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The decisions as the council's minutes record them. A plain-language summary follows once it has been written.
RESOLVED: To progress the report.
RESOLVED: To confirm that a wider consultation be undertaken with Group Whips and Individual Members as necessary. To agree that an updated report be presented to a subsequent meeting of the Committee.
RESOLVED: To note the report and requested that all of the Members enquiry data from the report was included in the Democratic Services Committee Annual Report 2024.
RESOLVED: To note the information set out in the report. Requested that the Head of Democratic Services to circulate to Committee Members materials from the VAWDASV training session. Positive responses would initiate consultation with the Chair to put a recommendation from the Committee to Council recommending that the VAWDASV training be made mandatory for all Elected Members.
Apologies were received from Councillor Simmons.
The Chairperson reminded Members of their responsibility under Part III of the Members’ Code of Conduct to declare any interest in general terms and to complete personal interest forms at the start of the meeting and then, prior to the commencement of the discussion of the item in question, specify whether it is a personal or prejudicial interest. If the interest is prejudicial, Members would be asked to leave the meeting and if the interest is personal, Members would be invited to stay, speak and vote. No such declarations were received.
To minutes of the meeting held on 4 November 2024 were approved by the Committee as a correct record and were signed by the Chairperson.
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED: To progress the report.
Gary Jones, Head of Democratic Services, presented the item, which was to enable the Committee to consider the content of its annual report for 2024 and approve the arrangements for the report to be finalised and presented to full Council. Members were invited to ask questions and make comments, as summarised below: Members sought clarification on why there were no webcast figures for the Committee. Officers advised that since 2022 only meetings of full Council, Cabinet, Scrutiny Committees, Planning Committee and the Standards and Ethics Committee have been webcast. Elected Members were encouraged to participate in the Democracy Ambassadors Programme. Members sought clarification on the numbers of Scrutiny Committee recommendations made and closed. Officers advised that 84 recommendations had been made and that 55 had been closed. All recommendations had been accepted either in full or in part. RESOLVED: To progress the report.
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED: To confirm that a wider consultation be undertaken with Group Whips and Individual Members as necessary. To agree that an updated report be presented to a subsequent meeting of the Committee.
Gary Jones, Head of Democratic Services, presented the item, which was to enable the Committee to consider an initial proposal for the Annual Review process for Elected Members prior to further consultation with Group Whips and Elected Members. Members were invited to ask questions and make comments, as summarised below: Members sought clarification on the reasons for the proposal, what demand there was for it and what officers were obligated to do. Officers advised that it was a requirement under the Local Government (Wales) Measure 2011 for councils to provide Elected Members with an opportunity to have a personal development review. A pilot was carried out between 2013 and 2015 but not progressed. The larger party groups may have their own mechanisms but there was a need for a corporate process to be put in place for the smaller groups. Members sought clarification on the quality of the training that would be available and how it would be provided. Officers advised that it would be useful to identify committees whose induction was of a high quality, such as the Governance and Audit Committee. Training and personal development would have to fit within the current Democratic Services budget. Some topics would be cheap to deliver including Data Cymru which provides free sessions for small numbers and the WLGA Leadership Academy is free to Elected Members. The Chair observed that it was Elected Members’ responsibility to identify their training and development needs and that it would be useful to make Elected Members aware of the number of courses available. RESOLVED: To confirm that a wider consultation be undertaken with Group Whips and Individual Members as necessary. To agree that an updated report be presented to a subsequent meeting of the Committee.
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED: To note the report and requested that all of the Members enquiry data from the report was included in the Democratic Services Committee Annual Report 2024.
Gary Jones, Head of Democratic Services, presented the item, which was to update the Committee on the current performance of the Members Enquiries System (MES). Members were invited to ask questions and make comments, as follows: Members called for a more detailed breakdown of the number of enquiries dealt with within 11-29 days and suggested that an acknowledgement that enquiries had been seen and acted upon would be helpful. Members discussed how service areas could be prevented from closing enquiries without having acted upon them. Officers advised that some service areas are struggling with significant reductions in staffing and that the fulfilment of Member Enquiries was dependent on officers being available to carry out the work. Members discussed the separate reporting mechanisms for member Enquiries and Cabinet Enquiries. Members discussed the importance of residents having confidence that in a responsive service and the benefit of identifying officers particularly skilled in dealing with enquiries quickly. Officers advised that service areas were in control of their own staffing structures and working practises. Members discussed the difference in responsiveness of the best and worst service areas and asked whether service areas were sent information on their performance and whether they were creating extra work for Democratic Services staff. Officers advised that this information is sent to Directorates and the Senior Management Team. Members discussed the Member Enquiries email. Officers advised that it was only an outgoing email and that incoming enquiries be sent to the Member Services email address where they are quickly logged by the team. Enquiries can be entered via the Members’ Portal and will be seen by the Member Services’ team. All Members enquiries received by the Member Services’ email are expected to be logged within 3 hours. RESOLVED: To note the report and requested that all of the Members enquiry data from the report was included in the Democratic Services Committee Annual Report 2024.
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED: To note the information set out in the report. Requested that the Head of Democratic Services to circulate to Committee Members materials from the VAWDASV training session. Positive responses would initiate consultation with the Chair to put a recommendation from the Committee to Council recommending that the VAWDASV training be made mandatory for all Elected Members.
Gary Jones, Head of Democratic Services, introduced the item, which was to inform the Committee on the performance of the Council’s Democratic Services since the last meeting on 4 November 2024. Members were advised that a session on VAWDASV had been held and positive feedback received, with some Elected Members feeling that it should be made mandatory. There will be a repeated session in May. Members were advised that other opportunities for learning have come up through various committees and events. Members were invited to ask questions and make comments, as summarised below: Members discussed whether the VAWDASV training should be mandatory. The view was expressed that Members should have experience of the training before making a decision. Officers advised that the course presentations, handouts, and anonymised evaluation forms could be made available. Members were advised that any mandatory training must be completed within 6 months of notification of the training. If a new course is made mandatory by the Council it must be completed within 6 months of being made mandatory. Members who have previously completed the course are not required to retake it. Members expressed the view that, given the importance of the subject matter, VAWDASV should join other mandatory training courses. Officers advised that information on the course could be shared with Members and their views sought, and consultation held with the Chair on whether to recommend to the Council that the course be made mandatory. Members sought clarification on the basis on which Members would decide whether the VAWDASV course be made mandatory. The Chair advised that it would normally be decided within the Committee. There has been a request for more information to be provided and the Chair was happy to wait for that information to be provided before making the recommendation. RESOLVED: To note the information set out in the report. Requested that the Head of Democratic Services to circulate to Committee Members materials from the VAWDASV training session. Positive responses would initiate consultation with the Chair to put a recommendation from the Committee to Council recommending that the VAWDASV training be made mandatory for all Elected Members.
The work programme was noted
There were no urgent items.
The next meeting will be held on Monday 7 April 2025 at 4pm.
Councillors must say when they have a personal link to something being discussed, such as a job, a property or a family member. A prejudicial interest is one strong enough that the councillor usually leaves the room and takes no part.
Declarations are read from the minutes once they are published.
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