Agenda item

The purpose of this report is to provide members of the Standards Committee with a summary of the Member Development Programme and information regarding the Members’ Expenses Scheme.This report outlines the member learning and development sessions delivered for members since May 2016, and also the upcoming quarter of the member learning and development programme (June to December 2017).The report also provides an outline of the Member induction programme to be delivered after the May 2018 Local Elections.

Thomas Cattermole (the Council’s Head of Executive and Member Services) introduced the report which provided Members of the Committee with a summary of the Member Development Programme, information regarding the Members’ Expenses Scheme and an outline of the Member induction programme to be delivered following the Local Elections in May 2018.

Mr Cattermole informed Members that the Member Learning and Development Steering Group, Chaired by the Leader of the Council, monitored the Member Learning and Development programme, including the scope of the sessions and attendance. He said that a list of all sessions delivered (34) could be found on page 4 to the Agenda Pack, with details of attendance outlined in paragraphs 3.5 to 3.11 on pages 5 and 6. Mr Cattermole highlighted that the first trial of a ‘Saturday’ session had been successful with 17 Members attending. As a result, it had been considered to hold such ‘Saturday’ sessions every two months.

Mr Cattermole spoke of the positive feedback received from Members in relation to the mentoring supporting provided in collaboration with the Local Government Association (LGA) and the two sessions delivered by the LGA to support the Council’s ‘Top Team’ (i.e. the Cabinet and the Corporate Management Team). As far as attendance was concerned, he explained that all Members had completed the sessions dedicated to Standards and Code of Conduct and Safeguarding, with attendance at other sessions varying. He clarified that Members who had not completed the respective mandatory training session, had not been allowed to sit on regulatory committees (i.e. Planning Committee, Alcohol and Entertainment Licensing Committee and Sub-Committees).

Mr Cattermole reminded Members that the Council had received a Charter Plus Assessment Interim visit on 18 October 2016. The assessor confirmed that Brent Council continued to meet the standard of the London Charter Plus for Elected Member Development. He said that the assessor had confirmed that the Council continued to have a strong strategic commitment to member development that the Council had responded to the recommendations following the September 2015 assessment and had also moved forward with a comprehensive member development programme.

Responding to a Member’s question, Looqman Desai (the Council’s Senior Solicitor (Governance)) said that all Members of the Alcohol and Entertainment Licensing Committee had received standards training, similar to that provided to Members of the Planning Committee. It was confirmed that the training covered how the Members’ Code of Conduct impacted upon licensing decision making. In particular, the rules on Member interests and the other standards that applied such as approaching applications with an open mind and not expressing a concluded view on matters to be considered. In response to a related question, it was confirmed that these rules also applied to Members of the Standards Committee when making decisions about complaints.

In relation to the Member induction programme, Mr Cattermole said that a cross-party prospective candidate event would take place in October 2017 and the formal induction would begin on 21 May 2018.

A Member of the Committee enquired whether training had been delivered face-to-face or via e-learning. Mr Cattermole responded that take-up of e-learning had not been good and that the majority of the sessions had been delivered face-to-face. In addition, Carolyn Downs (the Council’s Chief Executive) informed the Committee that the Audit Advisory Committee had requested a report on Members’ attendance at training sessions.

RESOLVED that the ‘Review of the Member Development Programme and Members’ Expenses’ report, be noted.