Community Council Governance and Training Guidelines

1. Governance Training

2. Roles and Responsibilities • Statutory Purpose suitably vague to allow CCs free to determine which issues they may pursue • Main role is, however, as a consultative body who should be reflective of the views of the community • To this end, CCs are regularly consulted on planning and licensing matters in addition to other consultations which may take place from time to time

3. Role of Office Bearers Treasurer • Compliance with Financial Guidelines & an authorised signatory (One of three required) • Banking, Financial Planning/Budgeting/ Book Keeping and Record Keeping • Applying for Annual Admin Grant • Leading/being involved in funding applications

4. Secretary • Dealing with correspondence • Ensuring meeting venues organised • Invite items for the agenda • Set the agenda & circulate • Minute the meeting & circulate • Deal with any follow up • Maintain records of office bearers and membership

5. Retain copies of the signed Constitution and Standing Orders and have a working knowledge of the content therein • May be an authorised signatory

6. Convener • Chairs meetings • Must have good understanding of Standing Orders, Constitution, Code of Best Practice and Code of Conduct • Lead and assist the other office bearers and Community Councillors • May often be the designated spokesperson/media contact • Has the casting vote in event of an equality of votes being cast

7. May be an authorised signatory • Has overall responsibility for content of the agenda and draft minutes • Can authorise the holding of a special meeting

8. Role of all Community Councillors • Prepare for meetings; • Forward apologies if you are unable to attend; • Listen to the speakers; • Learn from other people; • Speak up when you have something to say;

9. Ask questions if you are unclear or unsure; • Consider all the options and share your views; • Weigh up the arguments etc presented and vote in the way you think reflects the views expressed by the community • REMEMBER – ALL VOTES ARE EQUAL • Abide by decisions which are taken, whether you agree with them or not

10. Running Effective Meetings • Meetings are required for facilitating: - Decision Making; - Reporting; and - Discussion • It is important to ensure meetings are run successfully, by this they should be: • Well planned • Clear in purpose • Effectively chaired

11. Suggestions for Effective Meetings • Set meeting dates in advance & stick to the dates • Be clear about purpose by setting a focussed agenda • Ensure that reports are circulated in advance • Identify where items are for decision or discussion • Consider setting time limits for individual agenda items

12. Effective Chairing Some factors to take into consideration when chairing are: • It is your duty to direct discussion and ensure compliance with Standing Orders • Consider whether it may be beneficial to put a time limit on the meeting • Be inclusive, invite questions from members and the public and seek to draw out views of quieter members • Keep control

13. Expect to highlight issues and ask difficult questions • Summarise the discussion/decision – very useful if the discussion has been lengthy • Do not automatically take on all actions, seek volunteers from other Community Councillors and/or delegate

14. Encouraging Participation • Use a range of techniques to control more talkative attendees and to draw out information from those less talkative • The use of open, closed and probing questions can control the flow (and timing) of a meeting • Reflect & adapt – what techniques worked well and which were not so effective • Take advice from colleagues or speak to the CCLO

15. Dealing with Conflict • Conflict between Community Councillors - No right to use complaints procedure - Standing Orders, Constitution and Best Practice Agreement always prevail - Encourage full participation and appreciation of input

16. - Ensure clear lines of communication exist - Bear in mind that there is a collective responsibility to represent the Community

17. COMPLAINTS

18. What is a complaint? • An expression of dissatisfaction about action or lack of action, or about the standard of service provided by or on behalf of the organisation

19. Key Principles of Good Complaint Handling • Accessible • Fair • Flexible • Confidential • Clear • Timely • Integration and Feedback

20. Community Council Complaints Procedure • CCs should have adopted their own complaints procedures • Recommended Procedure would be: • Acknowledge and intimate when complaint will be heard • Grounds of complaint to be discussed at the next scheduled meeting .

21. Complaint should be discussed in public and an appropriate course of action agreed upon • Letter issued to complainant, with detail of right to refer onwards to the Council if dissatisfied. • Council must then set up a Complaints Review Panel. • Process is new and untested. It’s recommended that advice is taken from the CCLO!

22. Key Principles of Responding to Complaints • Be aware of the procedure • Attempt to resolve at first point of contact • Speed and Inform • Entire issue • Apology • Actions to Resolve • Right of Appeal

23. FOI, GDPR and Data Protection • GDPR, DP and FOI (Scotland) Acts are part of a whole range of legislation covering information management and Governance • GDPR harmonises data privacy laws across the EU. It places an onus on organisations to know and understand the risks in handling of personal data.

24. It regulates the processing of personal data. “Processing” means acquiring data, storing it, amending or augmenting it, disclosing it to third parties, deleting it – i.e. doing anything with it at all! • Privacy statements set out what your organisation will do with data and should indicate the lawful use. Community Councils will likely use “consent” as the lawful use for collecting personal data. The council have provide model Privacy statements for adoption by community councils.

25. Community Councils ARE subject to GDPR and Data protection legislation • But not to FOI (at the moment) - However, there is the obligation to provide minutes to the local authority which then become accessible • Best practice is to act as if the FOI legislation applies (promoting transparency and accountability) • Basic Underlying Concept in Data Protection is - Fairness to the Data Subject

26. The 8 Data Protection Principles (i.e. that information be) • fairly and lawfully processed; • processed for limited purposes; • adequate, relevant and not excessive; • accurate; • not kept longer than necessary; • processed in accordance with the data subject's rights; • secure; • not transferred to countries without adequate protection

27. This creates obligations in terms of: • Registration with the ICO (Information Commissioner’s Office) • Processing only in accordance with the DP principles (be careful what you say when publishing minutes ) • Security (Commissioner can now fine larger organisations up to 500K) per breach of the legislation • Tell data subjects what you are doing with their info (fair processing notices)

28. Declaring Interests • Required in terms of Code of Conduct for Community Councillors • Declaration of Interest Protocol prepared and circulated to assist • Collective decision required as to whether CCllr can remain or withdraw from discussion/decision making • Code applies to any appointments or nominations to other groups

29. When to declare an interest • As soon as it become apparent • Interests in two categories - financial and non financial • As a general rule financial interests should result in the CCllr leaving the meeting • Declarations of interest in relation to Non financial items require consideration by CCllr colleagues as to whether they consider the person to be impartial • Clearly record in the Minutes

30. What type of Interests should be declared? • As an individual applying for Planning Permission (or a close relative/friend) • As an individual who has expressed a previous opinion on a matter before the CC for consideration • As an individual who has already responded, on a personal basis, to a consultation • As a member of a Community Trust or other organisation who has applied for financial support from the CC

31. Annual Administration Grant • Is dependent on electorate • Should be applied for once accounts verified and agreed at the AGM • Will be processed by staff within 5 working days

32. Can be used to fund: • Hire of meeting venues • Payment of travel expenses at a rate agreed by the community council • For payment to examiners of annual accounts • Registration fees for data storage • Postage • Purchase of IT equipment • Insurance (out with that already provided) • Hiring secretarial support • Hosting a website

33. Other Resources Provided • Discretionary Grant • Public liability insurance • Photocopying through Customer Service points • General financial and administrative advice • Payment of travel expenses (less first 20 miles) or public transport costs associated with attending Area Community Planning Meetings

34. Overview of the Council

35. Chief Executive’s Unit/Strategic Finance • Remit • High standards of financial management and control • Contributing to corporate management and leadership • Supporting officers and members in an effective and responsive manner • Accounting and budgeting, treasury management, internal audit & risk management

36. Community Planning & Community Learning & Development Co-ordinate delivery of Argyll & Bute community planning partnership and issues of exclusion, inequality and disadvantage through lifelong learning and literacies provision. We facilitate Community Development and Capacity building to support and sustain 3rd sector organisations and communities.

37. CUSTOMER SERVICES

38. Customer and Support Services Remit • Collection of local taxes (Council tax, domestic water and sewage charges on behalf of Scottish Water, Non-domestic rates), sundry debts and other income • Administration of housing and council tax benefit • Registration of births, deaths and marriages • Customer Services – through a range of channels including; website, telephone contact centre and network of service points in all the main towns • Payment of suppliers • Payments of travel and subsistence claims for employees and Members, maintenance of register of Members expenses • Procurement and commissioning of goods and services for all Council departments • ICT for Council

39. Facility Services Remit Facility Services provides a range of support to all other Council services through teams which manage; • Catering • Cleaning • Property Services; • Corporate Asset Management processes • Property design and improvement • Property maintenance • Energy consumption and • Estates services • Integrated Transport; • Manage light vehicle fleet, including pool cars • Manage school transport contracts • Transport infrastructure, including bus stops and shelters, prepare and display timetable information

40. Governance and Law Remit As well as supporting community councils, Governance and Law provides a range of largely, but not exclusively, internal services delivered by 4 main teams (Central Governance, Area Governance, Legal – Commercial, and Legal – Corporate) which include; • Legal advice • Litigation • Licensing • Contracts • Insurance • Debt Recovery • Area Community Planning • Freedom of Information (FOI) / Data Protection • Co-ordinate Emergency Planning

41. 4. Improvement and HR Remit • Support and advise on effective management and development of the Council’s workforce • Deliver corporate support to ensure the health and safety of our employees and customers • Ensure effective communications for the Council’s employees, customers, stakeholders and partners • Manage partnership relationships to deliver joint outcomes through community planning • Develop and implement corporate planning, performance and improvements

42. Education - What we do • To provide a quality and breadth of education to all children and young people in Argyll and Bute • 73 primary schools • 3 3-18 schools • 5 secondary schools • 2 Joint Campus • 1 Learning Centre (Parklands) • Additional support needs • Psychological service

43. DEVELOPMENT & INFRASTRUCTURE

44. Roads and Amenity Services Service information • The Roads Service has responsibility for maintaining: • 2,321 km of the road network • 1,009 km of footways • 14,268 street lights • 2,228 structures • traffic signs, road markings, grass verges & offlets, drainage ditches, drains, gullies, culverts and parapets • Delivery of a £21m – 3 year Capital Roads Reconstruction & Recovery Programme • Maintaining the network with a revenue budget of £4.7m • Winter Maintenance service – Council’s Winter Maintenance Policy • Provide emergency response to deal with storm and severe weather events and assist community partners with other emergencies

45. Roads and Amenity Services Service information… • The Amenities - Streetscene team annually: • cut over 2.44 million square metres of maintained grass • undertake 323,694 linear metres of street sweeping • operate and maintain public conveniences, car parks, play parks, cemeteries and the crematorium • collect and dispose of refuse and recycling from: • 48,000 households and 3,000 businesses • 56,000 tonnes of waste per year • 41% recycled or composted (Shanks PPP Contract) • Infrastructure Design Team :- roads, bridges, piers and harbours • Fleet Management Team:- Operating Licence Holder, Vehicle Fleet asset management, procurement and front line maintenance • Network & Environment :- Asset Management & Policy

46. Planning and Regulatory Services Service information… Planning Service delivering statutory Council services through: • Development Management Processing planning applications and pre-application consultation and post-application evaluation. • Building Standards Processing warrants and completion certificates to ensure health and safety of buildings and the conservation of energy and power. • Development Policy Preparation of the Argyll and Bute Local Development Plan including Local Biodiversity Action Plan, Woodland and Forestry Strategy, Access and Integrated Coastal Zone Management.

47. Planning and Regulatory Services Service information… Housing Services Develop and implement the Local Housing Strategy in partnership with key stakeholders, welfare rights service to reduce poverty and support independence, deliver a responsive and accessible housing option service to prevent homelessness, improve the standard of private sector housing and provide a disabled adaptations service. Regulatory Services delivering statutory Council services through: • Environmental and Animal Health Inspections of businesses for food safety, workplace health and safety, environmental protection, public health and animal health and welfare. • Trading Standards Inspections of businesses for fair trading, consumer safety and metrology.

48. Economic Development Service information… • Economic Development aims to unlock the potential of Argyll and Bute’s economic assets through: • Projects, Renewables and Regeneration Developing the Renewable Energy Action Plan, encouraging the development of social enterprise and delivering the wider regeneration agenda including supporting specific sectors such as quality food & drink and tourism. • CHORD programme The CHORD programme is assisting with the regeneration and economic development of five of the main waterfront towns of Campbeltown, Helensburgh, Oban, Rothesay and Dunoon. 

49. Economic Development Service information… Strategic Transportation - Marine & Airports • Management and operation of the Council’s Marine Infrastructure (piers & harbours), ferry services • Management and operation of the Council’s Airports and PSO Air Services to the islands • Identifying, promoting and delivering of the Council’s transport priorities and facilitating road safety throughout Argyll and Bute. Economic Development • Supporting economic development through Business Gateway, the European Team (Policy & Funding) and the Employability Team

50. LiveArgyll • Libraries • Leisure Facilities • Active Schools • Archives • MuseumSport Development • Halls • Community Centre • Community Lets