Issue - meetings

To approve and adopt the Member Development Strategy and Policy Statement for Cheshire East Council.      

Members considered a proposed Member Development Strategy and Policy Statement for Cheshire East Council.      

The Member Development Panel had been working towards the creation of a framework for the delivery of Member Training and Development at Cheshire East Council. The elements which made up the framework had now been brought together to form the Member Development Strategy 2009/2010, which had been circulated to Members. The Strategy would enable the Council to realise the full potential of its Members and was tailored to the Council’s needs.

Its key aims and objectives were to:

• establish a culture whereby continuous elected Member Development was seen as a key component to the success of the organisation;

• identify individual and common learning needs; ensuring that the Member Development Programme consistently addressed these needs and the Council’s strategic themes;

• provide Members with the opportunity to access events and activities that were appropriate to their roles and responsibilities, recognising the importance of their role within the Council, their constituencies and with partner organisations;

• enable Members to be fully conversant with the Council’s key strategic themes, in order that their activities as Councillors were consistent with Council priorities; and

• ensure that the ongoing requirements of the North West Charter on Elected Member Development were met.

The Strategy would be used primarily at induction as a means of explaining to new Members the Council’s commitment to Member training and development. However, to ensure that all serving Councillors were similarly informed, the Committee was invited to approve the document so that it could be issued to Members.

For ease of reference, a short policy statement had also been produced which summarised the commitments outlined in the document. The statement had been circulated to Members.

RESOLVED

That the Member Development Strategy 2009/2010 and associated Policy Statement 2009/2010 be approved and adopted with immediate effect.