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RESOLVED to approve the minutes of the 23rd September 2024 as an accurate reflection of the meeting. The Chair also wished to place on record his thanks and appreciation to Councillor P Evans who is no longer a Member on the Committee and to welcome the new Member, Councillor Karen Webb.
RESOLVED: 1. To note the overall support available to elected Members, as set out within the report; and, . 2. To Note the statutory opinion of the Head of Democratic Services, in respect of the sufficiency of resources, as set out within the report.
RESOLVED: • To review and comment on the proposed revisions to the Council’s Multi-Location Meeting policy as set out within the report and accompanying Appendix; • To provide the Committee with further site of the Policy following Members comments • Subject to Members agreement, to approve the use of the Council’s Multi-Location meetings policy (with appropriate amendments as necessary). • To provide authority to the Proper Officer to amend the Council Constitution to include a copy of the revised policy. • That notification is made to all Members of the revisions to the Policy.
RESOLVED: 1. To consider the update provided in respect of the provision of training; 2. To provide comment on the content and delivery of the 2024 – 2025 Member Development Programme; 3. To note that the recently conducted Members Annual Survey 2025 and the forthcoming Member Personal Development Reviews are utilised as conduits to gain further information in respect of Members training needs; and, 4. To note that following the completion of the 2025 Personal Development Review to process, the Draft 2025 – 2026 Member Development Programme is presented to the Democratic Services Committee for consideration and approval.
RESOLVED: 1. To consider the establishment of a working group to review the Social Media Policy for Elected Members for the reasons outlined within the report 2. That as part of the Working Group remit, any draft policy is shared with the Standards Committee for consideration and comment 3. That the findings of the Working Group are reported back to the Committee for approval.
The Chair welcomed Members to the meeting and the Chair outlined who was present in the Chamber and who was in attendance online.
In accordance with the Council’s Code of Conduct, there were no declarations made pertaining to the agenda.
Y penderfyniad fel y'i cofnodwyd
RESOLVED to approve the minutes of the 23rd September 2024 as an accurate reflection of the meeting. The Chair also wished to place on record his thanks and appreciation to Councillor P Evans who is no longer a Member on the Committee and to welcome the new Member, Councillor Karen Webb.
It was RESOLVED to approve the minutes of the 23rd September 2024 as an accurate reflection of the meeting. The Chair also wished to place on record his thanks and appreciation to Councillor P Evans who is no longer a Member on the Committee and to welcome the new Member, Councillor Karen Webb.
Y penderfyniad fel y'i cofnodwyd
RESOLVED: 1. To note the overall support available to elected Members, as set out within the report; and, . 2. To Note the statutory opinion of the Head of Democratic Services, in respect of the sufficiency of resources, as set out within the report.
The Service Director, Democratic Services and Communications presented the ‘Sufficiency of Resources report’ to Members. The Service Director advised Members that the purpose of the report was to confirm the Statutory view of the Head of Democratic Services, in respect of the provision of staff, resources, and accommodation available to support Members in their role as set out within the Local Government (Wales) Measure 2011. The Service Director noted that the report was in a slightly different format recognising that the previous versions of the report reflected back on the progress made since 2018. The Service Director referred Members to section 3 of the report and confirmed that as Head of Democratic Services he was satisfied that over the short to medium term there was sufficiency of resources to support Members in their roles. Members were referred to the training opportunities available to Members and it was noted the progress that had been made over the years in terms of the scope of those training facilities. It was emphasised that this was a positive direction of travel and that the Democratic Services team continues to look at ways it can improve the facilities and support available to Members. In respect of the Members Portal, the Service Director acknowledged that progress was not where he wanted it to be, however, he advised that progress was continuing and reflected on the development that been made to the Portal over the last 12 months. The support to Elected Members from ICT colleagues was also acknowledged and thanks was provided to the ICT Director for his ongoing support. In respect of accommodation, the Service Director acknowledged the move to Llys Cadwyn and noted the visible improvement in accommodation in comparison to the previous accommodation for Members. In respect of the Members Survey responses, the Service Director thanked Members for completing the survey and advised that the results of the survey would be provided at the next meeting of the Committee. Members were also advised that part of the survey findings would be incorporated into the Council’s Calendar of meetings report which would be considered at the Council’s AGM in respect of timing of meetings. In terms of hot desking arrangements, the Service Director noted that whilst these arrangements work well for the services, it can present challenges. It was therefore noted that going forward there would be discussions around amending those arrangements. In respect of the research facilities, the Service Director noted that there was a continued increase in the use of that service and the complexity of the research questions coming forward, however he noted that the service could do more to continue promoting this function. In respect of the Council’s scrutiny functions, it was noted that sufficient governance arrangements were in place and sufficient support for Members. The Chair thanked the Service Director for the update and praised the support available to Members through the Head of Democratic Services and his team within the Council Business Unit. The Vice Chair of the Committee echoed the high standard of support provided to Members and took the opportunity to comment on the Council’s public participation strategy, noting that this was an important issue for all Members and that the Council needed to continue to work on expanding such engagement. The Member also noted how beneficial the Personal Development Reviews were and encouraged all Members to take forward this opportunity. Another Member wanted to note on record her thanks to everyone who organises the training that Members receive. Reference was made to a visit to Bryn Pica and it was suggested that a further visits are scheduled for those Members that were unable to attend. The Member also suggested that visits to more Council Services be facilitated to provide Members with a better under standing of how services work, which would be helpful to Members when dealing with constituents queries. The Member queried when the Members Portal would be at a stage when Members could view progress of reports and incidents that they have submitted and the officer advised of the future aims and timelines in respect of this development, with the potential of looking at other alternatives outside of the Members Portal. Another Member noted her agreement with other Members in respect of the support available through the Council Business Unit and praised all the staff involved. The Member referred to the Public Participation Strategy and queried if the issue of ‘Speaker View’ on the Webcasting facility has been resolved. The Service Director confirmed that the issue had been resolved and noted that hopefully there would be further improvements going forward. The Service Director asked for Members to provide feedback following this meeting in terms of the new arrangements with the webcast view. Discussions continued and a Member referenced the additional responsibilities within the Democratic portfolio in relation to armed forces events such as VE Day event etc and praised the department’s work in this area. Following discussion, Members RESOLVED: 1. To note the overall support available to elected Members, as set out within the report; and, . 2. To Note the statutory opinion of the Head of Democratic Services, in respect of the sufficiency of resources, as set out within the report.
Y penderfyniad fel y'i cofnodwyd
RESOLVED: • To review and comment on the proposed revisions to the Council’s Multi-Location Meeting policy as set out within the report and accompanying Appendix; • To provide the Committee with further site of the Policy following Members comments • Subject to Members agreement, to approve the use of the Council’s Multi-Location meetings policy (with appropriate amendments as necessary). • To provide authority to the Proper Officer to amend the Council Constitution to include a copy of the revised policy. • That notification is made to all Members of the revisions to the Policy.
The Services Director, Democratic Services and Communications presented his report to Members, which sought Members’ comments and approval on the proposed revisions to the Council’s Multi-Location Meeting policy (attached at Appendix 1) which was approved at Council on the 20th September 2023. The Service Director advised of the correlation between the policy and the Council’s Public Participation Strategy and that in terms of the Local Government Wales Act 2021 the Council was only required to broadcast, record and live stream Council and Cabinet, however, the Council do, where possible, record all Democratic proceedings. It was advised that the current MLM policy had provided a good basis for the conduct of meetings within the Council and the Officer commented on the positive feedback the Council’s hybrid meeting arrangements receive in respect of their operation. However, the Service Director commented on the rational for providing the review and provided detail on the suggested revisions to the policy following previous Member feedback. The Chair thanked the Service Director for the overview and welcomed comments from Members. A Member noted that there was flexibility in terms of someone’s camera being off during the meeting such as if a Member requires a comfort break, however, the Member felt that it was not right or proper that a Member’s camera should be turned off for the full duration of a meeting unless they’ve had prior approval from the Chair. The Member also added that a car/van/lorry is not an ideal place to be conducting a meeting and that the policy promotes good practice. Discussions continued and a Member referred to paragraph 6.4 and referred to attending meetings whilst in a vehicle and that enforcement of the policy was vital to ensuring a successful meeting. The Member emphasised that we should include degree of flexibility for Members who need to attend whilst in a vehicle but Members should be mindful of confidentiality and ensuring they are in a suitable environment in terms of internet connections. The Member also stated that greater clarity is needed on what enforcement actions are taken by the Democratic Services team when representations are made about attending meetings in vehicles. The Member emphasised that the policy says Members are “advised not to attend” meetings in vehicles and suggested a stronger approach to the language used. The Member proposed that the wording be amended to state Members “must not” which better aligns with the objectives of enforcing the policy. Section 6.11 of the report was referred to and a Member suggested that the last two sentences referring to respect and the use of bullying language or behaviour should be strengthened to clarify that this applies to Members attending both physically or remotely to which all Members agreed to support. Following further discussions the Service Director confirmed that any revisions to the policy would be circulated to Members of the Democratic Services Committee prior to publication. Discussions continued with clarity sought in relation to the format of ‘Working Group’ arrangements and other cross-party meetings that they attended to which the Service Director responded. The Member also suggested use of the informal ‘house keeping arrangements’ prior to the start of a public meeting, reminding Members of the use of camera’s during meetings, which the officer confirmed was usual practice. Following discussions Members RESOLVED: • To review and comment on the proposed revisions to the Council’s Multi-Location Meeting policy as set out within the report and accompanying Appendix; • To provide the Committee with further site of the Policy following Members comments • Subject to Members agreement, to approve the use of the Council’s Multi-Location meetings policy (with appropriate amendments as necessary). • To provide authority to the Proper Officer to amend the Council Constitution to include a copy of the revised policy. • That notification is made to all Members of the revisions to the Policy.
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RESOLVED: 1. To consider the update provided in respect of the provision of training; 2. To provide comment on the content and delivery of the 2024 – 2025 Member Development Programme; 3. To note that the recently conducted Members Annual Survey 2025 and the forthcoming Member Personal Development Reviews are utilised as conduits to gain further information in respect of Members training needs; and, 4. To note that following the completion of the 2025 Personal Development Review to process, the Draft 2025 – 2026 Member Development Programme is presented to the Democratic Services Committee for consideration and approval.
The Council Business Manager presented the report to Members which provided an update in respect of the delivery of the Council’s Member Development Programme 2024 – 2025, which looks to assist Members with the skills necessary to undertake their roles. The Council Business Manager advised that table 4.1 provided detail of the training provided to date and the attendance figures for such training. The table also provided an indication of how the training was delivered through internal or external organisations and where possible, the Unit maximised the opportunities for any ‘free’ training being delivered, where it was felt it was beneficial to Members. Members were told that bespoke’ training requested by individual Members had also been taken forward either through one to one settings or smaller group settings depending on the requests received and the nature of the request and these individual sessions were not indicated in the table. Members were informed that the Council Business Unit had been actively seeking opportunities for Members across all political groups to access other training programmes such as the successful WLGA Community Project and the Leadership Programme. The Council Business Manager reminded Members that the original programme presented to Members was not as detailed as previous years due to Members feeling that they did not require as much training as previous. However, the programme, which was a live document did naturally expand, as the Unit took forward additional equality training opportunities as the Unit proactively listened to the needs of Members in this area during the original session. The Council Business Unit also held numerous briefing sessions to Members keeping them updated on areas of importance, such as Remembrance Parade briefings, Involvement strategy and more recently the Peer Review Panel Assessment. Members were informed that during the year the Unit had taken forward the Members Swap Shop which provided a safe environment for Members to share good practice and concerns amongst each other, which has provided Officers with areas to assist Members in their role. The Council Business Manager advised that where possible all training content had been added to the Members Portal and Members were encouraged to utilise this valuable tool and library of content. The Council Business Manager noted that it was unfortunate that during the year the Media training had been postponed, however it was added this would be rescheduled as part of the next years programme, to ensure that colleagues from other organisations such as the police could assist in the training to further enhance the training that we provide. In respect of the Members Survey that was recently completed, Members were informed that 94% of Members were either very satisfied or satisfied with the training provided. The Council Business Manager advised Members that Although this was a positive response, Officers will always look at how we can further improve on the experiences for Members as it is appreciated there arestill challenges for Members in attending such training. Members were referred to Section 6 of the report which considered the new Development Programme and it was advised that as in previous years, this would be drafted following Members responses to the Personal Development Reviews and any further training requests received during Committee settings or requests direct to Council Business Officers and a few that have already been received were listed in the report. In respect of the Personal Development Reviews the Council Business Unit are looking to utilise the Training Calendar within the Members Portal for Members to book their PDR session and we will advise Members once these arrangements are live. Following the overview, the Chair commented positively on the training opportunities that are provided by the Council Business Unit and reminded Members that any training can be arranged through contacting the Council Business Unit Officers directly art any time. Discussions ensued and a Member praised the training programme and noted how well run the WLGA Community Leadership Programme was and emphasised that we should use training opportunities run by the WLGA as and when we can. The Members also praised in house training and noted that where we can we should use in house training opportunities. The Service Director, Democratic Services and Communications noted his thanks to staff within the Council Business Unit who organise the training programme and also wished to put on record his thanks to the WLGA for the training opportunities that they continually provide to us. The Service Director assured Members that the team will continue working with the WLGA moving forward to provide additional training opportunities for Members. It was also emphasised that we also want to respond to the individual training needs of Members and encouraged Members to come forward with any additional requests for training as and when necessary. Discussions continued and another Member praised the equality training and the domestic abuse training sessions and noted that they were very powerful sessions. Another Member noted that she is looking forward to another swap shop session and thanked the Council Business Unit team for the training opportunities that have been provided to date. Following discussions, Members RESOLVED: 1. To consider the update provided in respect of the provision of training; 2. To provide comment on the content and delivery of the 2024 – 2025 Member Development Programme; 3. To note that the recently conducted Members Annual Survey 2025 and the forthcoming Member Personal Development Reviews are utilised as conduits to gain further information in respect of Members training needs; and, 4. To note that following the completion of the 2025 Personal Development Review to process, the Draft 2025 – 2026 Member Development Programme is presented to the Democratic Services Committee for consideration and approval.
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RESOLVED: 1. To consider the establishment of a working group to review the Social Media Policy for Elected Members for the reasons outlined within the report 2. That as part of the Working Group remit, any draft policy is shared with the Standards Committee for consideration and comment 3. That the findings of the Working Group are reported back to the Committee for approval.
The Council Business Manager presented the report to Member highlighting a referral made to the Democratic Services Committee in relation to the Social Media policy from the Overview & Scrutiny Committee, where Members suggested a review of its content and awareness raising sessions to all Members on the best practice for using social media. The Council Business Manager reminded Members that social media affords the opportunity to increase contact with residents and engage with wider communities, adding that it provides an immediate and direct connection for increased interactivity with all stakeholders. Through enhanced openness and transparency, social media platforms can help build a sense of community by encouraging involvement in local democracy and decision making, which can help to increase resident satisfaction levels and ultimately improve service provision. The Council Business Manager noted that although Social Media provides many positive opportunities Members should also be mindful of the negative impact social media can have and the potential risks which have been highlighted within the report. It was emphasised that a social media policy that enables Members to confidently and safely use any social media platform to engage with their residents and the wider community is essential. Members were informed that since the referral from scrutiny the Head of Democratic Services had requested colleagues in the Council’s communications team to provide an initial review of the Council policy, in doing so it has been established that a standalone policy for Elected Members should be drafted. It is suggested that to add value and to ensure the policy captures all the ways of working and the needs of Members a working group is established of this Committee to review the draft policy and provide further enhancements to make sure it is a document that Members can utilise. Members were advised that it is also proposed that the Council’s Standards Committee is also involved in the policy’s development. The Council Business Manager advised that if Members were content with the proposal to the establishment of a working group then member representation would be sought to the working group following the Council AGM. The Service Director, Democratic Services and Communications emphasised that it is recognised that Members need a specific document, and that the Council’s Social Media policy may not relate completely to the role of an Elected Member. It is also recognised that Social Media has become a more challenging environment to work within and that a bespoke policy is needed. Discussions ensued and a Member emphasised that whilst Social Media is a useful tool it can also be a toxic environment to work within. The Member supported the development of a bespoke policy. A number of Members agreed with the proposal of a Working Group. A Member commented that he would like to put information on Social Media in respect of the positive work happening within the Council but is afraid to do so due to the response from certain individuals online. The Service Director agreed that it does serve its purpose in terms of imparting information that residents need to know, however, it was also recognised the challenges that Members face in using Social Media. Another Member raised concerns that the development of a bespoke Social Media policy will not stop certain individuals from using Social Media in a negative way and would not stop the vitriol against Elected Members. The Member noted that hopefully a bespoke document will give Members the tool and the skills to manage any backlash on Social Media. The Service Director noted that a bespoke document will support Members as a key component in the day to day part of their roles as Elected Members and will also assist the Council in doing all we can to protect and support Elected Members. Another Member noted that further Social Media training for Members would be useful as well as providing Members with a forum so that they can share experiences with each other. The Member also suggested that it would be useful for Elected Members to have support from Democratic Services in terms of the Council’s news stories being published on the RCT Social Media sites so that Members receive the publications in a format that allows them to easily share that with residents on Social Media. The Service Director emphasised that this is something they have been considering for a while, however, there have been capacity challenges around this. The Service Director emphasised that this would be useful for Members to have a tool that signposts residents to key Council information and this is something they do have under consideration going forward. Following discussions, Members RESOLVED: 1. To consider the establishment of a working group to review the Social Media Policy for Elected Members for the reasons outlined within the report 2. That as part of the Working Group remit, any draft policy is shared with the Standards Committee for consideration and comment 3. That the findings of the Working Group are reported back to the Committee for approval.
The Service Director, Democratic Services and Communications advised that in respect of the changes made to the viewing facilities through Webcasting the changes will not be trialled in the Chamber but will be visible online following today’s meeting. The Service Director also advised Members that following a recent Group Leaders meeting there was a request for the Democratic Services team to review the Council’s Questions Procedure Rules and informed Members that this will be picked up in a Working Group as part of the Democratic Services Committee within the new Municipal Year. The Chair also noted that as this was the last meeting of the Municipal Year, he wanted to place on record his thanks to everyone, Officers and Members, for all their hard work and dedication and noted all the positive outcomes that have been achieved through the work of the Democratic Services Committee. Following the overview, Members RESOLVED: 1. That following a referral from a recent Group Leaders meeting a further working group would be formed during the next Municipal Year to consider the Council’s procedure in relation to Members Questions
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