. delegated from the council to separate decision-making committees. The changes concerning what is known as the strong leader model means that: Councils must also establish overview and scrutiny arrangements through • once elected by full council, the leader which non-executive councillors can continues in office for four years – until question and challenge the performance the year they are due for re-election – of the executive in a manner that will unless removed by resolution enable public debate.
Councillor’s Guide 2011/12 Being a councillor 13 Overview and scrutiny committees have Standing orders to reflect the political balance of the Full council, overview and scrutiny council. Members of the executive are committee meetings and regulatory likely to be asked to attend overview and committee meetings are governed by scrutiny committee meetings regularly procedural standing orders. to answer questions and contribute to debate. The interpretation of standing orders is the chairperson’s responsibility. Co-options Councillors need to familiarise Councils can appoint co-opted themselves with them to ensure they members to committees – people from comply with them and know when to the community with specific expertise challenge them if they believe they have and knowledge. Some co-options are been broken. statutory, such as the parental and religious members of education scrutiny The standing orders specify the timing of panels. council meetings, the order of business, rules of debate and other matters of In other instances councillors will have procedure. It is important to understand: the opportunity to invite interested members of the community to serve • the rules of debate on specific scrutiny inquiries and • declarations of interest investigations. • terms of reference for committees. While councillors will always retain the Agendas and minutes mandate of representation through The law requires notice of a public election it can be useful to include people meeting, with its date, time, venue and who may not be strongly represented, agenda, to be posted publicly five clear such as business people, young people working days before the meeting takes and people from ethnic minorities. place.
Procedures Some councils circulate the agendas of Councils have internal procedures that all meetings to all councillors in advance. councillors should know about and This allows them to check whether there understand. are items coming up that concern their They concern: ward. If there are issues of interest to the councillor or their ward, they can ask to • standing orders attend the meeting as an observer.
• agendas and minutes A councillor may also ask to speak on • defamation and privilege behalf of ward constituents but cannot • roles at meetings. vote unless he or she is a member of the committee concerned.
At all formal meetings of the council, a record is made by council officers of the decisions taken, the background
14 Being a councillor Councillor’s Guide 2011/12 papers received and the reasons for Roles at meetings the decision. The minutes are made The chair runs the meeting and is available to the public. responsible for:
Records must be kept and made public • opening and closing the meeting when an individual executive member or • welcoming members to the meeting mayor has taken a decision. • introducing each agenda item, or All council meetings and committees are asking officers to introduce the item open to members of the public unless • ensuring that the debate keeps to the there are legal reasons to exclude them. point of the agenda The executive is required to set out its • inviting members to speak when they programme of work, where it is known, have indicated they wish to do so in a forward plan. The plan will include • summarising at the end of each item all key decisions due to be made by the executive in the following four months. • indicating when and if voting should The plan must be made public and made take place available to the relevant overview and • controlling disorderly members and scrutiny committees at least two weeks putting a motion to remove them in advance of the commencement of the • warning and, if necessary, excluding period covered. unruly members of the public.
Defamation and privilege At scrutiny committee meetings the chair The law of defamation is potentially welcomes witnesses and asks members a dangerous and expensive one for to put questions in a courteous manner. councillors. Councillors can be sued for defamation by saying or writing anything Preparation for meetings is important, that will “lower a person in the estimation and councillors should read the agenda of right-thinking people”. and any attached papers beforehand. They may also decide to consult Councillors have some limited protection local ward groups and constituents or and to allow them freedom of speech their ward party colleagues on non- they are given qualified privilege in confidential items. council meetings. This can protect them against being sued for defamation for If they hold a different point of view, something they say in defending or councillors should decide what questions supporting the interests of their council, they want to ask at the meeting. or as part of their duty. But it applies only if they honestly believed what they said They may want to raise a question on a and were not motivated by malice. report with an officer beforehand. Some councils hold pre-agenda meetings and Defamation is a complex matter and councillors should attend them if they councillors should take advice from the can. council’s solicitor if a difficult situation is likely to arise.
Councillor’s Guide 2011/12 Being a councillor 15 of paid service. This will usually be the Top tips chief executive. This person is responsible to councillors for the staffing of the Getting the councillor– council, ensuring the work of the different officer relationship right departments is co-ordinated, and making requires that: sure the organisation runs efficiently.
• both should aim to develop a There must also be a monitoring officer relationship based on mutual responsible for warning councillors about • respect anything the council does that is likely to lead to legal action or to a finding of • councillors should define the core maladministration by the ombudsman. values of the organisation • councillors should identify The council must also have a Section priorities, assisted by the officers 151 officer, usually the director of finance, whose task is to monitor all the financial • officers should provide clear affairs of the council. This officer has the advice and offer alternative power to stop the council from spending courses of action where they exist money if they think it is unwise or unlawful. • councillors and officers should communicate clearly and openly, All three of these posts are statutorily avoiding ambiguity and the risk of protected, which means councillors misunderstanding cannot dismiss the post holders without an independent inquiry. • councillors and officers should work in partnership to turn Councillors should expect to be given the core values and priorities a chart showing the structure of into practical policies for their authority with the names, titles, implementation. responsibilities and, ideally, photographs of senior officers. Roles of officers Senior managers Officers are employees of the council – The chief executive is the main link the people who put policies into effect between the senior managers of and organise the provision of services. individual departments and between Officers may also be delegated by senior managers and councillors. councillors to make policy decisions. Chief executives advise councillors on They are led by a chief executive and procedure, legislation and policy. senior managers who are appointed directly by councillors. Each year the leader or cabinet should conduct a performance appraisal Council employees include teachers, interview with the chief executive. refuse collectors, social workers and home helps. The chief executive leads a management team that meets frequently to discuss the Statutory officers corporate management of the authority Local authorities are required by law to and also meets regularly with the designate a senior manager as the head executive or cabinet.
16 Being a councillor Councillor’s Guide 2011/12 Councillor’s viewpoint
My Day Councillor Barry Coppinger, Middlesbrough Council
Saturday begins with our weekly ward surgery at Berwick Hills library. I meet up with my fellow ward councillor Eddie Dryden. Stacey and Jacqui, the neighbourhood police officers for Berwick Hills, also join us. Surgeries are well attended and the joint working is beneficial, as we can share information and compare notes. This week, residents’ concerns include school fencing, damaged grass verges, nuisance trees, a nuisance neighbour, and antisocial behaviour at local garages. All will be followed up in the next few days, as we agree various actions.
Eddie and I also decide to accompany the local police beat patrol the following Friday evening for a bit of youth engagement, and to discuss some local problem solving. We’ll visit current hot spots in Berwick Hills, with Stacey, Jacqui and Steve, the council’s neighbourhood safety officer for the area, and talk to some of the local young people.
I’m council executive member for community protection and a member of Cleveland police authority, and work with the police at all levels. Neighbourhood policing is one of our main priorities, so it’s good to see policies and priorities in action at a local level.
After the surgery, I call home to check with my partner Val that we’ve got all appropriate ingredients in the house, as we’re having some friends round for a meal this evening. I also chat with our sons, Sean and Danny, about their intentions for the day.
Then it’s off to Captain Cook’s Square in down town Middlesbrough for the Mela Fairtrade festival. It’s Fairtrade fortnight, and we’ve a local programme of events over the two weeks. This includes a public launch event in Radio Tees’ reception area as part of their morning show, a tea dance at the town hall, a Fairtrade disco for young people with a DJ and a dance group, fashion shows and markets.
All the events promote Fairtrade products and ask people to give up their usual brand for more ethically produced products.
I’m on the stall for a couple of hours, helping spread the word about Fairtrade and giving out free samples. We’ve had plenty of visitors during the day and hopefully it will lead to more Fairtrade users in future.
Fairtrade is an international campaign to ensure producers in developing countries receive a reasonable price for their goods, and also supports health
Councillor’s Guide 2011/12 Being a councillor 17 and education projects in their communities. In 2009, Fairtrade UK sales reached £800m nationally.
Our council serves Fairtrade tea and coffee at meetings and encourages all outlets where refreshments are served to use Fairtrade. Is your council on board? There’s a lot of useful information about Fairtrade and how you or your organisation can get involved on www.fairtrade.org.uk
Today’s Mela also serves as a preview for our annual Middlesbrough Mela in the summer, which brings people from across the region and beyond to Albert Park. Today’s event includes live music and dance, a Mad Hatter’s Fairtrade tea party, stalls promoting and selling Fairtrade, a freestyle football champ showing off his skills, and a raffle to win five Fairtrade footballs signed by players from Middlesbrough football club.
Then it’s back home to tackle the other major challenge of the day … beef in stout with herb dumplings!
Barry Coppinger is chair of Middlesbrough Fairtrade group.
A version of this article first appeared as ‘A day in the life’, in First magazine, published by the Local Government Association.
Senior managers or directors lead Councillor-officer relationships the individual departments of the The relationship between the elected council. They may also be called leader of the council and its appointed chief officers. Senior managers are chief executive is the most important one responsible for advising the cabinet and in local government and has a profound scrutiny committees on policy and are effect on the council’s performance. responsible for implementing councillors’ decisions and for service performance. Officers are employed to manage the council and to help councillors achieve Usually, a separate group of officers their policy goals. But officers may have supports the scrutiny committees. to advise councillors from time to time that certain courses of action cannot be Department structures and titles of senior carried out. managers vary. Councillors should learn about the arrangements in their authority Officers have a duty to give unbiased and which department is responsible for professional advice – even if it is not each service. what councillors want to hear.
Officers cannot respond to personal criticism in the same way that politicians can and temper their remarks accordingly.
18 Being a councillor Councillor’s Guide 2011/12 Top tips Newly elected members should: • talk to other councillors • talk to officers take up training courses offered by the council • read the council’s corporate plan to gain an overview of the council’s agenda and priorities • learn how the council takes decisions and how you can influence these on behalf of the people you represent • take on new responsibilities with care – don’t take on too much too soon • if you need to make arrangements for public service leave with your employers, speak to them as soon as possible. You are entitled to reasonable time off but your employer is not obliged to pay you for it • learn to manage the paperwork – learn what you need to read and what you don’t, and don’t hoard outdated or irrelevant material • set up a good filing system • concentrate on matters that interest you and learn them thoroughly • think about changing to a different policy area at least once during your term • communicate with fellow councillors, council staff and officers and with constituents • many council staff will be based at depots and sites – try to visit them informally, but with advance notice, to show support for and interest in their work. Their feedback can often be invaluable and it’s a good boost to morale. Be relaxed and make it clear that this is neither an inspection nor a moans session • set up a schedule for visiting the key groups in your ward over your first year – including faith groups, voluntary groups, major employers, schools, youth centres, tenants’ and residents’ associations • tell people in your ward what you are doing.
Mutual respect and good communication There should be clarity about the is the key to establishing good member– respective roles of councillors and officer relationships. Close personal officers and this can only be achieved familiarity should be avoided. It is through discussion. important to get this right and there are some simple things that can make it easier to establish relationships that work.
Councillor’s Guide 2011/12 Being a councillor 19 The councillor’s role Representing the ward The primary role of a councillor is to Becoming a councillor is a rewarding represent their ward and the people who form of public service that puts people live in it. They also have a responsibility in a privileged position where they can to communicate council policy and make a difference to the quality of other decisions to people in the ward. people’s daily lives. Members of political parties may find that their party offers advice and guidance on However, being an effective councillor doing this. requires hard work. Every day, councillors have to balance the needs Community leadership and and interests of their residents, voters, engagement political parties and the council. All these Community leadership is at the heart of groups will make legitimate demands modern local government and councils on the councillor’s time on top of their are taking on new responsibilities personal responsibilities to family, for working in partnership with other workplace and friends. organisations, including the voluntary and community sector, to improve It is therefore important that councillors services and the quality of life of citizens. understand their role so they can perform responsibly and effectively for the council Decision-making and maintain the quality of their Councillors have a central part to play personal lives. in making decisions that impact on their ward and across the whole area covered The councillor’s role takes in: by their council. They will be involved in decision-making through: • representing the ward • decision-making • full council • policy and strategy review and • regulatory committees such as development planning control or licensing • overview and scrutiny • local voluntary organisation management • regulatory duties • sitting on boards and as school • community leadership and governors engagement • membership of partnership boards Chapters two and three expand on • being employers of staff on these themes. appointments panels and disciplinary or grievance appeals.
Policy and strategy Councillors influence and determine the development and review of the council’s policy and strategy. They contribute to this through their:
20 Being a councillor Councillor’s Guide 2011/12 • role in overview and scrutiny Support for councillors • involvement in advisory groups and partnerships Councillors make many different types of decisions and recommendations that • interaction with executive members have far-reaching consequences for • role as a representative on local the communities they represent and for community groups council staff. • role on area forums and committees They also have a leadership role that • casework requires them to engage with and • membership of a political group. advocate on behalf of local people.
Overview and scrutiny In recognition of the increased Councillors have always been required responsibilities undertaken by councillors to scrutinise the council and the overview today, councils are expected to provide and scrutiny function is a natural training and development, facilities, extension of representation. access to information and guidance, and other assets that will help them carry out The process has recently become more their roles. clearly defined and distinct and the role of councillors now includes: To be efficient and effective, councillors need a range of support services. All • providing a check on the activities of councils offer some support, and this the executive through call-in powers may include: • monitoring and reviewing policy • office accommodation, such as formulation and implementation members’ rooms, interview rooms, • policy development rooms for holding surgeries, public • quality review meetings and consultations
• scrutiny of external bodies and • secretarial and word-processing agencies. services • communications facilities – phones, Regulatory duties PCs or laptops, email, press office Local authorities are not just service support and so on providers, they also act as regulators.
This involves councillors in quasi-judicial • information provision for use internally, roles on special committees appointed perhaps to facilitate scrutiny, and directly by the council, such as planning externally, perhaps to respond to and licensing committees. enquiries from constituents • help to manage casework Most councils arrange special training for councillors undertaking these • research facilities quasi-judicial responsibilities. In these • care facilities roles, councillors are required to act • training and development independently and are not subject to the party group whip. • mentoring.
Councillor’s Guide 2011/12 Being a councillor 21 Councils vary tremendously in the communication facility and training and degree of support they give councillors. development in new roles and ways of The level of support offered may working. depend on a councillor’s role and time commitment. Allowances Councillors are entitled to an allowance Executive members and overview and set by their council that reflects their level scrutiny chairs are likely to receive of responsibility and the amount of time more secretarial and research support they devote to council affairs. than backbenchers. Non-executive councillors may find that they have very In addition to a basic allowance, extra little dedicated support. All councillors payments may cover: should have access to some form of
Case study hopefully increases respect Keeping in touch for the council.” Publishing a website does, however, The extent to which present challenges for councillors councillors can engage and their authorities and can have citizens through the internet is a negative impact, particularly if influenced by restrictions that prevent information is not maintained and kept the use of council services for political up to date. purposes. Some councillors have set up The code of recommended practice their own websites and blogs and on local authority publicity states that linked them to their local authority publicity produced by a local authority web pages. These sites allow the relating to councillors should not councillors to be more expansive be party political, limiting the type about their political views and party of content that can be displayed on involvement and, perhaps, offer authority sponsored websites. greater scope for engagement.
Many councillors have overcome Bob Piper uses his website to these restrictions simply by asking consolidate his community work by their authority to provide links to offering up-to-date information on external sites with more overt political local issues like planning and invites content, such as those of their local feedback from residents. He has a and national political parties. ‘Ward News’ section on the site and includes a link to a separate blog Bob Piper from Sandwell Metropolitan where visitors are able to read his Borough Council, says: “My website opinions on the issues of the day. enables me to keep people informed and correct or confirm local rumours. www.councillor.info/sandwell/bpiper I think that it does assist in raising the profile of myself as a councillor and
22 Being a councillor Councillor’s Guide 2011/12 • special responsibilities – payable to of keeping in touch with the local the leader of the council, portfolio community. It also gives access to the holders, overview and scrutiny chairs, information councillors need to influence opposition leaders and so on or make decisions.
• childcare and dependent carers Councillors will find that electronic • travel and subsistence communications allow them to get much • co-optee’s services closer to the people they represent. But new councillors will not necessarily arrive • pension scheme for councillors. with ready-made computer skills.
The allowances are all subject to income Every councillor will need to find out tax. Some incidental costs – such as use about their authority’s IT systems and of a home office, telephone and so on – how they can access them and use them may be deducted before calculating the effectively. To get this right they will need tax to be paid. training and ongoing support.
Information technology The best councils give their councillors Information technology (IT) offers a ‘home office’, including a PC or laptop, councillors a fast and efficient means so that they can access the council’s IT
Top tips How the Local Government Group can help
The LG Group offers a range of support and development opportunities for councillors, including: • the Charter for Member Development specifying roles and responsibilities for member development in individual authorities • A range of development materials for all councillors, covering a wide range of topics and provided in the council’s own offices • a range of toolkits and resources to promote and support the role of the councillor and their development is also available on line • the Leadership Academy for leading members and portfolio holders • support and advice on specific challenges and issues • councillor mentoring including ward walks with peers from other councils • dedicated pages for councillors on the LG Improvement and Development website • communities of practice offering councillors and council staff a way of sharing ideas, experience, documents and expertise and exploring the latest thinking on particular topics – accessed free via the website. This includes the national member development community of practice www.local.gov.uk/communities
Councillor’s Guide 2011/12 Being a councillor 23 system and the information they need how to publish their own web pages. whenever it suits them. They also have technicians who can visit councillors at See Councillors and Communications home to deal with IT problems. in chapter two.
Councils should at least give councillors Research and information access to a computer in the town hall. The Councils vary widely in the level of better the support available to councillors, research assistance and information they the more effective they will be. make available to councillors. Those whose authority has a comprehensive Good IT systems and skills can help information system or intranet will be councillors: able to take advantage of advanced and sophisticated research tools. • deal with casework more quickly and efficiently Many councils have set up research • manage their time better so they don’t budgets for councillors involved in have to visit the town hall so often overview and scrutiny. Some have political research assistants. • keep in touch with residents and community groups These officers are appointed by the • access key documents or other council to serve each of the political information online rather than waiting parties. Their activities are strictly for them to be delivered controlled but they will be able to carry out research and some administrative • access the council’s intranet, an work on behalf of councillors. internal version of the internet, to find out when meetings are taking Training and development place, identify an officer or search for There are no set guidelines on training information about specific services and development but most councils offer • hold online meetings rather than induction courses to introduce newly having to get a group of people to elected councillors to the workings and travel to a meeting place responsibilities of the council and to familiarise them with systems, facilities • research information about a and the decision-making process. particular issue • access government information A growing number of councils have officers whose job is to provide or • look beyond the council to see how organise development opportunities things are done elsewhere. for councillors. This may be by offering development of particular interests Councillors’ web pages and specialities and could include A key goal of government’s drive to bring topics like housing, transport, planning, public services online was to improve the scrutiny skills, working with the media, ability of councillors to use technology. presentation skills, enhancing political An important part of this initiative leadership skills, assertiveness, time- required local authorities to provide management or speed-reading courses. councillors with the facilities and know-
24 Being a councillor Councillor’s Guide 2011/12 Hot topic
Communities of practice for local government
Social networking sites such as There are active members Facebook and the growing Twitter working across a diverse range of community feature heavily in the news communities, from customer service to with their focus on communicating community cohesion. There has also regularly in a shared online been a series of online conferences environment. run on the communities of practice LG Group’s communities of practice platform, including the National collaboration platform offers a similar Councillor Online Conference – resource, but with a clear professional Adult Social Care, specifically for perspective and range of additional councillors to discuss adult social care advantages. It is free and provides a issues, and councillors connected: the secure environment for its members social media online conference. to share experiences, ideas and These online conferences work solutions. It also acts as a workspace as normal conferences, with to store and share documents and the speakers, discussion, questions, means of finding others doing similar and answers, but operate within the work or with similar concerns. online environment, thus being more According to Councillor Sally Newton convenient, and saving time and of Hertfordshire County Council: “The money. content is good and informative and Many are run by councils, others by has helped confirm that my council is national organisations and a number on a similar track.” are specifically aimed at councillors.
The advantages for councillors joining The national member development a community of practice include the community was set up to enable provision of: councillors and others with member • opportunities to network, share and development responsibilities to work develop ideas and practice on a collaboratively and participate in daily basis member development programmes, providing a valuable means of direct • a single space to store, share and communication. access documents
• a people finder tool to locate www.local.gov.uk/communities councillors, member services officers, or other staff working across the sector.
Councillor’s Guide 2011/12 Being a councillor 25 In some councils, councillors have 4. Seeing that learning and development regular away days or weekends to is effective in building capacity and discuss strategic and other issues. in addressing wider development Others have regular joint events for matters to promote work-life balance officers and councillors, to formulate and citizenship. strategy and build good working relationships. Currently about two hundred and twenty councils across England have signed the The LG Group offers development Charter. Of these, some one hundred opportunities through a number of and twenty seven have achieved Charter programmes and Local Leadership status and five, the higher level award. activities.
Member development and the charter Given the amount of change facing local government it is more important than ever that councillors have the necessary skills to make the decisions and provide leadership to their communities. The Charter for Member Development and the underpinning good practice guidelines provide a framework to help councils build their councillors’ skill and expertise.
A higher-level charter (Level 2 or Charter Plus) provides a further challenge for councils that have already achieved the charter.
Councils sign up to the member development charter to provide an action plan based on:
1. Being fully committed to developing councillors in order to achieve the council’s aims and objectives.
2. Adopting a councillor-led strategic approach to councillor development.
3. Having a member learning and development plan that clearly identifies the difference development activities will make.
26 Being a councillor Councillor’s Guide 2011/12 2. Civic life
2 2 Civic life
Representing the ward 30 People’s champion 30 Representation 33 Services and contacts 34
Understanding the ward 34 Ward walk 34 Getting to know people 34 Community involvement 35
Working with others 35 Parish and town councils 37 Area offices 37 Community development officers 37 Area committees and community forums 37 Local campaigns 38
Surgeries and casework 40 Surgeries 40 Traditional surgeries 40 Advantages of a traditional surgery 40 Disadvantages 42 Premises 42 Street surgeries 42 Advantages of street surgeries 43 Disadvantages 43 Publicity for street surgeries 43 Conflict 43 Feedback 44
Planning and fettered discretion 44 Standards and ethics 46 General obligations 46 Coming changes 47 Confidential information 48 Strategy and policy 49 Community strategy 49 Involving and informing 50 Finance, the budget and productivity 51 Expenditure 51 Income 51 Formula grant 52 The budget 52 The budget cycle 52 Productivity 53
Freedom of information 56
Open data 56
Data protection 56
Local Government Ombudsman 59
Police authorities 59
Fire and rescue authorities 63
Health and safety 64 The leader 64 The cabinet 64 Councillors 65
Councillors and communications 65 Who needs to know? 66 Communications tools 68 Email 68 Websites 68 Blogs 68 Social websites 68 Texting 69 Newsletters 69 Local media 69 Communications planning 70 Writing press releases 71 Radio and television 72 The council and the press 72 Representing the ward Councillor’s No one has a more important role than viewpoint the ward councillor in ensuring that local democracy works and residents believe My day in it. Councillors are the bridge between Councillor Arash a community and its council. Fatemian, Oxfordshire County Council The councillor’s job goes beyond simple advocacy on behalf of the I use the daily ward. Representation involves building commute into the relationships with individuals and groups, centre of Oxford to inform, consult and empower people to think about the and facilitate effective community day ahead and the issues and involvement in local government. challenges it will no doubt present.
People’s champion The commute will almost always The principal job of a councillor is to be in the form of my beloved racing represent the ward, but the task of bike. I really enjoy cycling – it’s a representing a diverse and mobile mix great way to keep fit and one of the of communities, groups and individuals quickest and easiest ways to get is a complex one. around Oxfordshire.
Some groups are very hard to involve. However, the journey will invariably Generally speaking, the wider their range bring up a highways issue that I will of approaches to community contact, the try to report while it is fresh in my more people councillors will reach. In mind. We saw a great improvement addition to representing individual voters, in highways work in Oxfordshire councillors should try to keep in touch since our new contractor took over with: last year, and local people have also realised this but, given the • local opinion formers such as action recent bad weather, this is an uphill groups and community group leaders, struggle. residents’ association chairs, leaders of leisure groups, local media, and I leave the bike at county hall and ‘stalwarts’ of the community make the short journey to the office, checking the BlackBerry for any • highly mobile groups, including important messages regarding students who pass through a adult social care, my portfolio community quickly without ever responsibility. We have introduced becoming involved in it – in some some big changes in response to areas, up to a third of the residents the recent financial pressures and move between one election and the its important to make sure they are next bedding in smoothly without service • groups that are differentiated by age users noticing too much. such as the young and the elderly
30 Civic Life Councillor’s Guide 2011/12 We are also in the midst of our roll out of ‘Transforming adult social care’, which should be complete later this spring.
I am continuing to work pretty much full-time in my day job, while also taking on the adult services portfolio. This will be a split day.
I am very fortunate that our company office is located a five-minute walk from county hall, but also that I have a very understanding employer who is fully supportive of my elected and cabinet roles and allows me the necessary time off from work. I am very grateful to the directors for being so supportive when under no obligation to do so.
I work for a strategy consultancy called White Space and the morning is spent in a series of meetings, team catch-ups and client conference calls. A lot of our clients are facing issues that stem from the recession and, given the hard times ahead for local government, I find it easy to relate to the issues they are facing.
As I make my way to county hall for what promises to be a busy afternoon, a quick glance at Twitter allows me to catch up on local and national news headlines.
Some people may scoff at BlackBerries and iPhones, but I find them invaluable and an essential tool when combining two roles. I find it’s also a great way to keep update with local issues and yet another way to engage with my constituents.
At county hall, I hold a series of meetings and workshops on a number of services issues. Today, I have also had an update meeting and an interesting workshop. We recently had a dementia awareness day in Oxford that went down really well and there is some key learning to take on board.
With the day over, and after clearing some emails and council papers, I glance at the bookshelf and briefly flirt with the idea of some reading for leisure.
I am enjoying every waking minute on both jobs, but my one regret is that I don’t have time to read for pleasure any more – so I settle for a trip to the gym instead.
Still, these days at least there are far fewer potholes for the bike to negotiate!
A version of this article first appeared as ‘A day in the life’, in First magazine, published by the Local Government Association.
Councillor’s Guide 2011/12 Civic life 31 Councillor’s viewpoint
My day Councillor Flo Clucas, Liverpool City Council
People often ask me how Seeing the links from one generation I spend my spare time. to another, from one country to Along with just about another, and bringing those links every councillor I know, together has been an incredible I don’t get much of it! But, when I do, experience; none more so than I research my family tree. developing links with Italy. Not just my great granddad this time, but my Family trees connect us with yesterday dad too. As a British prisoner of war, and today. In my case, they connect an Italian family saved him and fellow me with my Italian ancestry and with prisoners from starvation. World Wars l and II. We should never forget those times These events, unconnected though of hardship, loss and destruction, they seem, form the basis of my times, too, of great heroism and interest in European affairs. They sacrifice. also take me to my day job! As a nation, 60 years ago we saved For the past 11 years, I have been Europe from fascism, and Liverpool lucky enough to be a part of European played its part as the gateway for Union (EU) funding partnerships that Atlantic convoys. As a city, over the have received some €2billion for last 15 years Europe has helped save Merseyside alone. We meet regularly us from devastating decline. to look at how we can best spend the EU cash we have and to approve The two are inextricably linked for projects. the EU was born out of the pain and suffering of World War II. Now Some of the money, about €8million, it keeps the peace, in spite of the will go to the energy efficient housing disagreements that nation states have. stream that I helped bring in for all European regions. Changing the rules; Back at home, as for many of us, one of the successes of the job! the council’s budget has loomed large in our thinking, as we prepare for the The regeneration of Liverpool and next few years. We know how hard much of Merseyside owes a good deal life is going to be for the public sector to the EU. We have approved millions and had, in 2009, already set in train to be spent in the northwest and planning for the next five years. We Merseyside: millions that will change knew then that central government lives and communities. was reducing the money available to us.
32 Civic Life Councillor’s Guide 2011/12 • hard-to-reach groups, people Our settlements in recent years have with disabilities, members of generally been less than the average under-represented minority ethnic settlement; for the current year, it communities and the silent majority is one point five per cent out of an who do not seek active community average of some four per cent. involvement. We have trimmed the fat for the last 10 See Councillors and communications. years but our aim is to protect the most vulnerable. This year, 2011, has seen Representation all parties on the council – Labour, People expect their councillors to Liberal Democrat, Liberal and Green – represent them on the council. To do come together in the budget process. an effective job councillors will have to The goal is simple, to protect frontline develop skills that enable them to: services as far as we can. So, work • Communicate – good councillors on the budget was the Christmas and inform residents about important New Year task. local issues or council policies and Christmas is a holiday I love. It brings seek their views. They also develop family and friends closer together and relationships to ensure they learn whether one is a believer or not, helps about local issues and problems focus minds on those less fortunate when they first arise. Councillors than us. are often the first people to hear about things that affect their wards This year, a special place in my and should not assume that others mind was for Galle in Sri Lanka. already know about them, or that Devastated in the tsunami, it has information should be handed down slowly been rebuilding and I have on a need-to-know basis. Councillors been privileged to play a small part in should be proactive and make it that regeneration. So, as I did this year their job to tell people what is going on Boxing Day and as I will next, I will on. The exceptions to this rule are think of those we know out there, the what are known as Part 2 items that villagers, those who lost family on the councillors receive in their council beaches or on the train, papers. Confidential information of and remember the day a sensitive or commercial nature that took so many lives. should not be passed on to the A version of this article public. If councillors think that certain first appeared as ‘A day in items have been classified Part 2 the life’, in First magazine, published without good reason, they can argue by the Local Government Association. for change in council.
Councillor Clucas was recently • Facilitate and empower – people honoured by the Italian government often assume they are powerless for her work in reconciliation to make any difference in their and furthering relations community but councillors will often with Italian cities, councils, and people. be able to empower individuals or groups through: – listening
Councillor’s Guide 2011/12 Civic life 33 carefully to the issues involved is available on paper or in an electronic - providing relevant contacts in format that can often be merged with local government or other services a data management system. This - helping to develop a range of can help considerably with casework achievable solutions to problems management. - facilitating meetings, petitions, surveys and so on - offering an Ward walk overview of a situation - encouraging Councillors should go for a walk, cycle negotiation and compromise or drive around their ward or division – between different groups. even if they have lived in the area for years – looking at roads, pavements,
• Support – councillors should offer play areas, open spaces and other support to individuals, organisations community facilities. The condition and businesses in their areas. They of roads has been a particular issue should represent community views following the winter of 2010/11. to the council and to other strategic partners like the police and health They should report things like broken services. They may also become fences or equipment, potholes, graffiti involved in campaigning on local and faulty streetlights to the appropriate issues and begin working with the council department and record action council and other bodies to bring taken – useful as a demonstration of improvements to their wards. achievement.
Some councillors carry out ward walks Services and contacts accompanied by fellow councillors or Frequently, residents either don’t know key council officers so they can make which organisation or which council decisions on the spot. A few quick wins department is responsible for a particular will make a good first impression. service – or don’t know how to contact them. The ward walk should be a regular activity, accompanied on occasion by key Councillors can make information like local contacts like residents’ association this available and easily accessible to chairs, town or parish councillors or their constituents and some produce and community police. It’s useful to build a deliver short lists of key local contacts. shared knowledge of problems in an area and discuss possible solutions. Understanding the ward Many councillors find it invaluable to go New councillors should get to know their on a ward walk accompanied by a Local wards. They should buy a local map Government Group accredited peer. and mark the ward boundaries on it Getting to know people and make sure they have an up-to-date The council should be able to provide electoral roll. Councillors are entitled to a directory of council officers and other a full copy of the electoral roll, but voters useful contacts such as the police, local can ask to be excluded from the version MPs, other tiers of government and available to the general public. The roll health bodies, but councillors will need
34 Civic Life Councillor’s Guide 2011/12 to build up their own directories of key Some have developed community contacts relevant to their area. involvement by:
Councillors in the same ward can share • introducing area offices so that this information to save duplication of services are more accessible effort. For example, a list of groups in • assigning community development the ward should include community officers to groups of wards and residents’ associations, places of worship, schools and playgroups, • delegating decision-making to parish neighbourhood watch and leisure or or town councils sports groups, local police and fire and • developing local area committees or rescue services. town forums
This will enable councillors to introduce • appointing town centre or community themselves and arrange meetings with centre managers to work with others involved in the community and to communities. keep their ears to the ground. See chapter three. Councillors should also be aware of council property in the wards such as Working with others housing, leisure facilities, parks and open spaces, depots, libraries, Most councillors will share their ward or community centres and so on. division with others. There may be town or parish councils covering all or part It is also worth knowing the main of it and, unless the council is a unitary employers in the immediate area and authority, there will be county, district or whether a particular type of industry borough councillors covering the area or business is a major employer of too. local people. Councillors from the same political party, Communities with large commuting or fellow independents, are a valuable populations are likely to use council resource and may be able to agree a facilities differently from those where degree of workload sharing. Assuming most people work nearby. they are not also newly elected, other Councillors should also keep a diary councillors will already have a good of ward events and attend as many as idea of the main issues in the ward and possible if it is appropriate to do so. should have contact with key groups and individuals. They can show new Community involvement councillors the ropes and introduce Changes in local government have led them to useful people, but all councillors to a greater emphasis on community need to develop their own perspective involvement. Many councils have tried on things and not rely on the opinions of to decentralise operations and decision- others. making and to increase residents’ involvement in local affairs.
Councillor’s Guide 2011/12 Civic life 35 Councillor’s viewpoint
Ward walks
Councillors at Castle Point BC process really helped in Essex undertook a series of give me a better picture of the issues ward walks as part of a Local facing members and I’ve been able to Government Improvement and take early action on some problems Development-led programme. that were causing frustration.
Gail Boland, who walked her Boyce “One big lesson was the ability of ward in the Benfleet area with member peers to demonstrate just member peers, says: “I was initially how rewarding and empowering it can very sceptical about the whole thing. be to engage with people at a grass It put my back up that somebody roots level. As a result of the walks we from outside the area should be able are constructing a new neighbourhood to come in and tell us what to do. I plan.” thought nobody could know my ward David Logan, one of the member peers better than I do. But I had to eat my who took part, says: “One of the great words! things about ward visits is that you get “The member peers were great – to see the physical environment up they pointed out things I’d never close. The environment always has a even noticed before. great effect on the psychology of the people who live there. “We used to have a forum for residents to express their concerns, but ward “Physical isolation is a common visits really do give a much better problem for many authorities, and picture of what local people want. At it can lead to a parochial attitude the forums the same people would that adversely affects corporate come every time, wanting to raise the performance. In Castle Point’s case same issues. I was very impressed by the members’ local knowledge and their relationships “On walks you meet loads more with residents. people – like mothers with kids who don’t have time to attend meetings – “The problem lay in their ability to get and you get a much wider range of things done at a corporate level. This concerns and viewpoints.’ is often the case with ward walks – they expose corporate weakness in David Marchant, the council’s chief the council as a whole, rather than in executive, decided to take part in individual councillors. They can give the walk too. “I wanted to take part a much broader perspective on things so I could get to grips with some of than you would expect.” the issues facing the council on the ground,” he says. “However, the
36 Civic Life Councillor’s Guide 2011/12 This guide does not cover the work of
Eoin Egan, who visited Benfleet’s parish councils. Councillors interested Appleton ward, says the council’s in the work of parish and town councils progress has been long and hard. should visit the National Association of “We often feel isolated because Local Councils website at we have had to make some hard www.nalc.gov.uk. The NALC publishes decisions that are unpopular with its own guide. residents,” he says. “The involvement of a peer member proved a great Area offices asset, as they have the knack of Area offices are usually one-stop shops suggesting small changes that could where people can register any matter prove beneficial in the long term.” they want the council to deal with. They help to co-ordinate local service delivery. Susie Kemp, a peer, who did the Residents may also be able to access Castle Point walk, says: “We can services electronically, make payments get so bogged down in our everyday and gather information at these offices. work as councillors that we forget to go out and talk to people. The Community development officers Castle Point members got a positive These officers work with local response from everyone they met. communities and councillors, aiming I think they – and probably all – to develop good communications and councillors need reminding to stand strategic partnerships between residents up and be proud of sharing their and service providers. They work to achievements, instead of worrying involve whole communities, including the about problems all the time.” hard-to-reach groups, in decisions that affect them.
Councillors from opposing political Area committees and community parties may baulk at the prospect of forums working closely together but should at A number of local authorities are least aim to develop positive working experimenting with area committees relationships – councillors frequently and community forums and there is a find that the interests of the ward range of different models in operation. override party loyalties. Some area committees consist solely of councillors supported by council officers. Parish and town councils Councillors should get to know the There is usually an opportunity for local parish or town councillors if such public participation, with presentations, councils exist in their areas and attend petitions and questions encouraged. In some of their meetings, which often have community or neighbourhood forums, a slot for public participation. committee members include co-opted representatives of community groups as They may also be able to help parish well as councillors. councillors access services in a higher authority. Councillors representing the same area on different councils can work together to resolve local issues.
Councillor’s Guide 2011/12 Civic life 37 They provide opportunities for citizens to become involved in local decisions. Area Councillor’s committees or community forums may: viewpoint • have delegated budgets and My day decision-making functions • develop and monitor community Councillor Michael Watson, action plans Borough of Broxbourne Council • drive local scrutiny I am woken as normal • decide planning applications by my son Toby letting (elected member-only committees), me know from his room issues and campaigns. that it’s time to get up and get going. Local campaigns As part of their work in the ward, Toby is only two years old but is councillors may become involved in, or already the undisputed boss in the lead, local campaigns. This could involve Watson household although his anything from campaigning for a zebra sister Abigail, who is a month old, crossing or more affordable housing, to will be fighting him for that role soon starting a credit union. There may also enough. be politically motivated campaigns. I jump up to feed him his breakfast Councillors approached with an idea and get him ready for his day, and for a local campaign they support when that’s done I can get on with may wish to: mine. I have taken the day off work because I have a number of daytime
• carry out some consultation to find out meetings. I love being a councillor how widespread support for the idea is and I’m proud to represent Waltham • help organise a campaign group that Cross, but the amount of council brings together key people talk to meetings held during working council officers or to outside bodies hours, either in the morning or late that may be able to help afternoon, is not easy to manage • organise petitions or public meetings if you have a full-time job. It’s certainly not conducive to attracting
• help people make presentations to and retaining young people as or ask questions of committees councillors. That said, I organised • bring different groups together to most of today so I only have myself negotiate solutions to blame.
• involve the local press, radio and My first meeting is with some young television people who want to discuss my • publicise it on their personal web proposal that Broxbourne should page or blog. have a youth council and elected young mayor. This is something
38 Civic Life Councillor’s Guide 2011/12 that I have called for in the council chamber, with reasonable support, but no plans have yet been put in place.
As a member of a small group up against a party with a big majority, I think it’s important to pick achievable objectives and focus your campaign on them, and I hope that by putting pressure in the right places I can persuade the ruling group to give it a go.
Next up is a meeting at a local community centre to publicise the ‘People’s record’ which is a website for local residents to share their photographs, memories and hopes for the future. Waltham Cross is on the verge of participating in a piece of history, as it’s hosting the Olympic canoeing event at a purpose-built facility just down the road. Schemes like this complement that.
After grabbing some lunch I go to visit several residents in my ward who have contacted me about issues affecting their day-to- day lives. I prefer to see the problems first hand and for me this is the best part of being a councillor – the opportunity to reassure and help people on the issues that matter. In the evening,
I attend a meeting of the planning and licensing committee. Until recently Broxbourne council was in the planning dark ages and refused to allow members of the public to make oral representations for and against applications before the committee.
When I was elected this was one of the things I wanted to change and, thanks to a campaign, the public are now allowed to speak. It has been a great success. After discussing a number of important applications, it’s time to head home and relax by catching an (recorded) episode of Spooks, one of the few things I watch religiously.
A version of this article first appeared as ‘A day in the life’, in First magazine, published by the Local Government Association.
Councillor Watson has subsequently become leader of the opposition on the council.
Councillors should not feel obliged to If a councillor doesn’t support a particular run the whole campaign – often their local campaign but is asked to help, they involvement will be as a participant, can still fulfil their role as a councillor supporter or facilitator. They shouldn’t representing the whole community by: be tempted to claim more than their fair share of the credit – involvement will • telling people how to present a petition help raise their profile anyway. to the council, how to speak to a committee or how to ask questions
Councillor’s Guide 2011/12 Civic life 39 • advising on council policy and Surgeries procedures People expect to be able to contact their • giving contact numbers of bodies or councillor. The traditional way of meeting individuals that may be able to help constituents is through the use of surgeries. Surgeries enable councillors • being honest – they shouldn’t hint to to: campaigners that they support a cause if they oppose it • meet their constituents • making sure people have access to • solve people’s problems accurate sources of information. • gain support for their work and ideas • discuss the impact of council policies Surgeries and casework on the area
The problems and issues people raise • raise their profile with ward councillors are known as • be an effective advocate for the people casework. Casework may sometimes and communities they represent. lead on to policy development or issue campaigning, but can be distinguished There are two main types of surgery – from these by virtue of the fact that traditional surgeries based in a building casework deals with the resolution of a and street surgeries. specific problem. Traditional surgeries Casework comes through surgeries, In the traditional surgery, the councillor letters, phone calls, emails, responses advertises a time and place where they to leaflets and door knocking. Some will be available to speak to constituents. councillors find that there is relatively People turn up and wait to see their little casework while others have councillor. Punctuality is essential. mountains of it. Advantages of a traditional surgery Usually, the higher the level of • having a regular time and place for deprivation in an area or the less efficient surgery makes it easier for people to the council, the more casework there know how to contact their councillor will be. If there is not much casework, • the surgery can be shared with other councillors should find out whether it agencies constituents might wish to is because they represent a very self- visit, such as community police officers sufficient community or because their or advice centres profile is too low. • at times when the surgery is very Most residents are unaware that their quiet, it’s a handy place to catch up councillor can help them resolve many on paperwork issues, and it is up to councillors to let • some councils organise and publicise them know that this is part of their role. a traditional surgery for a cluster of wards, with a rota of councillors attending and council officers on hand to provide support and pass on details to other councillors in the area.
40 Civic Life Councillor’s Guide 2011/12 Top tips
Managing casework
1. Install a dedicated telephone landline or mobile.
• you will be called day and night – use the answering machine or service, especially after normal hours • make sure that the outgoing message makes clear who you are and what information you want from the caller.
2. Know the system – work the system.
• use a simple form for casework at surgeries to capture the key facts • use email – it is the swiftest means of communication within the council • communicate with the council officers who handle members’ enquiries or contact the relevant executive direct, if that is how your council operates – members’ casework officers will manage the standard of replies better and ensure target response times are met • only contact senior directors or the chief executive on major issues • advertise your surgeries widely in the community and keep them to a regular pattern • listen to your constituent – then agree the problem and action with them to close down the surgery interview or phone call • give clear instructions to council officers – either to write to the constituent with a copy for you, or to work through you • copy the constituent in on what you have sent to officers unless it is confidential • organise paperwork and computer files but keep it simple • keep it civil – avoid being rude, overly critical or aggressive to council staff • don’t make assumptions or make rash promises – something may change your perspective on the case.
3. Getting the balance right.
• ‘It’s the system’ – many cases will be about the ‘system being wrong’ or claims that it has been administered wrongly – ask the right questions and make judgments about the rights and wrongs of a case • you could influence changes in policy and improvement in service delivery • look for solutions, not someone to blame
Councillor’s Guide 2011/12 Civic life 41 Disadvantages • ‘I know my rights!’ – some • the location of the surgery will be more cases will be about constituents convenient for some constituents ‘banging their heads against a than for others. Councillors can get brick wall’ because they are not around this to some extent by moving getting what they want. You will the location around the ward but this frequently discover that a policy minimises the benefit of having a fixed decision or system is correct time and place for the surgery and has found against your • only a small minority of constituents constituent correctly but they will come to a surgery so the time refuse to accept it might be spent more effectively by • be honest but firm about what getting out and meeting people. you can and cannot do for your constituent Premises Council premises are convenient 4. Learn to use your ‘councillor’s and should be made available at sixth sense’. reasonable times without charge to councillors. However they are not • trust your instincts – people will always conveniently located. Community sometimes try to use you or centres, schools or village halls can avoid telling you everything you provide a good alternative but will need to know and may not be usually charge a fee. aware of their rights Buildings linked to a political party
• trust your judgment – know are best avoided as they will put
when to fight a case and when some people off and may create the
to accept officers’ decisions or impression that councillors will not views as the right response represent all residents equally. • look at the bigger picture – trying to by-pass or short cut The building chosen should have the system or requesting lavatories, somewhere that could be special treatment for one used as a waiting room, an interview constituent may make things room and, perhaps, tea and coffee worse for everyone. making facilities. Councillors wishing to use laptop computers may wish to check the availability of wired or wireless internet access.
Street surgeries One alternative to holding traditional surgeries is to run street surgeries, where the councillor knocks on doors to solicit casework. When conducting a street surgery it’s useful to take someone
42 Civic Life Councillor’s Guide 2011/12 to hold files and be prepared to act as Conflict a ‘minder’ if necessary. People who come to see councillors about serious or intractable problems are Advantages of street surgeries often stressed and may be angry. • councillors can gather concerns, opinions and casework from people If someone becomes aggressive who would not normally attend a councillors should: offer whatever help traditional surgery and advice they can but not promise • councillors are able to gather a more more than they can deliver just to calm representative sample of opinions by people down. This will only make the soliciting views and moving around the situation worse in the long run. ward or division than they would be If people are racist, sexist or offensive able to by waiting for people to come in other ways, councillors should not to them respond but bring the interview quickly • councillors can target hard-to-reach to a close. If they are in a building, they sections of the population should stand up, walk to the door and • councillors have an opportunity to look lead the way out. If they feel it is safe to around their patch while doing the do so, they may wish to explain why the surgery remarks made are unacceptable. • councillors are sometimes shown Difficult cases require a strategy devised a problem directly. in advance to manage the situation.
Disadvantages • all surgeries have their ‘regulars’ • predicting where to find their – councillors should be polite but councillors becomes more difficult firm and encourage them to help • sharing surgeries with other agencies themselves in future is not usually possible • some constituents may be obsessive • operating in bad weather can be or unstable – councillors should not be difficult. afraid to explain the limits of their role as a councillor or when behaviour or Publicity for street surgeries attitude is unacceptable Councillors can obviously use all the • take advice from council officers about communications discussed earlier but managing surgeries and carrying out a it’s a good idea to send out a street risk assessment of the venues. letter too. By distributing leaflets a few days beforehand, they can tell people There are training programmes that when they will be in the area. It can be show council staff how to deal with helpful to mark streets visited on a map awkward or aggressive customers and to keep a geographical balance around new councillors may find them useful. the ward. Councillors shouldn’t just turn up unannounced – people need time to formulate their thoughts.
Councillor’s Guide 2011/12 Civic life 43 Feedback Planning and fettered After making initial inquiries the councillor should keep the constituent up-to-date discretion with progress. They won’t know what’s Public opinion is often at its most vocal going on unless they are told. over planning. Councillors may find Councillors should act as advocates – themselves approached over contentious seeking to influence better decisions for planning applications that are of great constituents, but knowing when to say concern to the community. ‘no’.’ They should avoid taking personal While it is important to involve people responsibility for a problem because the in the development of their community, focus of blame or hostility will shift on to councillors must be careful how they do it. them. The Nolan Committee’s third report It’s better for the constituent to feel that on standards in public life set out the the councillor is working in partnership problem: “Local democracy depends with them rather than as their agent. on councillors being available to people Some statements or comments may who want to speak to them ... it is break the law so councillors should essential for the proper operation of the keep a record of all discussion and planning system that local concerns are correspondence in case they decide to adequately ventilated. The most effective take further action or someone makes and suitable way this can be done is via a complaint. Any witnesses should be the locally elected representatives.” identified and recorded. However, it adds: “Such lobbying can, Casework is rewarding and frustrating unless care and common sense are in equal measure. Each case will be exercised by all parties concerned, lead different and each must be handled with to the impartiality and integrity of a degree of humility as constituents a councillor being called into question.” with evidence of failure by ‘the council’ It is easy for councillors to be thought of probably see their councillor as a last as biased – either in favour or against – resort. even when they are not, so it is important more information: to treat planning matters with the utmost Local Government Group website care. at www.local.gov.uk If a councillor is seen to have decided how to vote in advance of a planning meeting, either by their stated support for a particular outcome or by their participation in lobbying, they are said to have ‘fettered their discretion’ and should play no part in the decision on the application concerned. This applies not only to planning applications but also to such matters as plan making and site allocation.
44 Civic Life Councillor’s Guide 2011/12 Hot topic
Planning reform
The Government’s Localism Bill • the Government will have the power proposes changes in the planning to require that money raised by system intended to make it clearer, the community infrastructure levy more democratic, and more effective. goes directly to the neighbourhoods where development takes place The key proposals are: • limiting the discretion of planning • the abolition of regional strategies inspectors to insert their own setting out where new development wording into local plans is needed in each part of the country • ensuring that rather than focusing • the abolition of housing targets for on reporting plans’ progress to different areas central government, councils focus on reporting progress to local • the right for communities to draw communities up neighbourhood development
plans and say where they think • requiring councils and other public new houses, businesses and shops bodies to work together on planning
should go and what they should look issues in ways that reflect shared like interests
• enabling groups of local people to • abolishing the Infrastructure bring forward small developments Planning Commission, an unelected such as new homes, businesses and public body that currently makes shops decisions concerning major national construction projects, and giving • a requirement for developers to responsibility for taking decisions to consult local communities before government ministers. submitting planning applications for very large developments See chapter 3 for more information • strengthening planning authorities’ about the Localism Bill. powers to tackle abuses of more information: the planning system, such as Department of Communities and deliberately misleading planning Local Government website at applications www.communities.gov.uk • allowing proceeds from the community infrastructure levy – the money raised from developers of new buildings – to be spent on maintenance as well as on new buildings
Councillor’s Guide 2011/12 Civic life 45 To avoid prejudicing their objectivity, Standards and ethics councillors must have a full picture of the facts and will need to listen to Public confidence in local democracy opposing arguments. They should is an essential aspect of an open consider the planning officers’ comments and inclusive society. This can only and recommendations before making be achieved when those serving a decision. their communities adhere to the high standards expected of them. In practice this means councillors: On accepting office, councillors are • can meet with and listen to the views currently required to sign the statutory of interested parties but should explain national code of conduct, a set of that they will keep an open mind until provisions that guides members towards they have heard all the arguments, the standards of behaviour expected of including those put forward at the them when in office. planning meeting • should not say or do anything that Currently, all councillors are required would make it appear that they have to comply with these provisions and decided how to vote on an application an agreement to abide by the code of in advance of the meeting conduct is part of the declaration of acceptance of office for new councillors. • who are concerned that it might be alleged that they have fettered their General obligations discretion by any discussions they Under the code of conduct, have, should take an officer of the councillors must: council with them when they go to listen to the views of other people • treat others with respect • can still decide to get involved in a • not do anything that seriously campaign for or against a particular prejudices their authority’s ability to application but will not be able to comply with any of its statutory duties participate in the decision-making and under equality laws should not pressurise other councillors • not bully any person including other to vote in a particular way. members, officers of the authority, clerks or members of the public more information: Planning Advisory Service website • not intimidate or attempt to at www.pas.gov.uk intimidate any person who may be a complainant, a witness, or who may be supporting the administration of any investigation or proceedings • not compromise the impartiality of anyone who works for, or on behalf of, the authority • not disclose confidential information, or information which they believe
46 Civic Life Councillor’s Guide 2011/12 to be confidential, unless it is in the The changes proposed in the Bill can be limited circumstances outlined under summarised as follows: disclosure of confidential information
below • Standards for England (formally the Standards Board for England) will be
• not prevent anyone getting information abolished that they are entitled to • councils will no longer be required to
• not use their position improperly to have a local standards committee the advantage or disadvantage of
themselves or anyone else • councillors will be required to continue to register and declare personal
• not bring their office or authority into interests and will not be allowed to use disrepute their position improperly for personal • not seek to improperly influence gain – failure to comply with these decisions to the advantage or requirements will constitute a criminal disadvantage of themselves or anyone offence. else • the current requirement for councils • only use the resources of the authority to adopt a model code of conduct and in accordance with its requirements for councillors to abide by it will be • use the authority’s resources for proper abolished – but local authorities will be purposes only – it is not appropriate to free to adopt their own voluntary code use the resources for political or party of conduct political purposes, unless it is lawful • the requirement for councils to and in accordance with their authority’s maintain a standards committee will requirements be abolished – but local authorities will • take into account the advice from their be free to set up voluntary standards monitoring officer or chief finance committees to consider complaints officer when reaching a decision. about the conduct of elected and co- opted members. Such committees Coming changes will, according to councils’ local A number of significant changes to the constitutions, be able to censure but standards regime were proposed in the will not be able to suspend or disqualify Localism Bill published in December members from council membership. 2010, which is expected to receive Royal Assent in late 2011.
The present regime entailing a model code governing local authority members’ conduct and enforced through local authority standards committees, regulated in turn by Standards for England, will continue considering, investigating and determining allegations of misconduct until Royal Assent is received.
Councillor’s Guide 2011/12 Civic life 47 Snapshot Nolan report principles
• Selflessness – holders of public office should take decisions solely in terms of the public interest. They should not do so in order to gain financial or material benefits for themselves, their family or their friends. • Integrity – holders of public office should not place themselves under any financial or other obligation to outside individuals or organisations that might influence them in the performance of their official duties. • Objectivity – in carrying out public business, including making public appointments, awarding contracts or recommending individuals for rewards and benefits, holders of public office should make choices on merit. • Accountability – holders of public office are accountable for their decisions and actions to the public and must submit to whatever scrutiny is appropriate to their office. • Openness – holders of public office should be as open as possible about all the decisions and actions that they take. They should give reasons for their decisions and restrict information only when the wider public interest clearly demands. • Honesty – holders of public interest have a duty to declare any private interests relating to their public duties and to take steps to resolve any arising conflicts in a way that protects the public interest. • Leadership – Holders of public office should promote and support these principles by leadership and example.
Confidential information • the disclosure is reasonable and in Councillors must not disclose information the public interest, made in good faith that they believe to be of a confidential and does not breach any reasonable nature, unless: requirements of the authority.
• they have the consent of the person If a councillor has concerns regarding authorised to give it confidential information and believes it is • they are required by law to do so in the public interest for the information to be disclosed, they should first ask • the disclosure is made to a third for reasons why the information is party for the purposes of obtaining confidential. professional advice provided that person agrees not to disclose the Councillors should not disclose information to any other person confidential information on the assumption that the disclosure is in the
48 Civic Life Councillor’s Guide 2011/12 public interest without first raising their The executive – or cabinet – is concerns with the appropriate channels responsible for developing strategy prior to making any disclosure. and for the overall policy approach of the council. Ward councillors also It will be the councillor’s responsibility to contribute to the development of strategy explain what steps were taken prior to and corresponding policy through their making the disclosure and to justify why involvement in overview and scrutiny. the disclosure should be regarded as in the public interest and not a disclosure Councillors influence and determine the for political purposes. development of a council’s strategy and policy through: more information: Standards Board website at • full council www.standardsforengland.gov.uk • the executive or cabinet Department of Communities and • overview and scrutiny Local government website at • participation in area forums and www.communiities.gov.uk committees • casework Strategy and policy • involvement in advisory groups Councils need strategies and policies to • local community groups enable them to lead their communities, • membership of a political group. deliver services and promote wellbeing. It is insufficient to simply develop and They need to be clear about what they approve strategies and policies. They want to achieve, so that they – and their need to be implemented with vigour. communities – can judge how successful Councillors need to check that action is they are in achieving those objectives. being taken and the desired results are They should prioritise what they want being achieved through performance to achieve, to make the best use of monitoring. If they are not, they should resources to meet the needs of local consider what else needs to be done and people. They also need to be able to performance-manage delivery. demonstrate value for money. Community strategy Strategies should explain how the Every council has a duty to develop council intends to achieve its vision. a community strategy, in consultation Policies should explain the actions that with partners, which sets out how it will be taken in different circumstances to will promote the economic, social and do this. environmental wellbeing of the area served. Councillors are at the heart of this. They determine what the council should be Councils have usually done this by trying to achieve and are ultimately forming local strategic partnerships responsible for making it happen. (LSPs) with other local bodies to help develop and implement the
Councillor’s Guide 2011/12 Civic life 49 strategy. With the abolition of local If a council’s strategy is to meet area agreements (LAAs), many the needs of the community, all areas are reviewing their partnership the processes that go towards its arrangements. development must be transparent, credible and authentic. This should Through LAAs, councils, their partners enable the council to obtain views that and central government agreed targets are representative of the communities – with a balance between national and they serve, providing sound evidence for local priorities – for the achievement the choices to be made by councillors. of which ‘performance reward grant’ was paid. While partnerships continue Strategies should reflect the views to be seen as vital, many places are and needs of the community in a streamlining their structures, plans and recognisable and visible way. Councils reporting. should have a rigorous approach to policy development, with competing In addition to the community strategy, options fully evaluated on the basis of councils will have corporate or strategic robust evidence, before decisions are plans that show how they intend to finalised. deliver elements of the strategy, improve their services and modernise the In this context, overview and scrutiny organisation. plays a valuable role by gathering evidence and providing a forum where Council policies should underpin the policy options can be evaluated. delivery of the plans. It is obviously important that council strategy and Councillors therefore have an important policy are informed by the views of local role in ensuring that council policy is people. realistic and based on sound evidence and rationale. Involving and informing There are many different mechanisms When developing policies, councillors and techniques available for identifying will consider any legal implications, the views of local people. They range government policy, community needs from traditional customer surveys and aspirations, party political issues, through to more innovative approaches and the council’s resources and capacity. such as citizens panels, citizen’s juries, A risk assessment may also be required. focus groups, referendums and targeted surveys. more information: Local Government Group website at These are not variations of the www.local.gov.uk same thing.
Citizens’ panels are large, representative groups that are polled from time to time, while citizen’s juries – the apostrophe is traditionally put in what seems to me the wrong place – comprise around a dozen people investigating a topic in depth over a week or so.
50 Civic Life Councillor’s Guide 2011/12 Finance, the budget The budget process concerns choices and productivity that may be: • politically led Central government plans public spending on a multi-year basis. Its • policy led spending review announced in October • aimed at redirecting the way existing 2010 set totals for public spending until services spend March 2015. For local government this • an aid to cross-departmental working. means a real terms cut of 28 per cent over this period. Grant reductions in the The key thing for a councillor is to ensure first year, 2011/12, are 12.1 per cent. that the strategy and policies agreed by the council influence and inform the The sum total of grants to local budget-setting process. authorities is known as total aggregate external finance. In 2011/12 this will be Expenditure £72.7billion. Revenue expenditure is money councils can spend on day-to-day things such as The revenue and capital budgets of a salaries, electricity and printing – things local authority represent two of the ways that ‘get used up’ and have no resale in which councillors can make their value policies and strategies come alive. Capital expenditure is money spent Revenue and capital, income is received on the: from a variety of sources and spent on services that benefit local people, but • acquisition, reclamation, enhancement each is subject to different rules. or laying out of land
The budget year starts on 1 April each • acquisition, construction, preparation, year and finishes on 31 March the enhancement or replacement of roads, following year. buildings and other structures • acquisition, installation or replacement New councillors will usually join the of movable or unmovable plant, council after the revenue and capital machinery, apparatus, vehicles and budgets for the year have been agreed vessels. but there is a role for councillors in their first year in monitoring the budgets and The definition is a wide one and when ensuring they are spent on delivering the there is any doubt the relevant officers council’s policies and strategies. should be asked to determine whether expenditure is capital or not. Revenue and capital budgets cover all the resources of the council – money, Income employees, services, assets and so Most revenue comes from: on. Budgets are among the many tools councillors have for carrying out the • general government grant, which policies of the council. The starting point councils can spend as they wish as is for councils to look closely at what they long as the expenditure is lawful are trying to do.
Councillor’s Guide 2011/12 Civic life 51 • specific government grants, some of The council must be clear about what which, such as the Dedicated Schools it is trying to do. It must have a broad Grant, are ring fenced and must be strategy that sets down what it is trying spent for the purpose they are given to achieve.
• charges the council sets for some of The budget enables councillors to: the services it provides, like leisure facilities • review spending priorities • council tax • monitor actual spending • business rates that are set nationally, • control spending by service collected locally, but then redistributed departments and budget holders by central government to councils as • enable redirection of resources part of formula grant. • plan ahead. Formula grant The biggest sources of income is Budgets can also be used to: formula grant, which consists of • identify gaps in provision redistributed business rates, and revenue support grant and, for • forecast future demands authorities with children’s services • identify financial options. responsibilities, dedicated schools grant, a ring fenced grant which must be spent Most important, the budget is used to on the schools budget of the authority. set the council tax.
Formula Grant is based on the idea The budget cycle of equalisation, that is, taking account Since the council tax must be set and of relative spending needs and the councils may collect precepts on behalf resources that can be raised locally. of other bodies such as the police, fire Councils with particularly high needs or and rescue authority and so on, budgets a low tax base receive more in central must be agreed on an annual basis. support than councils with relatively However, planning for the longer term is lower needs or a larger tax base. still very important.
However, in practice this is limited The four main stages of the budgeting by damping rules. A government- process councillors must think about are: determined formula decides how much 1. Planning and setting the budget each council receives from these grants. – what does the council want to The budget achieve? The ruling group or coalition will 2. Scrutinising the proposed budget determine a set of budget proposals, – does the budget comply with the which they will present to full council. policies of the council? The leader of the council and cabinet members will have worked up the 3. Monitoring the budget throughout the proposals after taking advice from year – is the budget over or under- relevant officers. spent?
52 Civic Life Councillor’s Guide 2011/12 4. Reviewing the budget – did the of the most vulnerable in our society. budgets allocated achieve the desired Continuing to delivering results in those type and level of service? areas while reducing costs in line with reduced funding is the local productivity The revenue budget and the council tax agenda. level must be approved by a statutory date. For county councils, fire and rescue Typically councils have gone through and police authorities and the Greater a fundamental review of all their services, London Authority this is 1 March each carried out in consultation with local year. people and other local agencies, looking at: For district councils, unitary authorities and Metropolitan and London boroughs it • which services are most important to is 11 March each year. local people and most important in meeting the needs of the vulnerable It is normal practice for the capital budget to be approved at the same meeting. • which services are statutory and which discretionary Budget planning, setting, scrutinising • ways to increase income and monitoring can be a time-consuming exercise but it is important that all • opportunities to pool resources councillors are involved in or take an • options for new models for interest in the budget process. If the commissioning and delivering appropriate financial resources are not services, including a bigger role for the allocated at budget setting time it is voluntary and community sector, social difficult, if not impossible, to deliver on enterprises and mutuals formed by the policies the council has agreed. groups of staff • ways to reduce management and Productivity The four years to March 2015 are going overhead costs to be extremely challenging to councils • ways to reduce the cost of bought-in and it is possible that the tightening of goods and services public spending may go on beyond the • ways to streamline services current Spending Review period. • ways to increase workforce The year from April 2011 is the first of productivity. two years to which reductions in central government grant have been ‘front- Every council is looking at the savings loaded’. That is to say, in setting their it can make to protect frontline services. budgets for 2011/12 and in their medium- The best are also looking at what can be term financial plans councils have achieved by working with others. That already factored in significant savings. includes:
In making the savings councils will • counties and districts looking at what always want to protect as far as possible can be achieved in two-tier areas the services that local people value the • urban councils looking at what can be most and those that meet the needs achieved across the whole city
Councillor’s Guide 2011/12 Civic life 53 • councils working with other local agencies like health, police, fire and Case study: employment services Finance – what • councils working together nationally does it mean? and regionally on some fronts • councils working with the voluntary, Runnymede Borough Council in Surrey published a glossary of terms community and social enterprise on its website to help residents and sectors so that civil society councillors understand the terms organisations and service users used for different aspects of income themselves take on more responsibility and expenditure. This has been for services. updated here to reflect changes to This is resulting in the reshaping of local the local government finance system. government, including the creation of Asset Rentals: see Capital Charges. shared management arrangements and Business Rates: business rates are shared services and the divestment of collected by the council from local some services. It may result in increased business premises and paid over to outsourcing too. the national pool. This is redistributed to all authorities as part of formula In future one of the challenges facing grant. councils and councillors will be to ensure local democratic accountability while Capital Assets: land, buildings and other assets whose benefit to the delivering services through the new joint authority exceeds one year. arrangements and how to ensure the needs of our communities are properly Capital Charges: a calculation of met when services are provided by an the annual costs, included within the increasingly diverse range of providers. revenue accounts, of using capital assets. This includes asset rentals more information: and, where appropriate, depreciation Local Government Group website charges. at www.local.gov.uk Capital Expenditure: expenditure on capital assets. Capital Receipts: receipts from the sale of capital assets. Collection Fund: the fund receives all income from council tax, community charge, business rates and government grant and from which precepts are paid. Council Tax: council tax is charged on all domestic properties in the council’s area and will vary according to which band the property has been placed in. Discounts will be applied to the charge if there are fewer than two
54 Civic Life Councillor’s Guide 2011/12 liable adults living in the property. the General Fund. Net Credit Approval: the amount the expenditure on the General Government allows the authority to Fund is met from the Council finance from borrowing or other credit Tax and the Government’s Formula arrangements. Grant. Direct Service Organisation: Housing Revenue Account: government regulations require that a statutory account that deals with local authorities may only undertake matters relating to council housing, the certain activities if they have been cost of which is borne by the tenants subject to competitive tendering. If the and government subsidy. in-house team wins the tender, they Investment Income: income from form a DSO for which separate trading interest receipts on investments held accounts must be kept. by the council. The level of investment Formula Grant: the amount paid by income is proportional to the level of the Government in support of the reserves held and prevailing interest council’s annual budget requirement. It rates. comprises Revenue Support Grant and National Non Domestic Rates: see redistributed business rates. Formula Business Rates. Grant consists of four blocks: Precept: the annual demand made on Relative Needs: intended to reflect the Runnymede as a billing authority, for relative costs of providing comparable example, by Surrey County Council services between different authorities. and the Surrey Police Authority It takes account of characteristics such Rate Poundage (business rates only): as population and social structure. also known as the multiplier, this is the Relative Resources: takes account amount that is determined each year by of the different capacity of different the Government which, when multiplied areas to raise income from council tax by the rateable value, establishes due to the differing mix of properties. It how much is levied on each business is a negative amount as it represents property. The Local Government assumed income for authorities Finance Act 1988 restricts the annual Central Allocation: a sum that is the increase in the multiplier to the annual same, per head, for all authorities that increase in retail prices index from deliver the same services September to September Floor Damping Block: in order to Reserves: these are balances in give every authority a minimum grant hand that have accumulated over increase or maximum grant decrease, previous years and are held for defined grants to other authorities in the same purposes. Councils regularly review the class are scaled back to bring all level and purpose of their reserves. authorities up to the appropriate floor Revenue Income and Expenditure: level. the day-to-day running costs of the General Fund: the fund to which all Authority the council’s revenue expenditure Tax Base (council tax only): the amount is charged. The Housing Revenue of money that is raised for every £1 Account is a ‘ring fenced’ part of of council tax levied in the area.
Councillor’s Guide 2011/12 Civic life 55 Freedom of information The open data agenda is gaining ground on more than just the accountability The Freedom of Information Act 2000 front. Local government bodies all gives people rights of access to the over the world are publishing data information held by councils and other and working with developers to help public authorities. This should lead both councils and citizens make better to better public understanding of how use of open government data. From public authorities carry out their duties, visualising budgets to working with local why they make the decisions they do people to build up data sets of public and how they spend public money. The assets to helping young people find act creates two principal obligations for their way home safely after a night out, councils, from which other obligations open data is supporting innovation and stem: improvement in local public services.
1. All councils must adopt and maintain more information: a publication scheme, setting out Make A Difference With Data website details of information they will at www.madwdata.org.uk routinely make available, how the information can be obtained and Data protection whether there is any charge for it. The Data Protection Act gives people 2. All councils must comply with rights regarding personal information requests for the information they hold that others hold about them and imposes unless an exemption from disclosure controls on individuals and organisations applies. Councils normally have that use personal information. a maximum of 20 working days to respond to a request but there are The act applies to councillors in the circumstances when this time limit same way that it does to council can be extended. employees and covers paper records and computerised systems using more information: equipment owned by councillors or Information Commissioner website at provided by the council. www.informationcommissioner.gov.uk It is a complex subject and councillors Open data seeking more information should visit the Local Government Group’s website The Government has placed a strong or go to Her Majesty’s Stationery Office emphasis on transparency and all website at www.hmso.gov.uk/acts to councils have been asked to publish read the act in full. expenditure data as well as other Councillors are regarded as data accountability and performance controllers if they process personal data information in a code of practice. This and are required to notify the information will require councils to make information commissioner of the reasons why they public and freely available for reuse hold and process personal data. and publication by others.
56 Civic Life Councillor’s Guide 2011/12 Snapshot In touch
• Chelmsford Borough Council keeps its councillors informed about what’s going on via a specially designed portal called the Member’s Zone • information about the London Borough of Islington’s four area committees is available through the Areas On Line section of the borough’s website, which features discussion boards that gather opinions on local issues • for South Norfolk District Council, getting closer to the people means connecting parish councils to the district and the county – connecting them to the internet has provided community resources in more than 100 separate parishes • Basildon District Council has encouraged its young citizens to design their own website through which to voice their opinions • citizens in the London Borough of Camden can watch and listen to councillors in council meetings via live webcasting from the council chamber.
When holding and processing personal Councillors should talk with their data about individuals in the course of council’s data protection officer and council business, councillors are covered check the council’s notification to make by the council’s notification. sure they are covered. This is particularly important when the data is of a sensitive If the data is to be used for other nature such as ethnicity, faith, sexual purposes – for political activity for orientation, political allegiance and so on. example – councillors are required to notify the commissioner. Notification Broadly speaking, under schedules two costs £35 a year. and three of the act, councillors can process data if: Some councils have paid for notifications for all their councillors. • the data subject has given consent to the processing Councillors using personal data must keep it secure and misuse of data is a • the processing is necessary for punishable offence. a contract • the processing is necessary to
The council’s notification will include protect the data subject’s interests details of the information it will make available to councillors. This encourages • the processing is necessary – a) for disclosure of information that councillors the administration of justice, b) for the need to do their job properly. exercise of any functions conferred on any person by or under any enactment, and c) for the exercise of any other
Councillor’s Guide 2011/12 Civic life 57 functions of a public nature exercised in the public interest by any person Hot topic • it is necessary for legitimate interests Data and of the councillor or the data subject information or if the Secretary of State makes a particular order. Councillors often find data and statistics useful in showing how more information: things in their ward compare with Information Commissioner website at other local or national figures. www.informationcommissioner.gov.uk This can help in understanding the strong and weak aspects of the ward and in developing strategies for improvement. Those most highly Snapshot valued concern: Data protection education – the performance and – key principles standards of schools and exam results
Personal data must be: housing – the number and type of council properties within the ward, • processed fairly and lawfully and waiting lists, vacancies, re-let times, at least one of the conditions in and waiting times for repairs and schedules two or three of the act maintenance must also be met environment – response times • obtained for one or more specified when dealing with fly-tipping, the and lawful purposes and must not number and details of food outlets be used in other ways tested, levels of traffic congestion, • adequate, relevant and not levels of pollution and the number of excessive in relation to the missed bins purpose or purposes for which they are used safety – crime and anti-social behaviour statistics, the number and • accurate and, where necessary, type of road traffic accidents and the kept up-to-date kept for no longer number and type of fire and rescue than is necessary for the purpose incidents or purposes it was obtained • processed in accordance with the facilities – levels of usage of rights of data subjects. libraries, leisure centres, parks and playing fields and so on.
58 Civic Life Councillor’s Guide 2011/12 Local Government Where they find flaws, they also ask councils to review procedures to avoid Ombudsman similar complaints arising. In this way, complaints to the Ombudsman can help The Local Government Ombudsman a council improve its services. (LGO) investigates complaints from the public about the administrative actions of more information: councils and some other organisations, Local Government Ombudsman including school admissions appeal panels website at www.lgo.org.uk and adult social care providers such as care homes and home care providers. Police authorities The LGO can also consider complaints from parents and pupils with concerns In addition to being responsible for about their school – but only in some holding their own authority to account, local authority areas. For details go to: councillors represent the interests of the www.lgo.org.uk/schools community by holding other services to account too. The LGO is required to investigate complaints in a fair and independent way In the case of the police this is currently – it does not take sides and the service is by being nominated by their council to free. join the local police authority, though the government intends to abolish police Constituents may ask their councillors for authorities from May 2012. help in making complaints and councils will have their own systems for handling Apart from the Metropolitan Police, each complaints, which they will wish to of the 43 police forces in England and resolve locally if possible. Wales is answerable to a police authority consisting of a mixture of councillors and But if a constituent is not satisfied with independently appointed members. a council’s response they may ask a councillor what to do next. Whether The number of members on a police councillors agree with the complaints or authority varies according to the size of not they should tell constituents how to the force but, apart from in the City of complain to the LGO. If asked to do so, London; the councillors are always in a councillors can refer the complaints on majority of one. behalf of their constituents and the LGO will consider councillors’ comments on Police authorities have either 17 or 19 the complaints referred. members, meaning they have either 9 or 10 councillors respectively. The City The LGO does not regulate councils of London has 15 councillors out of 17 or overturn properly taken council members. decisions. Its job is to examine the administrative processes involved and, The Metropolitan Police Authority (MPA) where things have gone wrong, obtain is slightly larger than the others with redress for members of the public who 23 members and their appointment is have suffered injustice as a result. slightly different. Twelve are drawn from the London Assembly, being appointed
Councillor’s Guide 2011/12 Civic life 59 Case study
The Ombudsman
The Local Government Ombudsman The LGO asked the council to pay Ms can consider complaints about most Y £1,800 compensation for the many council activities. Here are some summonses, liability orders and bailiffs examples: letters she had received and for her efforts in pursuing her complaint over a Housing repairs long period. The council also agreed to Mr R complained that the council had make changes to its system for dealing failed to repair a leaking drainpipe with missing payments. outside his flat that had caused damage to his internal decorations and Planning applications some of his possessions. It had not Ms A complained about a planning compensated him and had ignored his application for a development of three complaints. houses behind her home. She said that they would have an unacceptable The council carried out the repair, impact on her property. paid compensation of £300 for the delay in carrying out the repair, paid The LGO found that the council had £300 towards the cost of washing, failed to notify Ms A and so she did repairing or replacing Mr R’s not have a chance to object. But, damaged possessions and gave him in granting permission, the LGO a decoration allowance so that he found that the planning committee could redecorate the affected room. had properly considered the likely It also reviewed the way it monitored effect of the proposed development complaints and their outcome. on neighbouring properties and had visited the site. Council tax Ms Y set up a standing order to pay her The LGO’s view was that, even if Ms council tax. As there was no council A had been given the chance to make tax reference number on the standing her objections known, it was unlikely to order form, payments she made were have made a difference to the decision. not allocated to her account. The council apologised to Ms A for its Although the council realised the error and updated its records to make mistake early on, and Ms Y provided sure that the same problem did not proof of payment several times, it took occur again. The LGO decided that six years for the council to resolve the the council had done enough to put problem. In the meantime the council matters right and did not ask for any continued to take legal action against compensation. her for money she did not owe.
60 Civic Life Councillor’s Guide 2011/12
Antisocial behaviour A council failed to carry out a proper a residential school from the point of risk assessment before letting a flat – transfer to secondary education, as in a block designed for people over 40 her needs could not be met locally, but and occupied predominantly by elderly when the provision was not made, the and vulnerable people – to a man with council said that the recommendation a history of antisocial and criminal should have been removed from the behaviour. The man’s behaviour draft report before it was issued, but caused distress and fear to Mrs W, the had not been. elderly woman in the flat below, for just over a year. It considered that a support package already in place met L’s needs, but did The LGO found fault by the council, not explain how the need for a 24- who apologised to Mrs W and paid hour curriculum could be met without a her £1,000 compensation. residential school placement.
Homelessness The Ombudsman found fault with the Ms K was eight months pregnant, and council’s removal of a recommendation fleeing domestic violence when she from a core assessment without full applied to a council for help. Housing and proper consideration of the impact officers applied too strict a test when of that amendment, and its failure to deciding whether to provide her with ensure that the needs of L and her temporary accommodation by insisting family were adequately met. she provide proof of homelessness first, did not tell her that she could apply The council apologised to L’s parents, for housing as a homeless person, and paid them £10,000 and reviewed its did not refer her to specialist support administrative arrangements. for victims of domestic violence.
The LGO found fault by the council, who apologised to Ms K, paid her £750 compensation and improved its procedures.
Special educational needs A council mishandled the transfer to secondary education of a child with special educational needs. Professionals unanimously recommended that L should attend
Councillor’s Guide 2011/12 Civic life 61 by the Mayor of London, while the other each police force area. Each council will 11 are independently appointed, one by appoint councillors to their police and the Home Secretary. crime panel, which will have a minimum of 10 councillors. The Mayor of London also appoints the chair and vice-chair of the MPA, and the These panels will be able to veto their Mayor can chair the authority if he or police and crime commissioner’s precept she so wishes. The authority links with and their nominee for chief constable. the London boroughs by giving each They will also have the ability to compel member responsibility for at least one the commissioner and any of his or her borough. staff to attend the panel and answer questions. The nomination of councillors to a police authority has to reflect the political make The Home Office intends that the up of the council or councils involved. panels will be established before Where a police authority spans more the commissioners take office. Final than one unitary or county council, the confirmation of how the panels will work councils form a joint committee to decide will be available once the Police Reform who serves on the police authority. and Social Responsibility Bill becomes law. Changes for 2012 The government is committed to more information: replacing police authorities with a directly Association of Police Authorities elected police and crime commissioner website at www.apa.police.uk for each police force, apart from the City of London, from 2012. Home Office website at www.homeoffice.gov.uk The commissioners will have the same role as police authorities in securing an efficient and effective police service for their area, and holding the chief constable to account.
As with police authorities, police and crime commissioners will set the police element of council tax, set local policing priorities, and appoint and, if necessary dismiss chief constables.
In London, the Mayor will become the police and crime commissioner for the Metropolitan Police.
Elsewhere, councils will have a role in holding the police and crime commissioners to account through the police and crime panels being set up for
62 Civic Life Councillor’s Guide 2011/12 Fire and rescue authorities Top tips Support for Fire and rescue is organised in three Fire and Rescue different ways as services provided by: Local Government Improvement and 1. County councils. Development organises an annual, 2. Combined fire authorities (CFA). focused Leadership Academy aimed at chairman of fire authorities or 3. Metropolitan fire authorities (MFA). lead members and portfolio holders. This provides a valuable networking CFAs and MFAs are precepting opportunity for fire members as well authorities and are authorities in their as interactive development and own right. raising awareness of key issues. LG Improvement and Development Fire and rescue authorities consist also provides a range of bespoke solely of councillors and are politically support for fire authority members, balanced. Councillors on county and ranging from mentoring and top team unitary councils are nominated to serve development, to regional facilitated on their authority by their councils. workshops on key topics involving County councils will also have a portfolio fire member peers. holder leading on fire and rescue services. • the LG Association provides a fire commission, a network for fire In some instances there will a combined authority members to keep up to fire authority for an area. For example, speed on key issues East Sussex is a combined authority because it takes in the unitary authority • fire member peers are actively of Brighton and Hove in addition to the engaged in peer review and East Sussex county area. challenge programmes for the fire and rescue sector. The Local Government Association has a fire services management committee www.local.gov.uk that is made up of members nominated from all the English fire and rescue services. The committee provides strategic leadership for the service and links to the department for Communities and Local Government and the minister for fire. more information: Local Government Group website at www.local.gov.uk
Councillor’s Guide 2011/12 Civic life 63 Health and safety Leaders need to understand the health and safety policy statement and their role Accidents and occupational ill health can on delivering its objectives. It is crucial have a significant impact, not only on the that they have an appreciation of the person concerned but also on their close strategic risks run by the council and family, friends and colleagues. And, as the broad control measures in place to most of the people who work for councils reduce the risks. live in the council area, a worker who is Leaders also need to be told of any injured at work could live in the ward! significant health and safety issues – It may come as a surprise to newly such as serious accidents, investigations elected members but councillors have or potential and actual enforcement a role in ensuring that health and safety action. And the leader and the chief is effectively managed within the council. executive should work together to promote a positive approach to health But they are not expected to be health and safety within the council. and safety experts. The council is required by law to appoint competent The cabinet health and safety advisors to help The cabinet, advised by officers, should managers and members understand the endorse the council’s health and safety technical and legal issues. improvement strategy and ensure it is implemented. The strategy will set Councillors’ roles will depend on their out where the council wants to go and level of responsibility but all have a how it will get there, it should contain part to play. All councillors, particularly objectives, milestones and a way of the leader, deputy leader and cabinet measuring progress. members, should receive awareness training on health and safety to ensure Members of the cabinet will wish to they understand their roles and receive regular reports from officers on responsibilities. progress and should be told of significant health and safety issues, immediately The leader if necessary and in cabinet reports. The council leader is expected to Officers should identify the safety demonstrate a strong commitment implications of cabinet decisions. to health and safety by signing, with the chief executive, a safety policy The cabinet will ensure that mechanisms statement. are in place to consult with trade union safety representatives and other staff They should demonstrate leadership and that adequate resources are on health and safety by setting an allocated to secure the health and safety example in what they say and do, both of the workforce and others who may be to council staff and the wider community. affected. This is particularly important in terms of ensuring a sensible approach to risk Cabinet members should be aware of management that is proportionate to the any significant risks within their area of risks. responsibility and the measures in place to reduce them. They should also know
64 Civic Life Councillor’s Guide 2011/12 whom to approach for competent more information: health and safety advice. Elected member health and safety workbook at www.local.gov.uk The full council will approve the health and safety strategy and the scrutiny ‘Think about health and safety; what committee should be satisfied that the elected members of local authorities strategy is implemented and audited and need to know’ is available from the should question cabinet members on the Institution of Occupational Safety and health and safety implications of policy Health at www.iosh.co.uk decisions.
Councillors Councillors and All councillors have a role in ensuring communications councils consider the health and safety implications of decisions and, Modern communications for councils as members of full council, have a role and councillors increasingly reflect in approving decisions made by the the approaches taken by commercial cabinet. organisations. This means that everything a council or councillor does It is important that all councillors is believed to affect the way the public support the principles of sensible risk perceives them. management and ensure that the council does not make health and safety Some call it PR or reputation pronouncements that go beyond what is management, some call it marcoms, required. an abbreviation of marketing communications, and some call it They should challenge officers and corporate branding. Whatever the fellow councillors on health and safety name, it means that the council’s and decisions that appear excessive. councillors’ reputations will be affected by citizens’ perceptions of just about Using health and safety as a reason to everything including: cancel events, for example, can make the council look silly in the eyes of the • delivery of key services local community and attract unwelcome • media coverage and damaging national media interest. • responding to citizens’ needs Poor decision-making will undermine • civic signage the confidence of the community and constituents in the ability of officers and • maintenance of civic sites and councillors to manage effectively the real buildings risks and secure public safety. Sensible • litter and graffiti risk management on the other hand will enhance the council’s reputation • safety on the streets for pragmatic decision making and • low crime rates protecting the community. • good healthcare, education and transport
Councillor’s Guide 2011/12 Civic life 65 • sport and entertainment facilities the policy decisions the council has • flourishing neighbourhoods made. • their place in the community Councils are limited in the information they are allowed to publish concerning ... and so on. individual councillors.
From this it is obvious that creating The code of practice for local positive perceptions of the wellbeing of government publicity which was a community is the responsibility of a updated in Feburary 2011 is at number of authorities or organisations www.communities.gov.uk in addition to the council – including individual citizens. The need to communicate begins with the election campaign and continues However, the council is invariably throughout the councillor’s career, seen as the community leader. This whether they remain in opposition, on is why many councils have appointed the backbenches or attain leadership communications and marketing positions. Communication is a two-way managers to senior positions, where process: as well as letting people know they play strategic roles alongside the what they have been doing, councillors leadership, rather than relying on a press will need to listen to constituents and officer reporting to a head of service. organisations in their area.
This section looks at communications Who needs to know? and reputation management in terms The different groups councillors need to of the individual councillor, although it’s communicate with include: useful to keep the bigger picture in mind. • constituents All councillors should expect to generate their own personal publicity. Leaders • fellow councillors and portfolio holders will promote council • council managers and staff policy and decisions from a corporate • local MPs point of view and local political parties may have communications strategies to • their political party or group support their members but, otherwise, • local organisations and associations councillors are responsible for their • local businesses and employer communications with constituents and the wider community. • the media • organisations working in partnership Strict guidelines set out the roles and with the council responsibilities of council press or communications officers. For example, • community and faith leaders they are not allowed to write or send out • central government and regional press releases on behalf of individual and national bodies. councillors – their job is to represent the council to the media and other audiences from a corporate point of view, reflecting
66 Civic Life Councillor’s Guide 2011/12 Councillor’s viewpoint
Councillor Julie Morris Epsom and Ewell Borough Council
It may seem easier to represent your residents when your party is in control but there is plenty that can be done for them in opposition too.
When you challenge majority party policies, you have to make sure that your arguments are clear and truly representative of residents’ views. Keep residents up-to-date on issues that may affect them and let them know you are at their service.
The methods we use to keep our residents informed and engaged are tried and tested. We publish a regular newsletter, liaise with the local press, keep our website up- to-date, and hold surgeries and consultations.
If you are a new member and not getting a response to these techniques, don’t give up. It may just take some time for residents to feel comfortable with you.
One example of the contact we have with our residents was when the council had a choice of two traffic-calming schemes. We targeted 200 households along the proposed route prior to the release of the official council documents.
By delivering tick-box questionnaires in person and asking people to place the completed forms sticking out of their letterboxes, we got a great response. As well as gathering opinions towards the traffic scheme, we collected useful data for our next campaign.
www.epsom-ewell.gov.uk
Different audiences may need to be access, some will not, and some will approached and addressed in different have very limited or no access to email ways. For example, if there is a major or online services – so councillors will change in housing policy, the things need to use a variety of communications staff will need to know will be different techniques and tools to reach them. from the information the media will be interested in. This is known as taking a Electronic communication is faster and different angle on a story, but it doesn’t far cheaper than traditional methods. The mean changing the facts. key question is: Do the people I want to reach with my message have Similarly, some councillors will be the means to receive it? Most people communicating with audiences whose have a letterbox but there are still many first language is not English, some who don’t have access to a computer. audiences will have broadband internet
Councillor’s Guide 2011/12 Civic life 67 Communications tools Keep copy short, crisp and to the point to keep readers interested – and make Email communications clear and focused. Councillors use email to share information directly with residents Blogs interested in a particular issue, leaders Blogs are a simple, and cheap means of community organisations and of communicating. A blog is a personal groups of residents who have set up a online journal that looks like a website. newsgroup or email list. Email is direct People usually publish them, as diaries and two-way and allows councillors to be and newsletters and visitors are able seen to be in touch, share information to comment on each entry. The blog and offer support to local people. address should be on all printed and Some councillors set up an e-newsletter. electronic communications. This can be a regular update of activity, However, councillor blogs are read campaigns and voting record, which is mainly by political opponents and are emailed straight to residents who have now in decline. It is likely the opposition asked to receive it. It is important to will seize on comments in a lively blog note that when sending e- newsletters, to create negative publicity. On the councillors should give recipients the other hand, a bland blog will not attract opportunity to decline future editions. readers. Hand-held devices such as the Social websites Blackberry are useful if councillors wish Social websites are increasingly popular to respond immediately to a query or and if councillors decide to communicate seek information while at an event or via sites such as You Tube or Facebook surgery. They combine mobile phone, they should make a clear distinction email, calendar and other facilities. between their personal and civic lives.
Websites Some sites allow visitors to add or edit Many councillors now have their own text so entries need to be monitored on websites, or at least their own section of a regular basis. a website. They can carry background information about the councillor, their Time is an important factor here and it’s achievements, contact and surgery worth considering whether information is details and attendance records. getting through to the people who matter in the area compared to the hours that Advertise the website address in all Twitter and Facebook take up. communications to encourage people to come and have a look. If information Making a You Tube video can be hugely about a councillor is carried on more time consuming but will attract hardly than one site, it is important that anybody to view it. For example, when simultaneous updates take place so the department for Communities and that the information is consistent and Local Government posted videos on You unambiguous. Tube they went virtually unseen.
68 Civic Life Councillor’s Guide 2011/12 Texting as emails, on web pages or blogs, and Texting is a widely used and convenient as internet downloads. way of communicating, especially on the move. The majority of people use Local media abbreviated words and expression in It is well worth making contact with the their texts so councillors need to be local media and getting in touch before sure there is no ambiguity in the texts there is a story for them, arranging a time they send and make sure they clearly to meet key reporters. The golden rule understand the content of the texts they is to get to know them before you need are sent. It is not a good idea to send them, and build up a trust so that you can personal and council related texts from talk confidently both on and off the record. the same phone and if a text refers to There is some confusion about the status case work a separate record should be of conversations with journalists. The key kept. things to understand are: Newsletters • on the record – the journalist can Councillors should get to know the local report and quote what an individual community newsletters and contact their is saying and may attribute it to them editors to see whether they would be by name willing to publish contributions, either on a regular or an occasional basis. As long • off the record – If you have a good as a column is used to let people know relationship and you ask if you can what’s going on locally and the content go ‘off the record’ and they agree, it is is kept free of party politics, many editors unlikely they will directly report what will be happy to help. you have said. There are no hard and fast rules about this although most A number of councils produce their own journalists do abide by it as it allows residents’ newsletters or newspapers, them to add context to their story. delivered a few times a year. Some are • attributable – the journalist names for council tenants while others are for all the source of the information or quote residents. • non-attributable – the journalist Councillors should talk to the lead officer may use the information or quote but if they think they have items worthy of cannot name the source. The media inclusion. It’s worth bearing in mind that usually attribute this information to these publications represent the council ‘insiders’ or ‘friends’. as a whole and invariably report on council policy, proposals, activity and results, so individual councillors are unlikely to get regular exposure. Many councillors produce and deliver their own newsletters to update people about their work on local issues. Their political party, if they belong to one, may also produce regular communications. These days, newsletters are published in printed form,
Councillor’s Guide 2011/12 Civic life 69 Make sure the journalist concerned understands the basis on which you Top tips are talking and If in doubt, say nothing. Councillors and Councillors who have a good relationship with the local media find that the social media reporters come to them for news Like many people, councillors and views. are getting online and finding it a They should be honest and forthright great way to engage with people about the council’s successes and in their area. Social media tools failures and make a point of contacting like Facebook and Twitter are still journalists when newsworthy items come growing in popularity. Facebook up. This way, councillors will come to be alone has nearly 29 million viewed as valuable and credible sources registered users in the UK . of news. So how can councillors take advantage of these trends to help Communications planning them reach out to local people? Although they call it news and make What are the best tools for reaching it seem spontaneous, the majority of different age groups and what stories carried by newspapers, radio strategies can you pursue? What are and television have been planned well in the possible pitfalls and how can you advance. avoid them? News organisations have forward Many councillors are using a popular planning diaries that tell them what is online resource, developed by Local happening, where and when, up to six Government Leadership and Local months or more ahead. Local media will Government Improvement and know when the council is sitting, when Development, based on ‘Connected courts are sitting, when school sports Councillors: A guide to using social days are taking place and when the local media to support local leadership’. flower show is on. The guide will give you background They know because the organisations on the use of social media, including tell them. how to stay out of trouble online. It covers tools such as blogs and Many councillors put together a rolling Twitter and how to use them to communications plan, mapping out the build engagement. There are plenty messages they want to send to their of examples of councillors who constituents and when they want to send are already using social media them. well. It also covers how you as a These plans can be very simple – just a councillor can help your council get few notes on the calendar will serve to the most out of using social media remind councillors what to do and when. for improvement, innovation and They can update local media diaries via efficiency. news editors on a monthly basis and http://socialmedia.21st.cc/ schedule the production of newsletters
70 Civic Life Councillor’s Guide 2011/12 and other materials, allowing time for A good press release will design and print. concentrate on:
In the case of television and to a lesser • who? – key people in the story extent radio it is essential to give news • what? – the main facts desks as much advance warning of an event as possible because they need to • where? – somewhere in the local area allocate resources and equipment and • when? – the story should be recent plan and script their coverage. news
The media are always looking for • why? – details of why the story is exclusives so unless the story is so important. big that everyone is keen to run it, it is A good press release is made even worth focusing on one publication or better by a good photograph or an broadcaster at a time – making sure they idea for a photograph. Technically, all have their share over time. a photograph for printing will need to Writing press releases be of a higher quality – that is, higher Councillors should make sure news resolution – than one intended for a releases contain news. The fact that they web page or publication. have spoken on issues at council is not generally enough. Human interest and topical local stories are usually welcome Top tips but councillors should always check Creating a blog before they pass constituents’ details to the press. • Make sure your text can be read The political group may also want to easily. ensure councillors are not contradicting local party policy on any given issue. • Avoid jazzy backgrounds, or coloured text on a coloured Press releases are usually emailed direct background. for immediacy and posted to a website or • Keep it simple and keep your blog. Printed press releases, floppy discs entries short. and similar data storage devices are rarely used these days, although data • Update your blog as regularly sticks remain popular. CDs and DVDs as possible and at the very least are used when large amounts of data are once a week use plain English. concerned and are useful for archiving • Publicise your blog – include your casework and other important activities. web address on your business card and emails. • Do not mix council and personal matters..
Councillor’s Guide 2011/12 Civic life 71 If councillors are not confident about clear and concise, getting the key their writing skills it is better to send a information across in a way that cannot series of bullet points setting out the be misunderstood. facts rather than a rambling piece of prose. If councillors study the media Although anger, outrage, joy and they can see how they present their sadness are expressed in printed stories – the editorial style, tone of voice media, emotion is far more obvious and and so on – and learn how to present effective when heard or seen. Radio and information in the same way. television audiences are affected not only by the facts being given but also Experienced press officers may write by the body language, tone of voice, several versions of a press release to confidence and other characteristics of reflect the editorial stances of different the person giving them. Expressions media such as local press and radio, of extreme emotion can be counter- trade press, national press and so on. productive.
Most councillors include quotes setting The council and the press out their own opinions. Contact details As stated earlier, council press and are essential so that journalists can communications officers represent the follow up stories. corporate affairs of the council and work primarily with lead councillors and The key question to ask when writing officers. something is to ask whether a reader will think the issue you are writing about However, if a councillor becomes could happen to them. The more people aware of media interest in a particular the issue will affect the more likely it is to aspect of council business that could make the pages of a newspaper. be contentious, they should consider discussing the matter with their group Radio and television leader with a view to briefing colleagues Local radio and television stations and the press office. give councillors the opportunity to get their message across in an immediate Some councils have protocols governing and dynamic way. While controversies the issue of press releases. Councillors requiring political perspective and should check whether their authorities comment will arise from time to time have them and follow them if they do. broadcasters are mainly on the lookout The leader of their political group will for good human-interest stories with probably appreciate a copy of a release people to film and people to talk to. or briefing on any interview that has taken place. Watch and listen to local news broadcasts and learn about the sort of When journalists follow up a story they stories they cover and how they cover are likely to call other people to support them. the points expressed or criticise them. It is therefore well worth letting fellow If radio or television news covers a councillors, officers, or members of local story it is likely that it will occupy outside organisations who might be just a few minutes of airtime. So it is called, know what is going on. important to make sure quotes are
72 Civic Life Councillor’s Guide 2011/12 more information: The Local Government Group website contains information on communications for councils and councillors. It includes:
• ‘Connecting with Communities’ – a free resource, covering everything from how to put together a communications strategy to communications with residents, partners and staff. • ‘The Business Case for Communications: – a concise review of why investing in communications makes sense’. The publication can be downloaded from the Connecting with Communities Toolkit or can be ordered free by calling the Communities and Local Government free literature line on 0870 1226236. • Five Years of Communications: – a MORI report about local government communications, with key issues and trends to focus on. The publication can be downloaded from the Connecting with Communities Toolkit or by calling the Communities and Local Government free literature line. www.communities.gov.uk www.local.gov.uk
Councillor’s Guide 2011/12 Civic life 73 Top tips Forms of address
Salutations at all levels of society are much more relaxed and informal than they were 50 years ago but there will be occasions when councillors will wish to use the correct, traditional forms of address when meeting, greeting or writing to people who have titles or ceremonial roles and responsibilities.
Councillors who feel uncomfortable “kow-towing” to another person should bear in mind that both are usually representing their organisations or institutions and not acting in a personal capacity.
Using the correct form of address is a matter of mutual respect between holders of office and not a statement of inferiority or superiority.
Councillors will also find this information useful when briefing local residents.
On formal occasions councillors will address each other as “Councillor”.
Royal Family There are no obligatory codes of behaviour when meeting The Queen or a member of the Royal Family but most people prefer to observe the traditional courtesies. For men this is a neck bow (from the head only) while women perform a small curtsey. Other people prefer simply to shake hands.
On presentation to The Queen, the correct formal address is ‘Your Majesty’ and subsequently ‘Ma’am’. For male members of the Royal Family the same rules apply, with the title used in the first instance being ‘Your Royal Highness’ and subsequently ‘Sir’. For other female members of the Royal Family the first address is conventionally ‘Your Royal Highness’ followed by ‘Ma’am’ in later conversation
The Mayor and Mayoress A Mayor may be male or female. A Mayoress is the wife of a Mayor.
The full correct description on letters and envelopes is: ‘The Worshipful the Mayor of X, Councillor John (or Jane) Smith’. In practice the more simple description of ‘The Mayor’ or ‘The Mayor of X’ is used. A letter should start with ‘Dear Mr Mayor’.
When greeting the Mayor it is correct to say, for example: Good evening Mr Mayor. In speeches, one would say, for example, ‘We are pleased to have with us (The Worshipful) the Mayor of X, Councillor John Smith.’ In the preamble to a speech being made one would say ‘Mr Mayor…’
74 Civic Life Councillor’s Guide 2011/12 If it is the host who is making the speech he would refer to the Mayor first in the preamble unless a member of the Royal Family is present when he would start for example: ‘Your Royal Highness, Mr Mayor, My Lords…’
If it is not the host speaking he should be referred to by his title, such as ‘Mr Chairman’, immediately before ‘Mr Mayor’.
Unless in the Chair, the Mayor should be seated on the immediate right of the Chairman or host at any local function.
The Mayoress should be addressed as Madam Mayoress. It is not necessary to refer to her specifically in the preamble to a speech although she might be mentioned during the speech when she is referred to as‘the Mayoress’
If the Deputy Mayor is present without the Mayor and is representing him he has the same precedence as the Mayor would have if he were present.
On a day-to-day basis, councillors will form relationships inside and outside the council and be on familiar first name terms with people from all walks of life.
Common sense will dictate when formal or informal forms of address are appropriate.
Councillors wishing to find out more about forms of address and protocol should visit www.chinet.com, which describes how to address everyone from a Duke to a Dowager Duchess, and has links to other websites.
Councillor’s Guide 2011/12 Civic life 75 3. Community leadership
3 3 Community leadership
The Localism Bill 79 Community empowerment 79
The voluntary and community sector 80 Engaged communities 80 Partners in delivery 81 Funding and commissioning 83 The compact 84
Partnerships 84
Performance and Regulation 86 The councillor’s role 86 Leadership 87 Overview and scrutiny 88
Overview and scrutiny 88 Getting it right 92
Sustainable development, climate change and energy 92 Climate change 92 Energy use 93 Energy generation 93
Equality and cohesion 94 The challenge 94 The business case 96
Children’s Services 102 Education 102
Adult social care 103 Personalisation 103 Integration with health 103 Inspection and regulation 104
Local Government and Health 104 The councillor’s role 105 Improving health and challenging health Inequalities 106 Social determinants of health 109 Overview and scrutiny 110 The Localism Bill • separate mechanisms for council tax referendums, where a council The Government refers often to its or police or fire authority propose a localist ambitions and to promoting council tax or precept increase above decentralisation and democratic a level fixed by the secretary of state engagement, and the coalition • a community right to provide agreement says: “It is time for a through which community fundamental shift of power from organisations or council employees Westminster to people.” can submit an expression of interest to take over a service The Localism Bill is a major piece of proposed legislation covering • a community right to buy designed planning and housing issues, as well to enable community groups to as community empowerment and purchase buildings or land held by other local government matters. For 12 local authorities, for community or English cities, there are proposals for social use. referendums for directly elected mayors. The measures proposed in the Localism For other councils, the choice of Bill are part of a move to give councils reverting back to the traditional and neighbourhoods more power to take committee system will be back on the decisions and shape their areas. table as an alternative to the cabinet Public service reforms will enable model of governance. charities, social enterprises, private The bill is long and complex but the companies and employee-owned co department of Communities and operatives to compete to offer people Local Government’s website at www. high quality services. communities.gov.uk has a plain English At the same time, people will be guide, a context-setting essential guide, encouraged to play a more active part and a set of impact assessments. in society. Community empowerment more information: Government ambitions to hand down Department of Communities and Local power are reflected in part four of the Government website at Localism Bill. This sets out a series of www.communities.gov.uk/ proposed community rights: measures localgovernment/decentralisation designed to allow community groups, members of the public and, in some Cabinet Office website at cases, local authority employees, to www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk trigger certain actions or decisions. They include: Local Government Group website at www.local.gov.uk • a community right to challenge allowing the public, community groups, and councillors to request a non binding referendum on any issue
Councillor’s Guide 2011/12 Community leadership 79 Case study: 21st century councillors
Local Government Leadership has The work has covered many different supported a significant number of topics but broadly speaking they initiatives concerned with developing are working with councillors in their new approaches to political political, scrutiny and community governance and leadership in local leadership roles and finding out how government under the umbrella councils can recognise and maximise programme ‘21st Century Councillor’. the effectiveness of these jobs.
The programme defines a 21st century In particular, the programme has councillor as one “who understands helped define a national standard but can also transform their place. One for induction, supporting regional who can think strategically, as well as networks in promoting relevant and up be informed and inspired by their local to date information for councillors. roots”. more information: This is underpinned by a 10-point Publications and videos can manifesto outlining a blueprint for be found at www.21st.cc change within councils to embrace a new type of modern politics.
The programme has so far funded work in Walsall, Suffolk, Kirklees, Liverpool, Herefordshire, Sutton, Hackney, Leicestershire, Westminster, Swindon and Slough.
The voluntary and community sector
Working with voluntary organisations and • the social networks and community community and neighbourhood groups action they enable and generate can is a significant part of every councillor’s help build and sustain stronger more role. These organisations can be resilient communities. important partners because: Engaged communities • they deliver services and contribute Active citizens and an engaged to the quality of life in an area community are essential to the quality of life in an area. • they can help service users and local residents to express their voice, The state of the public finances and the preferences and priorities nature of some of the challenges that
80 Community leadership Councillor’s Guide 2011/12 society faces make it more important Volunteering is the bedrock of an than ever that communities are involved engaged community and councillors in prioritising and making tough decisions can do much to support volunteering about public services. initiatives. Councillors can encourage groups in their area to develop. In fields such as climate change and the demands of an ageing society, there Many councils are being encouraged is a need to forge a new relationship through the localism agenda to devolve with communities based on collaboration some decision-making and budgets rather than doing things for people. to neighbourhood level, giving local people more influence over the places And as some services become where they live. Alongside councillors, increasingly less affordable, there is a involved citizens can help to improve the need for increasingly strong and resilient accountability and responsiveness of communities who can do more things for services and re-engage people with local themselves. democracy.
The Local Government and Public Voluntary and community organisations Involvement in Health Act 2007 placed can also usefully contribute to local on councils a duty to Involve citizens government scrutiny processes. and communities in decision-making. Voluntary and community groups can Partners in delivery help councillors encourage citizens to Voluntary and community organisations participate by: and social enterprises can be very effective partners in local delivery and • providing opportunities for people to are being encouraged to take over the come together based on common running of a wide range of services from interests or concerns libraries to parks through the localism • providing links to some marginalised, agenda of a smaller state. disadvantaged or less often heard groups of residents Voluntary and community groups can help to: • building social and other networks that enable people to develop a sense of • identify local needs and represent belonging and make them more likely service users to get involved, help each other and • improve access to services through take responsibility for things that need advice and information activities, or doing locally. signposting people to the right place Community groups can help new to get help residents access local activities and • deliver services. support groups – such as sports clubs, environmental clean-ups, neighbourhood Councils and government bodies festivals and so on – which can also fund capacity building within the encourage integration and cohesion voluntary and community sector to help between different groups in organisations fulfil these roles. the community.
Councillor’s Guide 2011/12 Community leadership 81 Hot topic
Social enterprises – Social enterprise at work
Social enterprises are businesses Hackney Community Transport that operate for a social purpose. (HCT) There are many types of social HCT is a rapidly growing and enterprise, including community commercially successful UK transport development trusts, housing and learning provider that is one of the associations, worker owned-co- country’s leading and most successful operatives and leisure centres. social enterprises. Its mission is to make public transport available to These types of businesses may take all. HCT employs around 450 people a number of different forms in terms at seven sites in London and West of size and motivations, ranging from Yorkshire and has a current turnover in multinational organisations to local the region of £17 million. community groups. Sunderland Home Care Associates Examples of local social A non-profit domestic care provider, enterprises include: this organisation employs 160 people and has a staff turnover of less Bexley Community Media than 3.5 per cent. It is major service Association operator for Sunderland City Councils BCMA runs a community radio social services department, providing station and offers media training to personal care and domestic services youth groups. The organisation also to hundreds of people in need. offers training programmes delivering practical media skills and after-school youth projects.
Greenwich Leisure Ltd GLL is an employee-owned leisure trust, managing leisure centres across six London boroughs while reinvesting all profits into staff development and community health. GLL manages more than 60 leisure centres within the M25, employing more than 3,000 staff, with a projected turnover of £60million.
82 Community leadership Councillor’s Guide 2011/12 Voluntary and community organisations When commissioning services councils and social enterprises are significant need to be clear what they want from the providers of statutory services, service and how they will evaluate bids contracted by councils, health services for delivering it. or other agencies. As providers they can bring additional benefits of knowledge Commissioning has four main stages: and experience of working with specific 1. Specifying the needs of the service. client groups or those with complex needs. This can be particularly valuable 2. Designing the service to meet the where service users’ trust in the provider needs. is critical to successful outcomes of the service. 3. Delivering the service to secure the desired outcomes. Voluntary and community organisations also provide other important local 4. Quality assuring the service delivered services, often on a voluntary or self- to improve future development. help basis, or funded from outside the Voluntary and community organisations area by trusts, the lottery and other can bring skills, knowledge and income sources not accessible to public experience to all four aspects of bodies. These services can make a commissioning. big contribution locally and partnership working with this sector can help to Good commissioning helps councils ensure that this activity thrives and that deliver on their political and service it is co-ordinated and complementary to aspirations, improves quality and statutory service provision. outcomes and builds social capital.
Funding and commissioning Many councils and their public sector Historically, most councils have given partners are reviewing their funding and grants to a number of voluntary and commissioning from the voluntary and community organisations in their area. community sector to ensure they are Grant funding supports organisations getting the relationship right. either by covering core costs or particular aspects of an organisation’s work. A healthy local voluntary and community sector requires a range of different kinds Councils also commission some of funding including small grants, which voluntary and community groups to are essential to some local activities, deliver specific services where they have especially those that bring benefits particular experience and expertise. to social networks and community Grant funding is more general in nature participation. than a contract for a specific service and requires less detailed monitoring. Councillors have an essential role to play in local funding and commissioning In recent years, financial pressures and decisions, including input into the the need to demonstrate value for public overarching commissioning strategy and money mean that councils have been approach to funding and commissioning moving toward more commissioning. voluntary and community groups.
Councillor’s Guide 2011/12 Community leadership 83 The compact All top tier authorities have a local Snapshot compact – an agreement between the Third sector council and other local public bodies and the voluntary and community sector (VCS). The voluntary and community Local compacts mirror the national sector, comprising voluntary and compact signed between the community organisations, includes Government and the VCS in 1998. A national and local charities – ‘refreshed’ and much shorter national some of which are individual compact was launched in February 2010 organisations and some of which and local areas may, if they choose, are part of wider networks – as review their local compacts in the light of well as tenants and residents this. organisations and other community groups that are largely volunteer Local compacts set out jointly agreed led. ways of working and undertakings on both sides about how the two sectors The wider government definition of propose to work together. the third sector includes all these organisations as well as housing Local compact undertakings relate to associations, social enterprises things like communication, consultation, and cooperatives that have the funding, procurement and accountability following characteristics: and form the basis for constructive relationships between the council and • they are non-governmental the VCS. • they are value driven Voluntary and community organisations • principally, they reinvest representing diverse groups are part financial surpluses in further of the democratic life of the community social, environmental or cultural and can strengthen a councillor’s role in objectives. achieving good results for local residents.
The negotiation and delivery of the commitments in local compacts helps Partnerships build trust, better mutual understanding and a spirit of co-operation between It makes sense for councils and other partners. organisations to work together in providing and improving local services.
Historically, councils were required to work in local strategic partnerships (LSPs) with other service providers and while LSPs are no longer mandatory, many councils continue to use them to coordinate the work of local bodies.
84 Community leadership Councillor’s Guide 2011/12 Hot topic Social enterprises boom
• there are some 55,000 social enterprises in the UK, with an annual turnover of at least £27billion • social enterprises account for five per cent of all businesses with employees and contribute £8.4billion per year to the UK economy – almost one per cent of annual GDP • a recent YouGov poll revealed that more than 60 per cent of the British public would choose a social enterprise to run their local services.
According to Professor Ken Pattie, director of the Centre for Business Relationships, Accountability, Sustainability and Society: “Government wants to empower people, and social enterprises fit very much into that. It… allows you to handle difficult problems without… a big cost to the public purse. Social enterprise is a very attractive alternative for other reasons. Should you make a profit, for example, out of caring for the elderly?” www.brass.cf.ac.uk www.socialenterprise.org.uk www.socialenterpriseambassadors.org.uk www.setas.co.uk www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk www.businesslink.gov.uk/socialenterprise
www.dta.org.uk
Three aspects of government policy offer adult services. Proposals for the new opportunities for integrated localism transfer to local government of public of the kind that many councils have health services and for health and been pursuing as part of their community wellbeing boards as more powerful, leadership role: statutory local authority bodies, build on work developed by many local 1. The Department of Health’s agenda strategic partnerships in recent years. of radical reforms to the NHS includes elements that encourage 2. For the nine English regions, the integrated working across former government moved swiftly to abolish primary care trust services, public regional spatial strategies and health, and adult social care. More regional development agencies, and details are given in the section on to replace them with a framework
Councillor’s Guide 2011/12 Community leadership 85 of sub-regional local enterprise continued the previous government’s partnerships. These bodies are still at drive to make timely and relevant the formation stage, with an intended information available to the public. 50/50 membership of business sector The commitment to opening up data and local authority representatives. in national government was matched They will not have statutory status, by a request for councils to publish and their access to government information such as expenditure funding will be limited. over £500, senior salaries, councillor allowances and other local data. This is 3. The work of several local strategic to be backed up by a statutory code of partnerships in trying to achieve a practice on data transparency. coherent overview of the totality of public spending in their area led the Making the information available is previous government to introduce its only part of the story, however. The Total Place programme. This in turn information needs to have sufficient was followed by community budgets detail for people to be able to make pilots introduced by the present sense of it. It should be available in government as part of the October formats that allow it to be made more 2010 Spending Review. Sixteen parts useful, either on its own or by linking it of the country – some with several to other data. local authorities involved – are working with Whitehall departments Providing information is only part of a to see if public funds can be better wider process of reaching a wide range used when pooled at central level of people within the community and and allocated more intelligently via giving them opportunities for influence local partners. The pilot is focused and input. on families with complex needs. The councillor’s role Depending on the success of the The role of all councillors is vital if pilots, similar funding principles could performance is to be managed well. be applied to all local authorities from Although they must take a strategic role 2013/14 onwards. rather than micromanage daily delivery, they must be hands-on with performance Performance and management to ensure their objectives Regulation are met. Councillors should have a good The whole framework of performance understanding of their authority’s and regulation changed dramatically in performance and how it is managed. 2010/11. They should use this knowledge to The reducing role of central government set priorities and take part in service as a catalyst for change is one reason for improvement. They should, to a greater an increased emphasis on improvement or lesser extent, be involved in: being driven by citizen and user needs • setting or scrutinising the strategic and by local political and policy choice. direction, priorities and budget options To facilitate this, the Government has for the council
86 Community leadership Councillor’s Guide 2011/12 • receiving concise performance As experience has developed and the reports that paint a clear picture of requirements of reporting to government performance trends, perhaps through are reducing, the approach to the use of colour and graphics, as well performance management is becoming as qualitative information more sophisticated.
• asking questions about current For many councils it was once a performance and improvement plans mechanical and sometimes bureaucratic • using local knowledge to draw out the process of collecting performance larger pattern from complaints, ward indicators and reporting them upwards. surgeries and consultation events Sometimes the point of the process • fashioning strategic solutions seemed to get lost. • seeking assurance that adequate Some of the ways in which it is systems are in place to manage developing are: performance, risk and resources. • a less mechanical approach and more The scale of a councillor’s involvement flexibility to use different approaches is likely to depend on their role – in as needed executive cabinet, overview and scrutiny • a greater emphasis on what difference panel, or as local councillors – and the is being made to people’s lives with constitution of their council, such as management of the service just a leader and cabinet model, elected mayor means to achieving that or committee system. • understanding the cost base to Executive councillors are more likely promote more efficient use of to work with senior managers to monitor resources strategic objectives and ensure that • allowing for more bottom up as well as there are plans for their achievement. top down development of performance, In some councils, a cabinet member may recognising that there are important also hold a portfolio for performance roles at different levels management or organisational development, which can be especially • a more sparing use of targets – useful in raising its profile. only used if it will make a difference • performance indicators carefully Some councils have developed coaching selected to help manage the business or training to ensure councillors have a locally, rather than relying on nationally good understanding of how performance prescribed indicators management works and what their role is. • taking account of a wider range of Leadership financial, customer, demographic, Research and experience over a consultation and other information number of years has found that political • a greater use of qualitative as well as leadership combined with supportive quantitative information managerial leadership is a major factor in successful performance management. • greater public involvement in setting direction and monitoring performance
Councillor’s Guide 2011/12 Community leadership 87 • performance review used to • undertaking less frequent in-depth understand what works and what does reviews of service or crosscutting not. areas of performance.
Overview and scrutiny more information: Overview and scrutiny plays an important Department for Communities and Local role in performance management that is Government website at often forgotten or sidelined. In fact, using www.communities.gov.uk such information in an effective way is another key to making scrutiny useful. Local Government Group website at Using performance information www.local.gov.uk as a background to scrutiny investigations provides valuable Centre for Public Scrutiny publication evidence to support findings and ‘Green Light’ (2010) at www.cfps.org.uk recommendations.
It can help to reveal wider causes Overview and scrutiny for concern. Overview and scrutiny it is at the heart Consideration of performance information of local accountability. needs to be carried out in conjunction It is the principal, democratic means, with finance and risk data. Taken together, between elections, of ensuring that these provide an invaluable picture of the decisions made by the council and its health and performance of a given service partners are held to account. It also or the success that the council and/or its provides a vital means of ensuring partners are having in tackling a particular all councillors can take part in the issue. development of council policy. The councils that do this best have In a number of councils scrutiny has developed systems to ensure built up a reputation as a strong voice that, by investigating performance in the policy development process and issues, scrutiny does not duplicate a place where ideas for improvements the executive’s own performance can be debated and evaluated in an improvement methods. There are ways independent and objective manner. and means of ensuring scrutiny focuses on issues where it can really add value. Scrutiny also helps to open up local decision-making. By providing non- The role of overview and scrutiny panels executive councillors with an opportunity could include: to set the agenda in a forum that allows • using performance, finance and risk them actively to hold decision-makers data to influence wider scrutiny work to account, it is easier to demonstrate on policy that transparency and accountability are enhanced. • very occasionally undertaking reviews of the system as a whole Currently all councils must have at least • looking closely at the contribution of one overview and scrutiny committee. partners in specific areas
88 Community leadership Councillor’s Guide 2011/12 Councillor’s viewpoint
Scrutiny and Me, Councillor Andrew Gravells Gloucestershire County Council
I chair the health, community and care scrutiny committee on Gloucestershire County Council and our meetings are held all over Gloucestershire. We recently intervened to ask the local hospitals trust to put on hold its planned closure of 200 beds. The committee called for, and secured, the postponement of the closure plan.
The committee meets every other month, but hardly a day goes by without one of the NHS trusts asking for a steer from us. A fair bit of time is spent keeping up to speed on developments in the NHS, and, at my request, NHS South West runs a series of seminars for health scrutiny members and officers across the region.
I spend a fair bit of time travelling around the South West on other scrutiny work as well. A couple of years ago, it was decided to form a joint scrutiny committee across the part of the south west region which was covered by the Great Western ambulance service (GWAS), to enable members to look at the issues which the service had to deal with and face. I chair that committee too.
I do have a personal reason to be very grateful to the service as they literally saved my life when I suddenly developed a life-threatening heart rhythm condition. I was whisked into hospital in record time and ended up being fitted with an implantable cardiac defibrillator – hence my passion for swift response times and good outcomes for patients.
The joint overview and scrutiny committee meets across the parts of the south west that are covered by the GWAS, which enables us to meet in such great places as Bristol, Gloucester, Bath, Weston-super-Mare, and into Somerset, Wiltshire and South Gloucestershire.
I also spend a fair bit of time on work concerning the commissioning of regional and national specialised services. Again, more travelling on this important part of our work, work we’re required to do by law – not an optional add-on.
I also sit on the Local Government Group’s (LG Group) environment board. The board does some really good work and is very keen to see the LG Group target and direct technical and specialist information to the right cabinet member or scrutiny chair in each of its member authorities.
A version of this article first appeared as ‘A day in the life’, in First magazine, published by the Local Government Association.
Councillor’s Guide 2011/12 Community leadership 89 Many have a number of committees, Case which divide up relevant work between study them. Scrutiny The formal duties of scrutiny vary in action depending on the type of authority. In two-tier areas with counties with shire Review of prostitution strategy: districts, only counties are responsible Suffolk County Council, Suffolk for scrutinising the health service, while Police Authority and Ipswich the districts take on responsibility for Borough Council (2008) crime and disorder scrutiny in their areas. Shire districts also have limited power Following the murders of several to engage with partner organisations. sex workers in Ipswich in 2006, a Beyond these limitations, scrutiny has plan was put in place, involving joint broad power to investigate issues of local work between the council, police importance, to discuss proposals and to and others, to eliminate street make recommendations. prostitution in the city. Scrutiny committee meetings might Some time later, scrutiny revisited involve an oral evidence session the issue following concerns that with a cabinet member, a discussion momentum had been lost. of a forthcoming cabinet decision, Some key recommendations to a discussion of recent performance ensure that the funding was available information or items on matters of to deliver the initial outcomes of the particular public concern. Senior council action plan and to carry out work into officers and the council’s partners are the off-street sex trade – a factor that often invited to give evidence at overview was not highlighted in the original and scrutiny committees. action plan – were made, accepted and implemented. While committees are probably the most high profile places where scrutiny is This work won the ‘Impact through carried out, in many authorities the bulk Scrutiny’ award at the Centre for of meaningful scrutiny work is done by Public Scrutiny’s Good Scrutiny ‘task and finish groups’ – small groups Awards 2009. It is a particularly of councillors, appointed by a committee good example of co-ordinated to investigate a given issue before scrutiny, with county councillors, reporting back to the committee with police authority members and recommendations for improvement. borough councillors working together to examine an issue of This deliberative, evidence- common concern, sharing resources based approach led to powerful and making it more likely that recommendations in many authorities, recommendations to each of their resulting in significant changes and organisations would be accepted. improvements as well as making savings. www.cfps.org.uk
90 Community leadership Councillor’s Guide 2011/12 Snapshot Scrutiny at work
Some local authorities allow members to invoke the ‘call-in’ procedure, whereby the executive can be required to reconsider its decision on policies made but not yet implemented. The public can make requests from members to invoke this procedure.
The average number of call-ins that result in an amended decision in an authority is 0.56, according to the Centre for Public Scrutiny’s 2009 annual survey.
Some maintain pools of local co-optees, including parent governor and diocesan representatives in single and upper-tier councils, who take part in the work of their scrutiny and select committees. These additional members are usually provided with training and support, and given access to IT facilities to maximise their ability to participate.
Scrutiny committees undertake in-depth reviews of particular issues of relevance to local people and are intended to have a significant influence on future policies and decisions taken by the executive.
Scrutiny committee chairs delegate responsibility for specific pieces of work to other committee members, to ensure skills and interests are being actively engaged
As well as scrutiny’s role being to hold the executive to account, recent legislation such as the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007 and the Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Act 2009 grant scrutiny committees the power to hold external partners operating in their area – such as the NHS – to account.
Some people describe overview as policy development work, and scrutiny as critical friend based challenge of existing policy and practice. However, this distinction is not widespread and usually when people talk about scrutiny they are using it as shorthand for overview and scrutiny in general.
Councillor’s Guide 2011/12 Community leadership 91 Getting it right Sustainable development, Some councils face cultural challenges in ensuring that scrutiny can play an climate change and energy important role. Often, a level of mutual Sustainable development recognises distrust can build up between cabinet that while people may be getting and scrutiny, which makes such work richer, society as a whole is becoming difficult. Good relationships between poorer and mankind is damaging the the executive and scrutiny are crucial to environment. The underlying principles scrutiny working well. of sustainable development are to make This is best demonstrated by decisions that ensure the economy, scrutiny carrying out timely, environment and society will benefit. Any relevant and constructive work, and decision should not adversely affect one producing meaningful and realistic of these elements to the benefit of the recommendations that contribute other. positively. The most common applications of By demonstrating a commitment to sustainable development principles for improvement, scrutiny can become local government are within procurement a partner of the executive – a critical planning and building control. and challenging partner that shares a Climate change commitment to make life better for local Climate change is a phenomenon where people. global levels of greenhouse gases have more information: been increasing as a result of the burning The Centre for Public Scrutiny (CfPS) is of fossil fuels. Greenhouse gases a small charity that promotes the value regulate the temperature of the Earth of scrutiny and accountability in public and an increase in the concentration of services. It provides advice and guidance greenhouse gases in the atmosphere to councillors and officers with a scrutiny leads to increases in global temperature. role, carries out research and delivers The UK government has set in statue its training and development to scrutiny CO reduction target of 80 per cent by practitioners. 2 2050 in the Climate Change Act 2008. www.cfps.org.uk Accompanying this overarching ambition, the UK also has a target to provide 15 per cent of its energy use from renewable energy by 2020. To protect the more vulnerable in our society, the UK has also pledged to eradicate fuel poverty by 2016.
More than 90 per cent of councils have signed up to the Nottingham declaration. The Nottingham declaration was created by Nottingham City Council in 1990 as a way for local government to
92 Community leadership Councillor’s Guide 2011/12 demonstrate its concerns about climate more information: change. The Nottingham declaration is Department of Energy and Climate due to be revised and is underpinning Change website at www.decc.gov.uk a new agreement between the Local Government Group and the Department Department for Environment, Food of Energy and Climate Change on the and Rural Affairs at www.defra.gov.uk role councils will play to mitigate climate change and reduce CO2 emissions in the future. Top tips Most councils now have a climate Saving energy change strategy and have signed up to a range of targets, reflecting both national Leicestershire City Council and local ambitions. has produced a sustainable procurement guide and North Energy use Yorkshire County Council has Councils whose energy consumption produced a sustainable energy- is monitored by at least one half planning guide. hourly electricity meter or councils that consume more than 6,000 megawatt Kirklees Council has been running hours a year are required to participate a successful programme to reduce in the mandatory Carbon Reduction energy use and CO2 emissions Commitment Energy Efficiency Scheme. in the homes of its residents by offering free home energy insulation This scheme is regulated by the packages. This saves the average Environment Agency and places home £300 a year on energy bills an additional charge on the energy consumption of the qualifying Reigate and Banstead Borough organisations. The scheme also features Council has set out how they will an annual performance league table the be reducing CO2 emissions from ranks participants on energy efficiency their own estate by 30 per cent in performance. five years saving between £20 and £30,000. Energy generation Councils are now allowed to sell Bristol City Council is hoping to electricity and can claim the full benefit generate around £1million a year for of the new feed-in tariffs. The feed-in its local communities from two new tariffs work by financially rewarding wind turbines that the council will individuals and organisations that install own and run. renewable electricity technologies. This means putting a solar panel on a council building enables the council to claim a real cash benefit. The council will be paid for the energy it consumes from the solar panel and the excess energy it exports to the grid.
Councillor’s Guide 2011/12 Community leadership 93 Equality and cohesion • foster good relations between different groups. It is clear that councils put an Built on the principles of transparency understanding of equality and community and accountability to everyone in cohesion at the heart of their approach local communities, the general duty is to localism, productivity and service supported by specific duties that require transformation. councils to publish: They recognise the legal, inequality and • one or more equality objectives cohesion risks of changing services every four years. without bringing local people with them. This demand is reflected in the work of Based on how ‘due regard’ has been the Local Government Group itself and demonstrated, the expectation is that how local government can self-regulate by taking account of current equality itself to meet its local challenges. This performance, councils will decide on section outlines the new national context what is most relevant for the needs of for equality and cohesion and the local communities. support available to meet the challenges. • information to demonstrate The challenge compliance with the duty annually. On 1 October 2010, 90 per cent of the Equality Act was implemented, This includes describing how equality simplifying, streamlining and issues have influenced the decisions strengthening nine separate pieces of reached by councils – as employers, existing legislation. At the heart of the policymakers, service providers, act is the public sector equality duty. commissioners and procurers. It will The aim of this duty is to embed equality be important to understand the effect considerations into the day-to-day of policies and practices by looking at work of all public bodies, so that they evidence, engaging with people, staff, tackle discrimination and inequality and service users and others and considering contribute to making society fairer. the effect on the whole community.
Covering the characteristics that could • information on their employees and describe any of us – age, disability, others affected by their policies and gender reassignment, pregnancy and practices. maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation – the equality duty The Government has outlined its own consists of a general duty which requires commitment to empowering communities public bodies to have due regard to the to enact change with equality need to: underpinning the principles of freedom, fairness and responsibility. However this • eliminate unlawful discrimination, is not uncontroversial against the context harassment and victimisation of reducing the public deficit. It highlights how ‘knowing your community’ has to be • advance equality of opportunity at the heart of delivering on the Localism between different groups agenda as well as managing a reduction in resources.
94 Community leadership Councillor’s Guide 2011/12 Snapshot Equalities at work
The bedrock of support for councils is the equality framework for local government, available at www.local.gov.uk/equalityframeworks. This is a self- assessment method designed to help councils self-regulate their performance in five areas:
1. Knowing your communities and equality mapping.
2. Place shaping, leadership, partnership and organisational commitment.
3. Community engagement and satisfaction.
4. Responsive services and customer care.
5. A modern and diverse workforce.
The framework is assessed at three levels – developing, achieving, excellent – and is supported by peer challenge from councillors, officers and partners.
In early 2010, 227 English councils reported that they used the framework. By March 2011, 60 councils, fire and rescue services and social housing providers had undertaken peer challenges to validate their work. For some they can prove a useful demonstration of a council’s commitment to fairness when making some of the tough financial decisions now necessary. For others they have become ways to explore innovative practice that is value for money.
To help this work there are currently 32 councillors and 81 officers to draw on and the equality community of practice at www.local.gov.uk/communities has more than 1,200 members.
In April 2011 the Local Government Group introduced a further package of support that included:
• refreshed equality frameworks reflecting the current policy and service context • guidance on how effective analysis of local community needs enables councils to deliver budget cuts and service transformation fairly and effectively • support and guidance on delivering the public sector equality duty
Councillor’s Guide 2011/12 Community leadership 95 Councillors will be expected to understand the impact of cutting budgets, Case mitigate potential negative outcomes study especially the cumulative impact on specific equality groups. Getting this Equality right will ensure fairness, equality of Herefordshire opportunity and not penalise the poor In Herefordshire and disadvantaged. we have taken By empowering all communities to a pragmatic and hold service providers to account the common sense approach to Government believes that community equality and diversity work to cohesion will be an important outcome reflect the changes that we of fair, transparent and accountable local face as a county. Rejecting the services. ‘politically correct’ brand, we have tried to provide clear information The business case to the public, colleagues, elected At the heart of getting this right is the members and partner organisations importance of councillors knowing their about why the diversity agenda community, being confident about this really matters to us here, and how knowledge and using it to develop having a good understanding of our effective policy and service delivery. communities is the key to delivering appropriate services. This is reflected in the eight organisations validated as ‘excellent’ Within our recently adopted against the equality framework – Herefordshire equality and human Brighton and Hove, Leicestershire rights charter, we define what we County Council, Nottingham City, mean by community cohesion, along Rotherham and Tower Hamlets councils, with reasons for our approach and Merseyside and West Yorkshire Fire and we have set out our principles, ethos Rescue Services, South Essex Homes and commitment to this agenda. The – whose common characteristics are a charter is a partnership document passionate commitment to the people the that binds the county together and organisation serves, embedded within has been agreed by the council, values driven by strong leadership and NHS Herefordshire, and Hereford understood by all staff eager to deliver Hospitals Trust. good quality services.
When observed in practice this appears This is the ‘new’ business case for obvious but it remains a challenge for effective diversity and equality practice many organisations. There is evidence designed to help councils understand that knowing their community has been better all the people who live in their a driver for greater efficiency and is area, consider how they develop a key motivator for staff to work more practices and services to tackle local enthusiastically in achieving greater inequalities efficiently and then use this value for money. to foster good relations between all sections of the community
96 Community leadership Councillor’s Guide 2011/12 Through this partnership approach we Our solution intend to ensure that we support the We developed a project most vulnerable within our communities called the ‘Herefordshire and provide responsive services to the 100’ to provide a systematic diverse individuals within. mechanism to regularly consult with key minority groups in Herefordshire. Our business case for equality and This complemented the work of the human rights is driven by four corporate Herefordshire Voice citizens’ panel that aims: has been in operation for a number of years. We established Herefordshire • service improvement – using equality 100 as a group of volunteer community impact assessments to provide better researchers who carry out research services within their respective communities. • value for money – targeting We recruited them from a range of resources at the right areas, in the communities, such as the lesbian, gay, right way to achieve outcomes bisexual and transgender community • customer Insight – understanding our and then trained them as researchers. communities and their different needs Through their own connections the researchers are able to get an insight • reputation – demonstrating into communities and to explore and to residents and partners our record different views on behalf of the commitment to fairness for all. council. Our challenge The outcome of this approach has Our citizens’ panel didn’t allow for been that we have been able to build analysis of feedback from minority the capacity and skills of individuals communities such as black, Asian and within minority communities, while minority ethnic residents or migrant providing a channel for reliable workers, as the numbers were too qualitative information for the council, low to be statistically viable. We which has been used to inform needed a reliable and cost effective decision-making. method to ensure that we gathered and documented reliable feedback that reflected the needs of our smaller, more marginalised communities.
It has become clear that getting more information: equalities and cohesion practice right Department for Communities and will be at the heart of tackling the public Local Government website deficit effectively which is likely to be the at www.communities.gov.uk central task for the public sector over the next few years. The challenge of getting Equality framework at this right has therefore only just begun. www.local.gov.uk/equalityframeworks
Councillor’s Guide 2011/12 Community leadership 97 Case study
Equality
Merseyside to become fully engaged with young Merseyside Fire and people. Local young people were Rescue Service (MFRS) consulted about what they wanted has a long history of and the project initially centred on involving our diverse communities, diversionary activities that included a groups, organisations and stakeholders café and meeting place. to make Merseyside safer, stronger and We agreed to meet the revenue costs healthier. We are directly involved in of operating the hub as our contribution a range of initiatives which continually to the partnership. This resulted in a challenge the notion of what a reduction in local anti-social behaviour, traditional fire service should do and a reduction in call outs to fires and contribute to positive outcomes in false alarms, an improvement in the health, education and social issues health and wellbeing of young people that individuals and communities face and improved engagement with young across Merseyside. people. Our focus on developing strong, A further example of our innovative meaningful partnerships with the full engagement work has been through myriad of agencies including both the the Jamie Oliver Ministry of Food ‘pass public and private sector agencies and it on’ campaign. also including community and voluntary sector agencies has allowed us to This initiative was centred on the south develop an excellent profile within the Sefton region. There are nine wards in partnerships and within communities. Sefton that are in the top 10 per cent Our strategic work nationally has also of the most deprived in the country. enabled us to drive improvements One per cent of England’s most nationally on methodology and practice deprived neighbourhoods are located developed by and through MFRS. in south Sefton’s deprivation hotspots. Eating habits had been identified as An example of this is our work in a contributory factor to child and adult partnership with Wirral Youth Services. obesity, which relate to other health We have converted spare capacity issues and kitchen fire safety. within Wallasey community fire station to create a youth hub for the We worked in partnership with social community. landlords, local NHS, Sainsbury’s, Tesco, local primary schools and This places Wallasey fire station at the the local further education college centre of youth activity for the area and to deliver a number of educational provides the opportunity for the FRS cooking courses across the region.
98 Community leadership Councillor’s Guide 2011/12
These courses, delivered by our staff, as flashing doorbell light or amplifier educate residents in basic cooking phones for example. skills, food hygiene, food nutrition and We work in partnership and make home fire safety. Successful outcomes referrals to Merseyside’s Society included the scheme extending to other for Deaf People environmental aids areas, and five students deciding to departments to carry out assessments act as mentors and set up a scheme and provide individuals with the at their centre to teach others their equipment they need in their home. recently acquired knowledge. We have also recruited advocates with MFRS has a pool of community specialist mental health knowledge and advocates who play a crucial role in contacts to work in partnership with the supporting our work on prevention. local mental health agencies. The joint Our advocates come from a range work with clinical practitioner nurses of backgrounds and target their work and social workers further allows us to in engaging with some of the most build good working relationships with vulnerable individuals and communities the most vulnerable members of the across Merseyside. community. The service’s robust risk methodology This knowledge helps to reduce the fire takes account of specific risks and related deaths or injuries associated needs of each community and our with those suffering a mental health advocates with the skills to engage illness. people of Somali, Yemeni, Chinese and Bangladeshi communities are a crucial The fire service is now firmly integrated tool in allowing us to engage with these with the mental health community communities. and the rapport the advocates have developed has ensured the correct Our bilingual and deaf advocates equipment is being provided to assist play a central role in reaching out to individuals to live independently and communities who often feel they are safe from fire. Also, the sign posting not included and engaged with service to partner agencies has ensured that providers. people receive the Through our deaf advocates we best possible care have identified the needs of our available. deaf communities and gone beyond our tradition role and supported individuals through providing them with environmental equipment such
Councillor’s Guide 2011/12 Community leadership 99 Case study
Equality
South Essex Homes At our last Inspection we were set a South Essex Homes is the challenging target of achieving 80 per arm’s length management cent collection of our resident profile organisation (ALMO) set data by October 2007, which we met, up to manage and maintain Southend and we have now reached 88 per Borough Council’s housing stock of cent. This compares very favourably 6,713 homes and deliver its decent with other housing organisations homes programme. At the time the and is invaluable in giving us a more ALMO was created it was recognised comprehensive understanding of our by all stakeholders that the service was customers’ needs, and being able to significantly underperforming in key target our resources where they are areas. most needed.
Since then a clear focus on providing Our challenge better services for all of our customers While we had been successful in has seen South Essex Homes collating resident profile information, grow from being rated by the Audit South Essex Homes continued to Commission as poor with uncertain experience a disproportionately high prospects for improvement in 2006 level of abandoned tenancies and to receiving two stars with promising repossessions. There was also an prospects following an inspection issue with repeat homelessness claims in 2008. We have undertaken an for the local authority. important journey and continue to do Each failed tenancy costs so as we strive to achieve excellence. approximately £3,000, and so there The most significant lesson we have was a real need to address this both in learnt is that understanding the diverse terms of the our financial efficiency as needs and aspirations of our customers an organisations and our responsibility is fundamental to providing top quality to our tenants. housing services and continually improving. Our solution To enable us to improve the quality Through our journey we understand of resident data that we hold, our that customer care, resident vulnerability strategy and vulnerability engagement and awareness and needs assessment ensures that we appreciation of our increasingly vibrant, are able to detect resident support diverse customer base are intrinsically needs on sign up. This means tenancy linked. It is this knowledge that sustainment work can be targeted underpins how we do things at South to working with the most vulnerable Essex Homes. residents in a preventative, focused
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way and has brought about a reduction The ‘what next?’ module is aimed at in failed tenancies since the strategy encouraging residents to go on to was introduced in 2008. attend further education. In addition to the course, Tenancy sustainment The information collected from the officers provide support to 130 assessment is then added to initial profile residents on an outreach basis to data held and made available through ensure residents who are unable the housing management system. to physically attend the course can receive training on a one to one basis. We have also developed a tenancy sustainment course, which is run The outcome of these initiatives is a in partnership with Southend Adult contribution towards the 4.8 per cent Community College and the tenancy rise in residents who sustain their sustainment team. The course is tenancies after a 12-month period. accredited and run on a six-month rolling basis. It aims to assist vulnerable residents to sustain their tenancy. This has led to an evolved programme of training for our residents and we Residents who are identified as are now working with vulnerable or live within the care leaving the college to deliver a and homeless units are asked to attend series of ‘plus training’ as part of their support plan. The course courses available to all has been designed in partnership with of our residents. former residents and South Essex Homes staff has received more information: training to deliver elements of the course Equality community of practice website along with some of our contractors. at www.communities.local.gov.uk
Councillor’s Guide 2011/12 Community leadership 101 Children’s services Professor Eileen Munro’s review of child protection, ‘The Child’s Journey’, The role that councils play in education published in April 2011 as part of a and children’s services is moving away national drive to improve the quality of from central government control and child protection services, is at statutory targets. In their place will come www.education.gov.uk local decision-making and control and Social work practice is expected to the setting of local priorities, with more change as a result of this report. emphasis on commissioning external suppliers instead of council-run services. Education Significant change is also coming to In future, local areas will agree on their education. The Schools White Paper, own arrangements, although it is likely ‘The importance of teaching’, sets out a that many will continue with existing radical reform programme for the schools systems such as children’s trusts and system. Key elements are: children and young people’s plans. • powers for teachers to improve Many performance targets have been discipline, and a new approach to scrapped and the management of exclusions children’s services at a strategic level is to change with the introduction of new • a transformed school curriculum health and wellbeing boards, which will supported by rigorous assessment and have statutory status. qualifications • more academies and free schools Early intervention and prevention and a strong strategic role for local continues to be a priority in promoting authorities children’s wellbeing. With significant reductions in public sector funding it • changes to school performance tables, becomes imperative for councils to Ofsted inspections and governance intervene early with families, to improve • a fairer funding system including a the prospects of better results and avoid pupil premium to channel more money high cost services. to the most deprived children There are a number of national initiatives • school-led school improvement supporting this work and several reviews replacing top-down initiatives. that give great emphasis to it. The All young people will continue in Government has shown its commitment education or training to the age of 17 with the launch of an early intervention from 2013 and to 18 from 2015. This fund for local areas and community will be the first time in nearly 40 years budget pilot schemes looking at families that the education leaving age has been with multiple disadvantages. raised. Increasing options for further education has been a priority both for this government and the last, with an emphasis on providing more workplace opportunities, such as apprenticeships.
102 Community leadership Councillor’s Guide 2011/12 more information: Personalisation Department of Health The delivery of adult social care is being at www.dh.gov.uk transformed to be more responsive to people’s needs and wishes. This more Department of Education personalised support offered to people at www.education.gov.uk who use services and their carers aims to help them retain or regain their Association of Directors independence. of Children’s Services at www.adcs.org.uk The publication ‘A Vision for Adult Social Care: Capable communities and active citizens’ (Department of Health, 2010), Adult social care makes it clear that personalisation is one of the principles that should underlie the Demographic pressures will have a key future direction of social care. Further impact on adult social care locally. By reform is on the way, with a White Paper 2030, people over 50 will comprise almost on social care expected in 2011. a third of the workforce and almost half Councillors can ensure that expenditure the adult population. In 20 years’ time, on services is considered when 1.7 million more adults in England will deciding how resources are deployed have a care and support need. in the future. The shift to a proactive Currently, about 1.75 million people and preventative way of working across England rely on the care requires a cross-council response, arranged for them by their council. as many of the relevant interventions will be the responsibilities of other The majority of councils commission council departments, such as housing, services from the private or voluntary community and leisure services. It also sector, rather than providing them means ensuring universal services, directly themselves. Each council including information, advice and sets the level of need that establishes advocacy, are easy to find and available whether a person is eligible to receive to everyone. their care and a financial assessment then decides how much a person will The Government has established an need to contribute to the cost of it. Many independent commission on the future of those who receive care locally will be funding of care and support, which is ‘self-funders’ – people who are given |due to report in summer 2011. money directly to choose the support that suits them best. Integration with health Closer partnership between health and social services is another priority in Government policy. The NHS White Paper of July 2010 emphasises the need for closer working, with further legislation intended to facilitate greater integration. There has been a breaking down of
Councillor’s Guide 2011/12 Community leadership 103 barriers between health and social care Commission on Funding of funding to encourage preventative action Care and Support website and create efficiencies. at www.dilnotcommission.dh.gov.uk
Inspection and regulation Department of Health website The Care Quality Commission (CQC) at www.dh.gov.uk regulates of the quality of health, mental health and adult social care in England. Law Commission website The Government has indicated that at www.lawcom.gov.uk the CQC will in future play a lesser role Social Care Institute for in assessing councils, with its annual Excellence website assessment of councils being replaced at www.scie.org.uk by ‘local accounts’. However, if the CQC has concerns that a commissioner or Department of Work and provider of care is not meeting standards Pensions website of quality and safety, it has a wide range at www.dwp.gov.uk of powers to act quickly to protect service users.
Local Government Improvement and Development – together with a range Local Government of partners – is working through the and Health implications of this, together with the design and delivery arrangements Councils have always had a key role to for sector-led improvement and self- play in improving health and wellbeing. assessment for adult social care. This has been recognised by the current government, which proposes to transfer All councillors share a responsibility many public health responsibilities back in safeguarding adults whose to local authorities. circumstances make them vulnerable. As well as the key role of the lead The White Paper ‘Equity and Excellence: member for adult social care, other Liberating the NHS’ and the Public councillors, such as scrutiny members, Health White Paper ‘Healthy Lives, members working on community Healthy People’ describe how, over safety or community cohesion, and the next two years, responsibilities for other cabinet members and frontline improving health and tackling health councillors also have important roles inequalities will be transferred from local to play. primary care trusts (PCTs) to councils, prior to the abolition of PCTs and regional more information: strategic health authorities. Association of Directors of Adult Social Services (ADASS) website Many councils and PCTs already have at www.adass.org.uk jointly appointed directors of public health and in future these appointments Care Quality Commission website will be made jointly by local authorities at www.cqc.org.uk and a new public health service – Public Health England. These joint posts will be
104 Community leadership Councillor’s Guide 2011/12 in place everywhere, although smaller improving health and wellbeing and also councils in the same area can decide to a sound business case too. Improving share a director of public health. health is a good investment, not only in terms of saving healthcare costs now Building on the power of councils to and in the future, but also in ensuring promote local wellbeing, new statutory a healthier and a more productive arrangements will be put in place in the workforce and communities. form of health and wellbeing boards to connect the key areas of commissioning As this guide goes to press, the across health, adult social care, and the government has just announced a wider range of council activities. ‘listening exercise’ to further consult on the substance of the Health and Local authorities are to be given Social Care Bill. Councillors can keep responsibility to join up commissioning up to date by accessing www.idea.gov. for these. This will include promoting uk/health and reading the LG Group’s integration and partnership working, regular health policy briefings. leading joint strategic needs assessments, and mobilising The councillor’s role partnerships to identify priorities for The changes in the way health and change and improvement. There will be wellbeing services are organised are a duty to work in partnership for the other bringing councils, the NHS and the participating organisations. voluntary sector closer together than ever. The development of health and This is one part of much wider set of wellbeing boards, GP commissioning proposals which, as currently drafted, will consortia and Joint strategic needs put the majority of the NHS budget into assessments involve all these key primary care commissioning consortia. players along with other public Led by GPs, these will obtain services and private services and creates a for their patients through contracting focus on improved health outcomes arrangements with a range of health for individuals, families and local providers in the public, private and not- communities. for-profit sectors. Councillors have a vital strategic role Information and choice will be expanded in securing the provision of all services in a plan to build health services around for the areas they represent. Many patients and their families. Local councillors will occupy key positions on involvement networks will be replaced the new health and wellbeing boards. by Health Watch, managed nationally Some are already non-executive through the Care Quality Commission directors on the boards of mental and locally by councils. Health Watch health, community and acute trusts as will engage patients and the public in well as local community and voluntary decision-making about health services organisations. In addition, their roles in their area. Health Watch will also as the elected representatives of local link with local overview and scrutiny people and local ‘place shapers’ mean arrangements. that councillors will be uniquely and strategically placed to address the so- There is an obvious social and moral called ‘democratic deficit’ that has existed case for councils’ involvement in in local health services in the recent past.
Councillor’s Guide 2011/12 Community leadership 105 Case Building on this base, the council is currently studies redesigning its social care and business processes to ensure they are ready for the personalisation demanded by the recent changes London Borough of Richmond in social care, public health innovating personalisation of commissioning and spending cuts. adult social care The first phase establishes a ‘front door’ access team of social workers Richmond was quick to look for new and occupational therapists. As the first ways of making self-directed support point of contact, telephone staff provide and personal budgets work. information and advice and access to Using the impetus of the ‘Putting other help. People First’ policy and as a leader A second phase expands on this in the field of direct payments – by rolling out an existing but highly particularly among older people – successful rehabilitation programme for the council achieved its target of 30 people coming out of hospital and new per cent of personal budget for eligible residents asking the council for help. service users two years ahead of Up to six weeks of support are provided schedule. by specialist rehabilitation experts. Now more than 80 per cent of the At the end of this period, people need borough’s service users have had less or no ongoing support from the their social care needs assessed and council for their long-term care. This have been allocated personal budgets, is at least a third cheaper than if they allowing them more choice and control went straight back into the community over how their social care is delivered with standard packages of care. and organised. The council and NHS Richmond The user-led Richmond Users have a joint equipment service with a Independent Living Service provides streamlined ordering service, ready for mechanisms for support planning, GP commissioning. brokerage and user feedback and design. Staffordshire County Council working together to change lives Despite the financial uncertainty of In common with many councils, the past few years, adult social care Staffordshire was faced with an has been within the approved budget increasingly ageing population and for several years and innovations to finite resources. Over the next 25 service delivery have contributed nearly years Staffordshire expects to see £2million in efficiency savings, with the number of people over the age of £3million more planned by 2012. 65 grow by 104,700 – a 76 per cent
106 Community leadership Councillor’s Guide 2011/12 increase. The number of people over Vital to this partnership 85 years old is expected to increase by approach was the involvement 30,000 to 46,200 in the same period. of local people and service Accompanying this will be an increase users in the design of services. in the proportion of people living with Staffordshire has broadened its long-term conditions. approach with more innovative ways of listening to local people’s views, The council wanted to make a including through the work and reports fundamental shift away from ‘screening of its adult care panel. out’ through eligibility criteria to ‘screening in’ through prevention and Staffordshire’s social care and wellbeing at lower levels of need. health directorate also took the lead on independent living, people with Staffordshire saw its role as a learning disabilities in employment, community leader, coordinating a range supporting carers, helping to support of improved health, wellbeing and voluntary and charity organisations in independence measures for vulnerable the provision of preventative and low- adults and communities. level wellbeing services for vulnerable adults and communities. Local health Preventative services would be partners are leading on the more provided in and by local communities. traditional public health priorities such This goes beyond the usual as smoking, obesity, alcohol misuse assumptions of ageing being equated and cardiovascular disease. with people’s increased dependency Building up the voluntary sector has and need for care. The planning of been a major plank in Staffordshire’s homes, neighbourhoods and the strategy. Many voluntary groups existed economy would be designed to enable previously but the council tended to independence and wellbeing well into overlook them and let them do their the later years of life. own thing. Now, a pan-Staffordshire Over the last three years, a major organisation has been created, vision and modernisation programme part-funded by Staffordshire County called ‘Changing Lives’ was Council. Staffordshire and Stoke implemented. The aim was to move on-Trent Community Infrastructure care provision away from increasingly Organisation aims to coordinate the expensive and limited residential care. efforts of voluntary groups and align Instead, early intervention, preventative them with local and national priorities. and layered services would be provided As a result, older people and the by a more diverse range of suppliers. vulnerable now have greater choice The process included working with and independence. Many choose councillors and the wider county to continue to live at home, taking council, helping them understand the advantage of a range of new services reason, rationale and practicalities for offered according to need. change in the vision.
Councillor’s Guide 2011/12 Community leadership 107 North Yorkshire County Council the traditional packages would telecare improves quality of life have been residential, elderly, For the foreseeable future changes mentally infirm or nursing, in demography and developments in while the rest would have been policy will continue to transform the at home. way services are delivered in North Yorkshire. North Yorkshire is England’s Those who would have had more than largest rural county with a population of 10 hours home care saw a reduction in 599,000 covering 3,000 square miles. the number of hours needed. The trend Population projections predict that by for those who would have received 2015, the population will be 607,000. seven hours or less was a reduction in Of these, 44.9 per cent, will be over the number of hours, with some people 50 and 3.2 per cent will be over 85. needing no further support.
If things continue as they are, by 2020 A satisfaction survey in 2009 showed: the council will need to provide 50 per • 95 per cent of respondents said cent more services including: telecare equipment had given them • 3,420 more home care packages more confidence and or peace of mind • 1,817 additional places in care homes • 95 per cent said telecare equipment had helped them to feel safer • a cost increase of £43 million a year in real terms. • 94 per cent were happy with the installation North Yorkshire County Council is a • 91 per cent rated telecare excellent member of ‘Planning for Older Age’, or very good overall the North Yorkshire and York multi organisation agency for people aged • 87 per cent said telecare had helped 50 and over. All stakeholders strive to them carry on living at home. work beyond traditional organisational Analysis of the trial results showed a boundaries, structures and systems. net average annual efficiency saving North Yorkshire has recognised the per person of between £12,246 and potential of telecare and has already £1,756 per area, averaging at £3,654 tested it early in two areas. Today, countywide – a 38 per cent reduction in telecare is available for all individuals care package costs. needing adult and community services When the figures were applied to support. current telecare users, they predicted During the trial period, care managers savings of £1,108,609. Telecare is now looked at what the traditional care part of North Yorkshire’s innovative package would have been if telecare approach to social care. had not been available and what the telecare-enhanced packages of care were. They found that 46 per cent of
108 Community leadership Councillor’s Guide 2011/12 Improving health and challenging Tameside Council health inequalities helping older people In England today population health, as The UK now has more people measured by life expectancy, continues aged over 60 years than those aged to improve and infant mortality rates under 16. The aim of Tameside Council are at an all-time low. Death rates is to provide support and information from cardiovascular disease and that will enable older people to continue cancer have fallen rapidly for all parts to lead active lives and contribute to the of the population in the last ten years, community. including the most disadvantaged The Tameside Older People’s groups. Yet health inequalities – the Partnership is dedicated to improving overall gap between the healthiest the lives of older people through and the least healthy in our society a quality-of-life strategy. Its action – is now wider than in 2000. There is plan focuses on seven key areas, a seven-year gap in life expectancy information, security, housing, healthy and a 17-year gap in disability-free life lifestyle, income, getting around and expectancy between the best and worst learning. The partnership is a multi- off localities. agency approach, bringing together Health inequalities stem from officers from across the council and inequalities in people’s early life setting out tasks, targets and deadlines. experience, their education and Throughout its work to improve occupational status, exposure to services Tameside Council has lifestyle and the environmental risks and involved the over-60s in their diseases to which their life predisposes development, delivery and design. them. People in disadvantaged groups The council believes that the availability and areas tend to experience the of information allows older people poorest health but health inequalities to make informed choices and keep exist across the population as a whole control of their lives. Information and in all local authority areas in services have been developed, which England. can be accessed through a variety Social determinants of health of methods, such as the internet, Social, economic and environmental booklets, drop-in shops and specialist conditions influence the health of advisory services, which provide individuals and populations. They information to people in their own include the conditions in which people homes. are born, grow, live, work and age and Work with specific communities has the structural influences upon them. also been undertaken where there They determine the extent to which a is a need to improve awareness and person has the right physical, social uptake. This has included a social care and personal resources to achieve information project that targets black their goals, meet needs and deal with and minority ethnic communities and changes to their circumstances. the direct payments broker.
Councillor’s Guide 2011/12 Community leadership 109 The Marmot Report, a strategic review a key role to play as leaders of local of health inequalities in England, communities. The incoming NHS and published in 2010, proposed an public health reforms will be integral to evidence based strategy to address realising these ambitions. the social determinants of health. The report identified local government as a Overview and scrutiny pivotal partner in addressing the social Health overview and scrutiny is seen determinants of health inequalities. as a lever to improve the health of local people, ensuring that their aspirations Central to the review is the recognition and needs are considered as an integral that disadvantage starts before birth part of the delivery and development and accumulates throughout life. This is of health services. It is one of the most reflected in the six policy objectives and important ways that local authorities to the highest priority being given to the can respond to the concerns of their first objective: residents about their health and wellbeing. 1. Giving every child the best start in life. It is a means of enabling councillors to 2. Enabling all children, young people scrutinise how local needs are being and adults to maximize their addressed, how health services are capabilities and have control over run and how they can be improved. It their lives. also provides an opportunity for local 3. Creating fair employment and good councillors to offer practical solutions work for all. or ways forward. Health OSCs are 4. Ensuring a healthy standard of encouraged to build on the community living for all. leadership role of local government, to promote the social, environmental and 5. Creating and developing sustainable economic wellbeing of their area. places and communities. OSCs have the difficult task of attempting 6. Strengthening the role and impact to hold to account their local NHS and of ill-health prevention. the health services it commissions and provides, while at the same time holding The recent Health and Social Care to account all those local organisations, Bill and white papers, which embrace including their own council, that have these objectives, will completely reform an impact on the wider determinants of the NHS and the way healthcare is health. commissioned and delivered locally Despite this enormous remit and Sir Michael Marmot, who conducted despite pressures to spend much of the review, asserted that national their time reviewing health services, policies will not work without effective many health overview and scrutiny local delivery systems and that these committees have used their powers require effective participatory decision- to challenge health inequalities and to making at local level. This can only make recommendations to local and happen by empowering individuals and national agencies on how their work can local communities and councillors have be improved.
110 Community leadership Councillor’s Guide 2011/12 It is still early to assess how effective OSCs are in bringing about change Case to improve health and reduce health studies inequalities in their areas, since the social determinants of health have long- term effects. However, there is evidence that at the very least, the agencies London Borough of Greenwich to which scrutiny committees make ‘Feeling Good About Where We Live’ recommendations feel obliged to show is an initiative by the London Borough how they are addressing the issues of Greenwich, focusing on improving under scrutiny. people’s environment and living space with the aim of improved mental Councils directly or indirectly influence health among residents. This three- many of the big building blocks and year project, developed by Greenwich social determinants of health such as Council and the Primary Care Trust spatial planning and design; housing; (PCT), focuses on two estates in transport; education; leisure, culture and deprived areas of Greenwich. One is sport; and adult social care. a control where no interventions will take place. Both are in the bottom They also have an impact on individuals, 10 per cent of the index of multiple families and communities – directly deprivation. The first half of the project through tobacco control, licensing and will involve consulting residents and work on crime and disorder, and less implementing changes. People will directly by helping to shape local norms. then be questioned six and 18 months Their work in recent years in relation to later about the changes. After that the health overview and scrutiny has helped project will assess any improvements to hold the local NHS to account and to residents’ mental health. allowed councils to consider what can be The project has six main themes: done to improve local health. 1. Home comfort. As people are asked to take on more responsibility for their own health, the 2. Peace and quiet. encouragement and support of their councils will be even more important 3. Room to move. in creating the conditions where good 4. Feeling safe. health can flourish and inequalities in health challenged. 5. What’s on?
6. Liking where you live.
It also has a set of 13 related factors in the physical environment that can be used as predictors of poor mental health.
Councillor’s Guide 2011/12 Community leadership 111 For the past two years, Greenwich In tandem with the sustainable PCT has funded the engineering community strategy, the and consultancy firm Arup to explore regeneration strategy focuses what small-scale physical and social on a programme of investment – changes might make a difference. in schools, business parks, health For example, there is evidence that centres, transport, housing, town wildflower planting can help people to centres, the riverside and the enjoy their immediate surroundings environment. more. This is one of 13 factors identified by the project. As part of the process of developing the LDF, the development team listed Other interventions may focus on all the objectives in the community specific dwellings, for example, strategy. Using a traffic light system, it installing bunk or desk spaces in identified those with land use or other bedrooms so that young people have physical development implications. a space to study at home. There will This included many of the interventions also be interventions designed to get identified in the regeneration strategy. people together, such as events on the Consultation with the public involved estate, to help meet some of the social a range of techniques and capacity- aims of the project. building activities.
Significantly, the project intends to The physical development continues to work within mainstream budgets and address economic, social and cohesion adjust them where necessary. The objectives, as the council believes that department of neighbourhood services developments that exclude sectors of at Greenwich Council is keen to test the community place themselves at different uses of mainstream resources an immediate disadvantage in terms to see if this makes a difference to of either their long-term sustainability people’s sense of wellbeing. or their ability to be accepted by the whole community. In a similar spirit, the borough’s spatial vision for the South Tyneside Council area sets out the aim that “all those South Tyneside’s local development within the borough can access the framework (LDF) shows how the opportunities that are available, with integration of physical planning with reliable public transport, efficient road economic and social regeneration network and above all, focusing on strategies can enhance the impact delivering accessibility rather than of both. Like many former industrial relying on mobility.” centres, South Tyneside displays many of the usual indicators of disadvantage: high crime and anti-social behaviour, poor health indicators and low educational achievement.
112 Community leadership Councillor’s Guide 2011/12 London Borough of Tower Hamlets Cumbria County Council The London Borough of Tower Hamlets The 2009 joint strategic needs is one of the worst areas in the country assessment for Cumbria for overcrowded housing and one of has a chapter on living conditions the highest rates of tuberculosis. There and health inequalities, using maps are high rates of overcrowding among and statistics to give an overview of lone parents and large households, relative deprivation and wealth across and in the black, Asian and minority the county. It shows where the most ethnic community. deprived populations are concentrated but notes that the majority of people One of the strands of the council’s in relative poverty – 56 per cent – live housing strategy is to increase the outside these deprived areas. overall supply of housing, including affordable family housing. It plans to The assessment also shows the do this by: correlation between deprivation, poor health and life expectancy. The • an initial pilot to build 61 units of strategy considers what is being done family-sized housing with a preferred locally to impact on four major areas development partner on small plots that affect people’s health: of council land • new council housing – the council 1. Services to support mothers plans to start its own house building and children. programme to build 17 units, housing 2. The education system. 86 people over five sites on three council estates 3. Creating the conditions for decent • buying back ex-council three-bed employment opportunities. plus ‘right-to-buy’ properties – 4. Access to quality housing. around 100 are planned • increasing housing supply by at This information enables health and least 9,000 units by 2012 social care specialists to make the links with policy and service areas well • tackling under-occupation through beyond their own specialities. incentives and a package of support to increase social housing stock It also enables those working in areas • promoting low cost home ownership outside health and social care to products to overcrowded households understand better the impact of their own work on health, and fosters an • re-housing 19 Gypsy and Traveller integrated and coherent approach to families and seeking additional tackling the social determinants of pitches on a new site. health.
Councillor’s Guide 2011/12 Community leadership 113 Hot topic Sector self-regulation and improvement
While it was lobbying for a 3. An offer of up to five days free reduction in government regulation, member peer support for all the Local Government Group councils undergoing a change consulted extensively on alternative of control. arrangements for self-regulation. 4. The Knowledge Hub, launching in The consultations led to the publication 2011, to provide a new web-based of ‘Taking the Lead’ in February 2011 service creating a single window to with implementation from April 2011. improvement. The approach is a voluntary one since councils were clear that they did not 5. Data and transparency, enhanced want a prescriptive framework that by providing the LG Inform service replicated the previous regime. within the Knowledge Hub, to post, www.local.gov.uk/taking-the-lead access and compare performance information. However, it is expected that councils will enhance how they are held 6. Leadership support for the accountable locally and will continue development of political and to support each other. Underlying managerial leaders, including one the approach are the principles that subsidised place for every council councils are: for each of the next three years.
• responsible for their own 7. Learning and support networks of performance and for leading the officers and councillors nationally delivery of improved outcomes and sub-nationally, working with for their area others, to share good practice and provide timely support. • accountable to their local communities. In addition, the Local Government Group, through its member programme The seven key features of the boards will maintain an overview of the offer are: performance of the sector, to share 1. Local accountability tools to be good practice and identify where things made available including online might be starting to go wrong. guidance, a new local assessment This information will be used in tool and support from the Centre for discussions with individual councils Public Scrutiny. about their improvement needs. 2. Peer challenge offered to all councils, free of charge in the three- year period from April 2011.
114 Community leadership Councillor’s Guide 2011/12 Local Government Group Local Government House Smith Square London SW1P 3HZ Telephone 020 7664 3000 Facsimile 020 7664 3030 Email [email protected] www.local.gov.uk
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