Agenda and draft minutes

Apologies were received from Cllrs King Lawal and Ian Jelley.

There were no declarations of interest received.

RESOLVED that: The Service Delivery, Performance and Customers Executive Advisory Panel agreed the minutes of the meeting held on 3^rd August 2022 as a true and accurate record of the meeting.

Policy development in relation to how members support residents within their wards

The Council’s Monitoring Officer, Adele Wylie introduced the topic of Member Ward Enquiries and Communication, seeking views from the panel regarding the way elected members managed enquiries on behalf of their constituents.

The meeting heard that a question to Full Council had broached the topic, with numerous queries raised by members regarding a standardised approach to constituent queries, how the process should be managed and where such queries should be directed.

The panel discussed the issue at length, noting the volume and variation of contacts received from residents regarding Council services. Members noted that the Council’s existing contact methods could seem cumbersome to the public, especially telephone contacts and timescales provided for requests and responses were not always adhered to.

Members also noted that often they did not know where to direct queries within the organisational structure of the authority, with knowledge of this and associated contact details being requested for all members. Members also noted that if enquiries were not dealt with satisfactorily, then Executive members could become a point of contact.

The Monitoring Officer noted the comments made by the panel, the importance of being able to report issues to the correct person and the need for communication between ward members regarding issues directly affecting their wards and the need for collaborative working.

The following points were raised by members for further consideration as part of any new policy:

·        Enquiries should receive quick and reasonable acknowledgement – suggested within 3 working days, urgent queries beings quicker

·        A substantive response to be received within 10-14 days with realistic expectations set

·        Key Performance Indicators introduced to monitor response to ascertain whether this was a manageable deadline

·        Establish whether enquiries from members and Town and Parish councils were dealt with more speedily

·        Establish a valid escalation process

·        Introduce a triage process and cross-referencing of complaints

Members received the Executive Forward Plan and the work programme for the panel and noted upcoming items for both.