Issue - meetings

To consider the refreshed Member Training Strategy and Programme.

The committee considered the report which set out a revised Member Training and Development Plan, which in part addressed the Local Government Association Corporate Peer Challenge of the Council, undertaken in March 2024; three of the LGA’s recommendations related directly to Member training.

The committee queried the council’s capacity to deliver the programme and the potential costs.  It was clarified that both would be regularly reviewed, some training would be funded by the relevant service area; others could be done without additional cost. Officers committed to providing a written response to provide clarity on the budget implications.

It was queried if the training proposed within the plan would comply with the Equalities Act 2010 and if adjustments had been made to ensure neurodiverse Members were properly considered, particularly in regard to online learning.  It was confirmed that officers would seek to ensure that all Members were able to take-up the training offer fully and that any specific Member concerns or requests for additional support should be raised directly with Democratic Services.

The committee and officers agreed that consideration should be given to joint Member and Officer development/training to allow both officers and members to come together.

A friendly amendment was proposed and supported by the committee, in relation to Recommendation 4, as summarised below.

‘Invite the Constitution Working Group to consider changing the Constitution, to make the mandatory elements of the committees’ training programmes compulsory for its membership, and to ensure that Democratic Services assist with any accessibility issues that occur’.

Resolved (unanimously): 

The Audit and Governance Committee

1. Approve the Cheshire East Council Member Training and Development Plan, supplementary Committee training programmes, and the Member Development Strategy 2025- 2027, and that these documents be adopted with immediate effect.

2. Grant delegated authority to the Governance, Compliance and Monitoring Officer to make changes to the Member Training and Development Plan and/or Member Development Strategy 2025- 2027 as they consider are required, to ensure that future training priorities/training needs are addressed.

3. Agree that periodic reviews of the Member Training and Development Plan and the Member Development Strategy be carried out by the Audit and Governance Committee, such reviews to be included in the Committee’s work programme.

4. Invite the Constitution Working Group to consider changing the Constitution, to make the mandatory elements of the committees’ training programmes compulsory for its membership, and to ensure that Democratic Services assist with any accessibility issues that occur.

5. Agree that an annual report be submitted to the Audit and Governance Committee for the purpose of monitoring compliance with any key performance indicators set out in the Member Development Strategy.

6. Agree that individual Member attendance at mandatory training events (including non-attendance) be recorded and published annually on the Council’s website, recording to commence in July 2025 for publication by end July 2026.