Issue - items at meetings - Good Governance Report

Report of the Director of Strategy and Governance

69.1 The Chief Executive introduced the Audit Commission’s Good Governance report. This had been considered by the Council’s Audit and Goverance Committees and for him was helpful to set the context when newly in post. However the report had been drafted in May 2009 and it was important to focus more on the forward-looking Action Plan.

69.2    The Chief Executive commented on the main points raised regarding:

• Councillor roles and development
• Working relationships between officers and councillors
• Timescales and objectivity of reports and how they are presented
• The Council’s reputation amongst residents
• Responsibility for positive outcomes from the Good Governance Action Plan
• Encouraging people from minority groups to become councillors

69.3    He said he would deal with any individual concerns if brought to his attention. A Member development working group was in progress. To his knowledge reports were open and informative and based on the best advice and professional judgement. The Council carried out large consultations well however it needed to learn more from individuals’ complaints and there needed to be more cross-Council consistency.

69.4    Some Councillors felt that the workload of councillors should be considered in the Good Governance Report and this should be taken up with the Audit Commission.

69.5    Answering questions, the Head of Law set out the process and timescales for producing the Good Governance report; He clarified that, at paragraph 39 of the Main Findings; of the five Overview and Scrutiny Committees, only the Overview and Scrutiny Commission was webcast and like the Council’s other webcasts the webcasts were not edited.

69.6    The Dignity at Work policy was due to be presented to the Governance Committee and a report of Bullying at Work was due to be taken to the Standards Committee.

69.7    The Commission wished to keep under review the progress in line with the report’s action plan and requested that any specific area as necessary be brought back for monitoring.

69.7RESOLVED: 1)That Members note the report of the Audit Commission

2)That the proposed action in response to the recommendation of the Commission as set out in the action plan listed as Appendix 1 to ths Commission ‘s report be noted.

3)That any specific area as necessary be brought to the Commission for monitoring