Agenda item

To receive an update from the Director (Communities, Housing & Environment) on progress with the Review of Community Committees, including recommendations that have emerged from the work to date and an accompanying work programme.

Those in attendance for this item were:

-  Cllr Mary Harland (Executive Member)

-  James Rogers (Director, Communities, Housing & Environment)

-  Paul Money (Chief Officer, Safer, Stronger Communities)

-  Liz Jarmin (Head of Locality Partnerships)

The Scrutiny Board was reminded that in June 2023 the Executive Board recommended a full review of community committees should be carried out. The Scrutiny Board has received updates on the progress of the review in the intervening period with the appended report setting out progress to date and the recommendations that have emerged following member engagement.

In his introduction, the Chair highlighted an ambition to establish a community committee structure, which enables residents and members to have more influence over local decision making.

Cllr Harland welcomed the engagement from the Scrutiny Board and elected members who have taken part in various workshops and consultation meetings. It was noted that there would be a further member engagement opportunity on 13 November 2024.

Cllr McCluskey welcomed the development of a job description that had been produced for the role of Children’s Champion.  It was confirmed that a profile for the role of Community Committee Chair was also being developed.

Members highlighted the importance of ensuring a role profile for a committee chair does not inadvertently constrain the work of chairs seeking to tailor the activity of their respective committees to meet local needs or aspirations.

The Executive Member reassured the Board that the review recognises the differences between community committees. The role profile for Chairs will provide clarity about the responsibilities of the position and is intended as a guide to support members who are new to the role.

Cllr Golton queried whether there a similar document will set out how Executive Members and key officers will be expected to respond to the conclusions, recommendations and requests developed by community committees.

Cllr Harland acknowledged the important role of Executive Board members in supporting the work of community committees in their respective portfolio areas.

The Scrutiny Board was advised that the key aim of the review is to improve public engagement with community committees. Members shared this aspiration.

The Scrutiny Board explored the challenge of securing local engagement with the work of community committees. Members identified several barriers to engagement including:

-  Time and location of committee meetings.

-  A lack of opportunities for the public interaction.

-  The perceived formality of meetings.

-  Access to technological solutions such as webcasting.

It was suggested that committees may wish to consider engagement activity taking place outside of formal committee settings. This may provide an opportunity for the committee to connect with wider community-based activity. Liz Jarmin highlighted the extensive consultation activity carried out across the city by other Council services and noted the opportunity to bring that work together in localities to achieve a richer overall sense of community views.

Members considered ways in which to reduce the perceived formality of community committees, including changing the name.

Members highlighted the value of the knowledge and support provided by the localities team.

Members shared their experience of different meeting settings. Several members expressed a desire for more meetings to be webcast so that local people can access them a time and location to suits them. Members were advised of the challenges around security, buildings and staff required to webcast public meetings. Members requested consideration be given to alternative solutions to corporate webcasting including using Facebook Live.  

It was noted that the report highlights challenges regarding the capacity of the communities team and wider council services to drive progress and change, given the number of service reviews currently underway in response to immediate financial pressures.

Liz Jarmin and Paul Money acknowledged the challenge of developing and delivering change to the community committee network in given this current context. While there is an ongoing commitment to support change in community committees, the Scrutiny Board was advised that discussions about the delegation of functions to localities have been paused to allow service reviews to complete. The focus on structures and taking engagement activity out of formal meeting settings is, however, continuing.

James Rogers reiterated the importance of locality working in Leeds and that there remains a commitment to work closely with communities in future, including through community committees.

James also confirmed that many staff within his directorate work outside a standard ‘9 to 5’ pattern.

The Chair welcomed efforts to increase the transparency of local decision making and to improve levels of local community engagement.   

RESOLVED:

Scrutiny Board members noted the content of the report and agreed to:

a) Support the review of Community Committees and their constitutional role in helping to shape and influence place.

b) Provide their endorsement of the recommendations and accompanying work programme, as set out in appendix 1.