Agenda item

6.1

The Director of Policy and Democratic Engagement submitted the final report on the 6 Month Review of Governance Arrangements which set out findings and recommendations. The committee was asked to agree to submit the final report to Full Council where approval of the recommendations would be sought and any subsequent decision to amend the constitution as a result.

6.2

The Governance Committee was asked to approve the recommendations as listed in Appendix one of the officer’s report;

1. To note that action to improve how we explain and support the Committee System is underway through the Governance Review Implementation Plan, and progress will be monitored by Governance Committee.

RESOLVED UNANIMOUSLY: That the Governance Committee agreed to submit the recommendation to Full Council as part of the final report.

2. The role of the Strategy & Resources Committee and senior officers in early identification of cross-cutting issues and directing them to the most appropriate Policy Committee needs to be re-emphasised – including the role of Strategy & Resources Committee in maintaining an oversight of Policy Committee work programmes. Guidance on this should be produced through the Governance Review Implementation Plan.

Members discussed the benefit of briefings by officers on cross-cutting issues involving multiple committees. It was also clarified that co-opted members did not have to come only from the relevant Policy Committee.

RESOLVED UNANIMOUSLY: That the Governance Committee agreed to submit the recommendation to Full Council as part of the final report.

3. As part of ongoing work to develop the role of LACs, consideration

should be given to devolving decisions and budgets on minor local

transport and highways issues to Local Area Committees. The Policy

Committee should provide overall strategy within which local areas

make decisions to meet local need; and remain the decision maker for strategic transport issues and major schemes.

RESOLVED UNANIMOUSLY: That the Governance Committee agreed to submit the recommendation to Full Council as part of the final report.

4. The remit of the Education, Children and Families Policy Committee should be expanded to clarify that it includes all the functions that are the statutory responsibility of the Director of Children’s Services.

The committee reiterated its intention to continue to review the remits of all policy committees. It was noted that this recommendation related specifically to the political accountability of the lead member for Children’s Services and therefore the requirement for that person to have appropriate oversight.

RESOLVED UNANIMOUSLY: Members requested that the wording of this recommendation be amended and circulated to the committee prior to the Annual General Meeting.

5. Where Policy Committees are developing regulatory policies, they shall form a working group with members of the relevant regulatory committee to inform the process.

RESOLVED UNANIMOUSLY: That the Governance Committee agreed to submit the recommendation to Full Council as part of the final report.

6. The Job Share Chair Protocol should be adhered to by co-chairs, and promoted amongst officers and members to help develop a greater understanding of the role.

RESOLVED UNANIMOUSLY: That the Governance Committee agreed to submit the recommendation to Full Council as part of the final report.

7. Co-chairing arrangements should not be permitted for sub-committees.

RESOLVED UNANIMOUSLY: That the Governance Committee agreed to submit the recommendation to Full Council as part of the final report.

8. Where there are co-chairs in place, only the member nominated to attend Strategy and Resources Committee should attend the Strategy and Resources briefing meetings.

It was suggested that a caveat be added to the recommendation to state;

“subject to when the co-chair is the substitute member”

RESOLVED UNANIMOUSLY: That the Governance Committee agreed to submit the amended recommendation to Full Council as part of the final report.

9. Substitutes should be permitted at S&R. Where the committee member is Chair of a Policy Committee the substitute must have sufficient knowledge of their committee's work, and political proportionality must be maintained.

RESOLVED UNANIMOUSLY: That the Governance Committee agreed to submit the recommendation to Full Council as part of the final report.

10. Briefing practises must enable all members of a policy committee to be adequately briefed for formal decision making.

All Members should also have the opportunity to develop their

knowledge and engage in policy and work programme development.

Committee Members and officers should work together to identify

where it is appropriate for these briefings to be all member/whole

committee/Chair, deputy, group spokesperson/political group.

Guidance on this should be produced as part of the Governance

Review Implementation Plan.

RESOLVED UNANIMOUSLY: That the Governance Committee agreed to submit the recommendation to Full Council as part of the final report.

11. Policy Committees should continue to meet formally 6 times a year, with informal space diarised on the month where no formal meetings take place. This should enable Committees to carry out policy development activities as per their work programmes. This should not add to Member and Officer workloads, but reduce the need for additional, ad hoc briefing sessions and workshops.

RESOLVED UNANIMOUSLY: That the Governance Committee agreed to submit the recommendation to Full Council as part of the final report.

12. Current guidance states that Policy Committees should only operate one task and finish group at a time. This should be revised to provide a more ‘enabling’ approach to policy development. Policy Committees should be able to carry out work as required, subject to sufficient officer and Member capacity.

RESOLVED UNANIMOUSLY: That the Governance Committee agreed to submit the recommendation to Full Council as part of the final report.

13. An action should be added to the Governance Review Implementation Plan, to develop and promote a ‘Policy Development Toolkit’ for officers and Members that sets out best practice for developing policy in a Committee System, to be used alongside the existing ‘Engagement Toolkit.

RESOLVED UNANIMOUSLY: That the Governance Committee agreed to submit the recommendation to Full Council as part of the final report.

14. Arrangements should be put in place that enable early conversations post-AGM, between Chairs, their Committees and Senior Officers, to develop work programmes that address corporate, service plan and Member priorities, resulting in a balanced programme of decision making, policy development and scrutiny & evaluation. Guidance for members and officers should be produced as part of the Governance Review Implementation Plan.

RESOLVED UNANIMOUSLY: That the Governance Committee agreed to submit the recommendation to Full Council as part of the final report.

15. Governance Committee should continue into 2023/24 as a forum for ongoing review and maintenance of the constitution and governance arrangements, as well as Member development.

It was explained that this recommendation formed part of the wider narrative and a bullet point would be added to clarify that the Governance Committee would take a holistic look at the Policy Committee remits in 2023/24

RESOLVED UNANIMOUSLY: That the Governance Committee agreed to submit the recommendation subject to the addition of further clarification to Full Council as part of the final report.

16. Governance Committee sets up task and finish groups to look at:

Public Questions - ensuring the process for citizens to ask public

questions is clear, that public questions are triaged in a way that directs them to the most appropriate forum and that those forums are easy to access. Considering processes for responding to public questions, ensuring a consistent approach that is fit for purpose in the Committee System.

Citizen Engagement and Involvement – Consider how we can drive progress in realising our ambitions for community involvement and engagement, taking learning from recent reviews including Involve, the LGA Peer Challenge, the Race Equality Commission Report.

These task and finish groups will actively seek feedback from, and test proposals with, citizens and stakeholders; and report into the

Governance Committee.

Discussion took place around the need for the work on public questions to clarify the process for members of the public submitting a question to the Full Council that had not been adequately dealt with by a Policy Committee.

RESOLVED UNANIMOUSLY: That the Governance Committee agreed to submit the recommendation to Full Council as part of the final report.

6.3

The Governance Committee was asked to agree that Full Council is recommended to:

1. Approve the findings and recommendations of the Governance Review.

RESOLVED UNANIMOUSLY: That the Governance Committee agreed to submit the recommendation to Full Council as part of the final report.

2.   Note that action is underway to implement recommendations 1,2,6,11,13 and 16, and elements of 10 and 14 through the Governance Review Implementation Plan.

RESOLVED UNANIMOUSLY: That the Governance Committee agreed to submit the recommendation to Full Council as part of the final report.

3.  Agree the necessary changes to the constitution to implement recommendations 3,4,5,7,8,9,10,12,14 and 15 and proposed changes to the operation of Full Council Meetings.

Discussion took place around a mechanism to enable members to ask questions to the Leader of the Council which may relate to wider issues than those encompassed by their role as the Chair of the Strategy and Resources Policy Committee.

The committee also discussed motions to Full Council and the suggestion of word limits to enable these to be managed more practically. It was highlighted that items and decisions should be debated properly and that there was sufficient flexibility within the framework to permit this.

RESOLVED UNANIMOUSLY: That the Governance Committee agreed to submit the recommendation to Full Council as part of the final report.

4.   Determine whether Full Council should change meeting frequency from the current approach of 6 ordinary meetings, plus Annual General Meeting plus Budget Council; or reduce the number to 4 ordinary meetings, plus Annual General Meeting plus Budget Council.

RESOLVED UNANIMOUSLY: That the Governance Committee agreed to submit the recommendation to Full Council as part of the final report.