Issue - meetings

To consider a report of the Monitoring Officer

The report sets out a process for agreeing ‘Council Champions’ and the appointment of Members to such positions in the future.

The Working Party is invited to note the list of current ‘Council Champions’ and consider the proposed process for agreeing Council Champions and the appointment of Members to such positions in the future.

Officer Contact: Craig Ainsworth on 0161 474 3204 or email: craig.ainsworth@stockport.gov.uk

The Monitoring Officer submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) setting out a process for agreeing ‘Council Champions’ and the appointment of Members to such positions in the future.

The following comments were made/issues raised:-

·         support was given to the principle to the principle of having Council Champions.

·         checks should be made with existing Council Champions to see if they wished to continue in the role.

·         consideration should be given to advertising the position of Council Champions.

·         there was a need to be transparent about the process by which Council Champions were appointed. Representatives from the appropriate community should be involved in the appointment of the Council Champion, for example representatives of the Older Person’s Network should be involved in the appointment of the Older People’s Champion. This was a practice which had been adopted by a number of Welsh local authorities.

·         the period of appointment of the Council Champions should be reviewed.

RESOLVED – (1) That confirmation be sought from the existing Council Champions whether they wished to continue in the role.

(2) That the Democratic Services Manager be requested to develop further the process and criteria for the appointment of Council Champions and submit a further report to the next meeting of the Working Party.