Agenda item

1)    Mr Watts gave a verbal overview of the report which outlined the existing provision of Member development and support delivered by Governance, Law and Democracy, as well as planned enhancements which were being developed within the existing resource envelope, factoring in Members’ needs. He highlighted recent improvements to Member signposting, which including the renovation of the Members Area on the KNet intranet. The scope of the soon to be established Member Development Sub-Committee was addressed. He invited the views of the Committee with regard to Members’ civic functions as well as the level of support desired, noting that the wider Membership would be further engaged through a series of surveys and workshops.

2)    A Member noted that many Members were twin hatters, serving on both the County and district councils in executive or non-executive positions, they asked whether conflicts of interest given the intertwining roles required further investigation. Mr Watts agreed to further investigate the issue with governance officers and provide a briefing for Members at the appropriate time.

3)    Public speaking workshops for new Members were encouraged by a Member.

4)    Members emphasised the diverse needs of Members based on their Council appointments and experiences.

5)    A Member commented that Members’ experiences and camaraderie were affected by the working environment which hadn’t fully returned to pre-pandemic arrangements.

6)    The use of hybrid meeting arrangements to increase meeting accessibility were recognised by a Member, whilst it was noted that networking was more difficult in virtual settings.

7)    Members emphasised the need to ensure it was straightforward for them to contact relevant officers. It was noted that oversight of developments within their electoral divisions could be negatively impacted by poor communication. Improved signposting as well as triaging were mentioned by a Member as means of improving access. Mr Watts agreed to investigate the problems raised by Members and liaise with the respective service directors.

8)    Mr Watts further explained how expanded Member and governance services had been delivered with existing resources and that innovation would be further enhanced by a forthcoming intake of graduates into Governance, Law and Democracy.

9)    Members shared their concerns that new Member conduct in some formal meetings had been inadequate, with the emergence from the pandemic and its different ways of working at the beginning of the County Council’s term cited as a contributing factor.

10) A Member asked that visits and events at Invicta House be expanded as a way of increasing Member-officer interaction and the understanding of the work carried out by services across the Council.

11) Members raised concerns regarding the varying effectiveness of Joint Transport Boards across the county, they asked that the existing agreements and meeting arrangements be reviewed in order to maximise Member and officer productivity. Mr Watts agreed to discuss the issues raised with district monitoring officers at a future meeting of Kent Secretaries.

RESOLVED to:

a)    Support the proposed survey of Members on their support needs;

b)    ask the Member Development Sub-Committee to consider the Member development content as part of its work programme; and

c)    Support the proposal to explore increased Civic event activity and the relevant Member involvement.