Role Descriptions for Elected Members, Committee Conveners and Leader of the Council

Elected Members - Role Descritption

Fundamental to the role of all members of North Lanarkshire Council are two principal responsibilities:-

• To bring to the consideration of all matters affecting North Lanarkshire as a whole their knowledge, talents, skills and judgement and to participate in decision making with the aim of reaching decisions in the best interests of the whole of North Lanarkshire;

• To represent, advise, counsel and give leadership to all constituents in the wards which they represent and to ensure that all corporate Council decisions are taken in light of local knowledge of the local circumstances of their wards and the particular needs and concerns of their constituents.

From these responsibilities flow the following aspects of the role of all members of North Lanarkshire Council.

• Members participate in the decision making of North Lanarkshire Council affecting the whole of the area of North Lanarkshire and, in particular, in the formulation of the strategic vision for the future of North Lanarkshire and the development of Council policies which will lead to the attainment of that vision, as a Committee member and as a member of the full Council.

• Members of North Lanarkshire Council, in participating in the decision making of the Council, ensure that all decisions taken are informed by their local knowledge of the needs and priorities of the constituents in the wards they represent.

• As corporate members of North Lanarkshire, all councillors monitor the effectiveness and efficiency of the Council in the discharge of its functions to serve the needs of the people of North Lanarkshire. This is undertaken through Committee membership and local representation.

• All members of North Lanarkshire Council contribute their talents, judgement, skills and ability to the working of the Council, whether through participation in the decision making process of the Council, inter-action with the officers of the Council or leading and participating in Council working groups and other discussion forums.

• North Lanarkshire Council has devolved to a local area level responsibility for a certain range of Council decisions and all members of North Lanarkshire Council participate fully in such discussion and decision making.

• As corporate members of North Lanarkshire Council, it is frequently the case that members of the Council require to participate in quasi judicial bodies. In doing so they require to bring to the decision making process their whole skills, judgement and abilities and determine matters with regard to Council policies and practices but, in each case, in light of the objective circumstances of the case.

• All members of North Lanarkshire Council represent, both in Council decision making and in dialogue with officers of the Council, all of the constituents in the areas which they are elected to the Council to represent.

• All members of North Lanarkshire Council make themselves available for contact by constituents in relation to Council services, by way of correspondence, phone and regular surgeries. Members represent the interests of such constituents to the Council as well as explaining to constituents Council policies, programmes and priorities.

• All members of North Lanarkshire Council exercise leadership within the areas they are elected to represent and promote effective liaison between the Council and other agencies in the public, private and voluntary sector to contribute to the best interests of the people of that area and of North Lanarkshire.

• All members of North Lanarkshire Council make known within their area the work of the Council and, in particular, in their work within the area they are elected to represent, the Council's corporate vision for the future of North Lanarkshire, the policies adopted by the Council to attain that vision, the consequences of those policies for individual service delivery and the opportunities and constraints influencing or underlying Council decisions.

• As corporate members of North Lanarkshire Council members of the Council require to represent the Council and the area of North Lanarkshire on a range of outside bodies and at a number of events at a regional, national and international level. In doing so, all members of North Lanarkshire Council require to represent the Council and the area to the best of their abilities and act as effective ambassadors for the Council and the whole of North Lanarkshire.

• It is a fundamental responsibility of all members of North Lanarkshire Council, both through their own conduct and through their work including inter-action with the people in the area they represent, the media and other agencies, to observe the highest standards of conduct and to uphold and enhance the role and reputation of the Council.

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Committee Conveners - Role Description

• Conveners act as a link between the membership of North Lanarkshire Council and the officers of the Council responsible for service delivery, in order that decisions made by the Council may be fully informed by an accurate representation of service opportunities and constraints and in order that work of - and with - officers in developing options for consideration by the Council with regard to service delivery may be fully informed by an accurate knowledge of the aims and priorities of the Council.

• Conveners act as spokespersons for the Council in respect of the delivery of the services which are the responsibility of the Committees they chair and, in debate, consideration and decision making in those Committees, exercise leadership in ensuring that decisions are taken in light of Council corporate policies and decisions as they affect the individual services and in light of individual service specific policy decisions taken by the Council.

• Conveners exercise their knowledge, skills and judgement in advising officers of the Council in formal consultations on the exercise of delegated powers or on the taking of other decisions at times when it is not possible to refer the matter for formal decision making by the Council and do so in an objective and balanced manner.

• In chairing Committees, Conveners ensure full and fair debate commensurate with the consideration required of individual matters and, flowing therefrom, give leadership to the Committee, in terms of the Council's Standing Orders, if necessary through moving a motion for determination by the Committee.

• Conveners liaise closely with the senior officers responsible for the services for which their Committees are responsible to contribute to the development of effective working relationships between all officers delivering those services and all members of the Council and to support the creation of an inclusive working environment.

• Conveners in matters relating to the services for which the Committees they chair are responsible represent the Council and develop effective working relationships with partner organisations whose work can contribute to or affect the delivery of services for which the Committees they chair are responsible.

• Conveners monitor, review and comment to officers on the performances of the services for which their Committees are responsible.

• As senior members and office bearers of the Council, the responsibility of all members of the Council to maintain the highest standards of conduct applies particularly to all Conveners.

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Leader of the Council - Role Description

The responsibilities of the Leader of the Council transcend those of individual members of the Council – and the particular service responsibilities of other individual Conveners – and extend to corporate responsibility for the vision, policies, strategies and consequent decisions of the whole Council. From this flows the following particular aspects of the role of the Leader of the Council.

• The Leader of the Council requires to ensure that the Council develops and maintains a vision for the whole of North Lanarkshire and exercises leadership in all decision making processes of or affecting North Lanarkshire Council to ensure that decisions are taken in light of and with a view to contributing to the attainment of that vision.

• The Leader of the Council will normally act as the primary representative of and spokesperson for the Council and promote, both within and outwith the Council, the Council's vision for North Lanarkshire and the policies and programmes adopted by the Council in pursuance of that vision. In that respect he will endeavour to maintain a good working relationship with the Provost of the Council in relation to their respective roles.

• The Leader of the Council co-ordinates the work of all Conveners within the Council to ensure the corporate effectiveness of the Council as a whole and, in particular, to ensure that the exercise of all of the powers of the Council and delivery of all of the services for which the Council is responsible best contributes to the corporate objectives of the Council.

• The Leader of the Council has, also, particular responsibility with regard to the Council's role of community leadership within the whole of North Lanarkshire and, in doing so, it is the responsibility of the Leader of the Council to oversee effective relationships with partner organisations.

• As Convener of the Policy and Resources Committee, the Leader of the Council has particular responsibility  for working with the Chief Executive in issues associated with the organisation and management  processes of the Council.

   

• As part of and in support of the role of the Leader of the Council, it is anticipated that the Leader of the Council will take advantage of the right to secure advice from senior officers of the Council, most usually through the Chief Executive.

• The Leader of the Council has a particular role in the promotion of an inclusive working environment involving all members of the Council and in developing and encouraging effective working relationships among councillors and officers.

• The whole responsibilities of all members of North Lanarkshire Council to maintain the highest standards of conduct apply particularly to the Leader of the Council, it being acknowledged that the Leader of the Council is in a unique position, through his conduct, to provide an example to all other members of the Council and to enhance the reputation both within and outwith North Lanarkshire of North Lanarkshire Council.

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