Support available for candidates and councillors
Resources available
There are many resources available for candidates and councillors. In particular through the Local Government Association (LGA)
There are also other sources of support including:
The LGA also have more information for disabled people in their Improving Access to Elected Office guidebook.
Support from the council once elected
General support
The Councillor Support Team offer general help and support for all councillors including in:
- setting up surgeries,
- connecting with IT systems,
- receiving post and the like.
Councillors who hold certain positions such as a Cabinet post or Chair of a Committee can also get diary support.
Councillors have access to office space and group rooms from which to conduct Council business, meet with officers etc.
Training
There is a Member Learning and Development programme which offers support to councillors in relation to their role(s) on the Council. Some of this relates to important requirements such as the Code of Conduct and how to take decisions at meetings. Whilst other sessions cover more general skills such as
- chairing meetings,
- time management and
- safety considerations.
Each councillor can also access a personal training budget to support training to develop a personal development plan to meet their specific needs (related to their council/Member responsibilities).
Information and guides
Councillors receive a weekly newsletter with updates from the council and about other events/organisations. There is also a web hub which contains guidance on
- rules and regulations,
- past training courses,
- information about the council and more.
Allowances
Councillors are not paid a salary but are entitled to allowances. A general allowance is paid to all councillors. An additional ‘Special Responsibility Allowances’ is paid to specific councillors who chair Committees, are Members of the Cabinet and similar. All allowances are taxable.
If a councillor is off for reasons of sickness or maternity/paternity/adoption leave then they will continue to receive their basic allowance. They will also continue to collect any Special Responsibility Allowance they are already receiving and another councillor will appointed to cover that role until they return.
When a councillor has dependants, they will be entitled to claim a Dependent Carers’ Allowance to pay for care of their dependent when carrying out certain council activities. The rate of re-imbursement is usually set at the level of the London Living Wage.
Details of Allowances and Parental Leave are set out in the allowances Scheme at the end of Part C of the Constitution.
Safety
The safety of our councillors is important to the council. Advice and guidance on keeping safe and handling difficult people and conversations are available. As well as, personal alarms and help considering safety at surgeries.
Conduct and behaviour
The council has certain expectations for how councillors will conduct themselves. These are set out in the Code of Conduct. There is also a Member/Officer Relations Protocol which sets out how councilliors and officers engage with each other in a professional and supportive manner. The Standards Advisory Committee monitors the behaviour of councilliors and will take action if required.