How the Council Works- Decision making within Housing Services

Members of West Dunbartonshire Council are elected to represent West Dunbartonshire Council the people of the area. The Single Transferable Vote (STV) method of proportional representation is used. Voters in each ward 22 Elected Members indicate their preference of first, second etc candidates. A quota Labour (12), SNP (6), Independent (3), and formulae system then decides who is elected based on the SSP (1) preferences as indicated by the voters.

There are 22 elected members in 6 multi-member wards Covering 6 wards (Clydebank Central, Clydebank Waterfront, Kilpatrick, Dumbarton, Clydebank Central, Clydebank Leven and Lomond). The current political make-up of the Council Waterfront, Kilpatrick, Dumbarton, is: Leven, Lomond

Party Councillors Labour Party 12 Scottish National Party 6 Independents 3 Scottish Socialist Party 1

The Council usually meets every two months and is responsible for taking decisions, but it can delegate decisions to Committees, Sub-Committees or Officers. The Council meeting is attended by all the Councillors elected to West Dunbartonshire Council.

Political administration and leadership The Council is currently led by a Labour Majority Administration and therefore does not rely on the support of other Members of the Council to get its policies approved. Councillor Douglas McAllister (Labour) is the current Provost and he is the Convener of the Council meeting. When votes are tied West Dunbartonshire Council the Provost has the option to use his casting vote to determine 22 Elected Members matters. Labour (12), SNP (6), Independent

(3), SSP (1) Councillor David McBride (Labour Party) is the Spokesperson for Housing Services and is the Chair of the current Housing and Covering 6 wards Communities Committee. Clydebank Central, Clydebank Waterfront, Kilpatrick, Dumbarton, Councillors making Decisions Leven, Lomond The Council operates a traditional committee system with each committee having its own distinctive remit which allows it to make decisions on these subjects. An example of this is the new Housing and Communities Committee ( replacing previous HEED committee, Housing, Environment and Economic Development Committee) which makes decisions on housing management and community safety issues.

Decisions at meetings of the Council or at a committee or sub- committee are usually taken after Councillors have had the opportunity to consider reports by the Council's professional officers. Standing orders govern how decisions are taken at meetings. (Copies of standing orders are available on the Council’s website).

Individual Councillors cannot make decisions on their own; decisions can only be made by members at a meeting of the Council, its committees or subcommittees. You can view decisions taken by committees by accessing the Council’s library of committee minutes on the Council’s website. A timetable of committee meetings is also available on the Council’s website. Housing and Communities Committee Housing and Communities The current political balance on this committee is: Committee (HACC) The other committees Decisions about all council are: Party Number of Councillors activities in relation to it's role as a Corporate Services housing provider ( ie allocations, Independents 1 rent setting, estate management Educational Services Labour Party 8 and caretaking, repairs and West Dunbartonshire Scottish National Party 2 maintenance, capital programme Community Health and Scottish Socialist Party 1 and community safey) as well as it's Care Partnership strategic role in housing provision Infrastructure, The committee meets every three months and the scheduled Officers prepare reports for Regeneration and meetings can be viewed at wdccmis.west-dunbarton.gov.uk. consideration by Councillors before Economic Development Papers are published on the Council’s website prior to the decisions are taken meetings and individual views can be expressed to Councillors who should consider public views as part of their decision making.

The Council also has a Pre-HACC Tenant Forum where representatives from each RTO can meet with the Convenor of Housing ( Councillor David McBride) to discuss all issues that are being put before the HACC Committee and the Convenor can feed West Dunbartonshire Council these views into the discussions at the HACC Committee. 22 Elected Members Labour (12), SNP (6), Independent (3), SSP (1) Covering 6 wards Clydebank Central, Clydebank Waterfront, Kilpatrick, Dumbarton, Leven, Lomond Tenant involvement in decision making Representatives from tenant Tenants and residents can and resident associations can Tenants have a number of opportunities to influence decisions receive copies of all HAAC about the development and delivery of housing services. The contact their councillors to raise issues of importance to them committee papers and meet Council has a Tenant Participation Strategy that sets out how it will with the Convenor of Housing make tenant participation central to how we plan and deliver our There is also a public gallery for prior to each HACC Committee services (tenant participation strategy 2013-16). members of the public each taking place. time this committee meets This allows the tenants to The Council has established 2- monthly liaison meetings with the discuss issues which will come West Dunbartonshire Tenant and Resident Organisation before the HACC Committee (WDTRO) where members of the WDTRO can discuss identified issues with the Convenor of Housing ( currently Councillor David McBride) and senior housing staff . A wide range of issues can be discussed and is a good way of ensuring tenants are involved in identifying issues they want discussed. Housing and Communities Committee (HACC) The Council has also established a Pre-HACC Tenant Forum Decisions about all council Tenant representatives where 2 representatives from each Registered Tenant activities in relation to it's role as meet regularly with the Organisations (RTO) can meet with the Convenor of Housing a housing provider (ie allocations, Convenor of Housing and (Councillor David McBride) to discuss all issues that are being put estate management and Senior Officers from caretaking, repairs and Housing Services to raise before the HACC Committee and the Convenor can feed these maintenance, capital programme views into the discussions at the HACC Committee. and community safey) as well as housing issues on behalf it's strategic role in housing of those they represent. Tenants and residents can also contact their elected Councillor in provision relation to any issue important to them or to give their view on an Officers prepare reports for consideration by Councillors issue due to be discussed at any committee meeting. before decisions are taken

Decisions taken by Officers

The other committees are: Officers also make decisions that help the Council govern and West Dunbartonshire Council Corporate Services provide services. These decisions are usually operational leaving 22 Elected Members Educational Services major issues concerning strategy and policy to be determined by Labour (12), SNP (6), Independent (3), SSP (1) West Dunbartonshire Council or Committee. Community Health and

Care Partnership Covering 6 wards Infrastructure, Details of the Council’s scheme of delegation are available on the Clydebank Central, Clydebank Regeneration & Council’s Website. Waterfront, Kilpatrick, Economic Devepment. Dumbarton, Leven, Lomond Updated June 2014.