Member Survey on the Council's Governance Arrangements

This survey will inform the review of the Council’s governance arrangements, due to be considered by the Governance Committee in March 2025. As members are at the centre of the democratic role of the Council, your experience of how well its ways of working serve that role is vital. As this is a complex and wide-ranging issue, a short background briefing is included for you to read before starting the survey. This includes some links to other online information. Please note, if you click on any of these links, to go back to the survey you should click on the arrow in the ribbon at the top left of your screen (don’t close the window or you will have to reopen the survey).

Thank you for taking the time to give your views.

Background Briefing

Review process and objectives

Governance Committee agreed in November 2024 to an internal assessment of the Council’s governance arrangements ahead of the May 2025 Council elections. This ensures the insight and experience of current members informs the assessment. The all-member survey will be supplemented by feedback from senior officers. Responses will be collated and reported to the Governance Committee in March 2025, when it will consider any next steps. The objectives of the review are to:

• check the Council’s governance culture, behaviours and processes are resilient
• reflect on the effectiveness of governance developments since 2019
• identify any weaknesses or risk of weaknesses emerging in the future

What do we mean by governance and who's responsible for this at WSCC

Governance covers how the organisation uses its systems, procedures and behaviours to ensure it achieves its objectives clearly, effectively and accountably - including the way decisions are made and how decision-makers are held to account.   Governance culture is determined by the council’s values, how decisions are made and how members and officers behave and work together and in their roles.

The Council’s Code of Governance sets out the framework of governance for Council business and decision-making. This is underpinned by the Nolan Principles of Standards in Public Life.

The Director of Law and Assurance is responsible for the effectiveness of the Council’s governance and for reporting on how well it complies with the Code of Governance through the Annual Governance Statement (AGS). This is monitored by the Regulation, Audit and Accounts Committee and includes an action plan to address issues identified. The Governance Committee oversees the Council’s democratic arrangements and advises the County Council on its Constitution.

When were the Council’s governance arrangements last reviewed?

• Monthly public Cabinet meetings with opportunities for more collective decisions and input from scrutiny chairmen and minority group leaders
• Reset of the approach to the role of Fire & Rescue authority, including establishing a dedicated scrutiny committee
• Revised arrangements for scrutiny, including call-in protocol, appointment of committee chairs and strengthened business planning
• Revisions to the Corporate Parenting Panel, strengthening the voice of the child

A detailed list of changes to the Council’s governance arrangements 2019 - 2024 was reported to Governance Committee in November 2024 and includes:           

• Merger of the Planning Committee and the Rights of Way Committee
• Strengthened member induction programme
• Revised Code of Governance and Whistleblowing Policy
• Revised and simplified decision and committee report templates
• Council processes: order of agenda regularised; limits to written questions; notices of motion process simplified; changes to time limits for certain debate speeches
• Cabinet and scrutiny committees carrying out quarterly performance monitoring in public, through the Performance and Resources Report (PRR)
• Executive-Scrutiny Protocol developed to cover the relationship between scrutiny and the Cabinet and a framework for working together effectively
• Health and Wellbeing Board terms of reference revised to clarify its role and purpose and to support greater collaboration between the NHS and social care
• County Local Committees removed and replaced with County Local Forums for a one year trial; County Local Forums reviewed and discontinued
• New Councillor Code of Conduct produced, based on the national Model Code of Conduct for councils
• Member Officer Relations Protocol revised (subject to approval by County Council in December 2024)
  
  
  Now please complete the survey and give your views on the Council’s governance arrangements.  
  
  Please note that there is an open text box at the end of the survey for you to make any further points or comments you wish to be taken into account. Also, if the text in the survey seems small, you can enlarge your view by clicking on settings (the three dots in the ribbon at the top of your screen).  This should open a drop down menu, which includes the option to “zoom” (click on + to increase the size).  Please do not worry if you see a message at the end of the survey saying that you have not answered 100% of questions.  This will be because you have not filled in some of the open text questions (which are optional).