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Agenda item

Provisional Member Induction and Training Programme

Purpose:

To update the Committee on the plans for member training post-election.

 

Recommendation:

That the Audit and Governance Committee resolves to:

  1. Note the report;
  2. Provide feedback on how the Council may better engage members in member training and development.

 

Invited:

Andrea McCaskie, Director of Governance

Minutes:

The Director of Governance introduced a report that provided an update on the plans for Member training for the post-election period.

The report explained the plans for inducting new Members post-election and wider plans for Member training and development. It also sought feedback from the Committee on how the Council may better engage Members in Member training and development so that sessions would be well attended and beneficial going forward.

The Audit and Governance Committee had a responsibility to promote, maintain and assist the achievement of high standards of conduct by councillors and co-opted Members in accordance with the Council’s Code of Conduct for Members. This included a responsibility to secure adequate and appropriate training of councillors and co-opted members on the Code of Conduct for Members.

The Audit and Governance Committee on 30 March 2023 received a report on Member training and resolved to agree that training on equality and diversity awareness, the use of social media, and the Members’ Code of Conduct are strongly encouraged for all councillors and should be undertaken at least once in a councillor’s term of office, within six months of their election. The Committee was not in favour of making training mandatory, and in practice mandatory attendance was not something that could be enforced by officers.

Member attendance at a number of training sessions over the last year had tended to be very low including at sessions that had been delivered by external trainers at a cost to the Council, i.e. equality and diversity and chairing skills training. This had been reflected in the External Auditor’s Value for Money Recommendations for 2022/23 presented elsewhere on the Committee agenda. Further Member training opportunities were listed in the report and the Committee was invited to provide feedback on how the Council may better engage Members in Member training and development.

Comments included the following:

·         Members expressed that a timetable like the meetings schedule was desirable. Video recordings for basic training.

·         Link up training for before/after meetings so more Members attend.

·         Exams every term for important matters such as Safeguarding and then top-ups as required which would make it less arduous.

·         More creative ways of delivering such as bar charts of correct and incorrect questions.

·         Follow up of Cyber Ninja training, which was important for all

·         Find ways to track who has undertaken what training.

 

The Director of Governance thanked Members for their feedback and explained that she would like to develop analysis and gateways around who needs what training without having to monitor or police Members. She wished to strike a balance of learning development that was flexible and efficient; ideally composing a list of which Councillors wanted/required which specific training. Action Point: The Director of Governance further explained that she would take all comments onboard. It was reiterated that Cyber Security training was currently available online and Members were asked to undertake that training as soon as possible.

RESOLVED that the Audit and Governance Committee AGREED to:

1. Note the report;

2. Provide feedback on how the Council may better engage Members in Member training and development.

 

Supporting documents:

 

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