Prospective Councillors’ Booklet
Surrey County Council
“…democratic election gives local councillors,
like Members of Parliament, a special status in
public life… It is no easy task being a local
councillor… Certainly no councillor would seek
election in order to get rich… but the ambition
to serve on a council remains an honourable
calling and should be recognised as such.”
Lord Nolan’s Report on Standards of Conduct in
Local Government
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Contents
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
The County Council
The County Councillor’s Role
The Role of Political Parties
Independent Councillors
Local authorities in the UK
How decisions are made
The Council
The Council’s Constitution
The Cabinet
Scrutiny
Local Committees
Other Committees
Access to information
Ethics and Standards
Support from officers
The Democratic Services Team
The Community Partnerships Team
Training and development
Buddying
Annexes:
1. Basic information for prospective candidates
2. Being a County Councillor – FAQs
3. Know your services – who does what?
4. Surrey County Council role profile
5. Summary of Councillors’ Allowances
6. Constitutional Structure of the County Council
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Page
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4
6
7
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12
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1.
The County Council
If you are elected in May, you will become one of the 81 councillors who make up
Surrey County Council.
Surrey County Council is the fifth largest local authority in the country, serving a
population of more than 1.13 million residents. Its services are provided by 26,000
staff, which makes the Council the county’s leading employer.
Surrey County Council is a diverse and complex major business operation,
providing a wide range of essential public services. The Council is responsible
for major public services that need to operate on a countywide basis. More
local services, such as housing, local planning and environmental health, are
run by the 11 district and borough councils in Surrey.
The County Council’s customers are the residents of the county. Virtually
every one of them uses one or more of our services every day, including
schools, roads, the fire service, social services and libraries, to name but a
few.
Surrey is one of the country’s safest areas to live and is a relatively healthy
county. Its economy is one of the most successful outside central London and
the county is generally prosperous, with high standards of living and low levels
of unemployment and deprivation. Surrey schools achieve consistently high
results.
Surrey is also a county of contrasts, covering a range of urban and rural areas.
It is the most densely populated and urban shire county in the country, and yet
is the most wooded county in England. Bordering five London Boroughs in the
north and the east, Surrey has easy access to central London and to Gatwick
and Heathrow airports. It also boasts many historic towns and picturesque
villages, and some of the most attractive and varied countryside
in the South East.
The County Council’s administrative headquarters is situated at County Hall in
Kingston-upon-Thames but many services are based on other sites
throughout Surrey.
There is more information about the County Council, its sites and the services it
provides, as well as information about the county of Surrey in general, on our
website, at www.surreycc.gov.uk.
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2.
The County Councillor’s Role
The way the County Council organises its decision and policy-making business
stems from the Local Government Act 2000 and the Local Government and
Public Involvement in Health Act 2007.
The County Council, consisting of all 81 elected Members, is the ultimate
decision-making body. It agrees the Council’s strategic direction and major
policies and sets the capital and revenue budgets each year. In addition it
agrees a policy framework and decides the level of each year’s Council Tax.
Further information about the way the County Council operates as a decisionmaking body can be found on p.11.
Surrey has a leader and cabinet executive model for its governance
arrangements. This means that the council’s appointed leader holds all
the council’s executive functions under their personal control and it is
then up to him or her to choose whether to exercise some or all of these
functions personally or to make arrangements for their discharge by a
Cabinet, by an individual member of the Cabinet or by officers.
The role of a councillor is extremely wide-ranging, encompassing
making decisions; representing the views of constituents; dealing with
casework; developing policy; and working in partnership with
stakeholders and local organisations. Members are required to make
and re-affirm appointments of local authority governors to schools within
their divisions, in consultation with the headteacher of the school.
Much of councillors’ work is done through formal meetings. Committees
must be politically balanced, so that their membership reflects the
relative ratios of the different political groups on the Council. The papers
for committee meetings are published in advance of the meeting and the
press and public are entitled to attend meetings, except during
consideration of what are known as Part 2 (exempt) items. In our
experience these items amount to fewer than 5% of the total business.
As well as committee service, councillors’ time may be taken up with
representing the Council on a number of outside organisations, such as school
governing bodies, youth projects, arts and community organisations, charities
and trusts.
In addition, county councillors are required to fulfil the County Council’s
legal duty to act as a ‘corporate parent’ for every child and young person
who is looked after by the council, whether this is as a result of a
voluntary agreement with their parents, or under a care order agreed by
the court. The county councillors’ specific role is to ensure that every
child and young person in their care is provided with opportunities so
that they can reach their full potential.
Full details of the role of the county councillor can be found in the role profiles
attached at Annex 4.
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It is a considerable role to take on but the work is sufficiently rewarding that
the great majority of councillors seek re-election, some of them serving for two
terms or more.
LIFE AS ...
So you think you would like to be a county councilor and want to make a
difference in your community? A laudable aim, but is it possible? The excerpts
below have been written by current Members and set out some real
experiences of the roles you may have once you have been elected to the
County Council
....A County Councillor:
“Once elected there are all those retraining factors. You are new and
don’t know much. Of course your job is made somewhat easier by IT
support and an excellent and award winning SCC Contact Centre to
which, as a Member, you have direct access. And quite rightly for, as the
representative of your community, you need to have more assured and
swifter access to officers and decision makers.”
....A member of an opposition group:
“Surrey County Council follows the strong leader model, where most of
us are backbenchers, which some believe gives us little influence. But
that’s not the whole picture.
My role is vital, as robust challenge to the administration’s strategies
and policies is necessary to ensure both fairness to all sectors of our
public and best use of Council Taxpayers’ money. If you have a good
point to make, and a persuasive nature, you can make a difference to an
intended outcome.”
....A member of the majority political group:
“All Members of the group, including backbenchers, are engaged in the
process of setting policy – the leadership and Cabinet Members need to
test their ideas with the whole group before coming to a final decision
on policy direction.”
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....A Cabinet Member:
“Although each Cabinet Member has a specific role, all of us need to
bear in mind the overall strategic direction of the County Council. This
makes things varied and dynamic. It’s fun to have sight of the bigger
picture.”
....A member of a Local Committee:
“You are automatically a member of your SCC Local Committee, which
takes many key financial and policy decisions about the highways work
and the youth provision in your Borough or District area. That’s
influence, that’s making a difference.”
....As a community leader:
“As the elected Member for your Division, you are the main man or
woman. Your residents come to you for support and solutions. Council
officers seek your opinion and tell you about key issues affecting your
area. It can be challenging when your own division is affected by an
issue and you are at odds with the group view. The residents in your
division may not always appreciate that, although issues around
highways and the environment are important, the bulk of the county
council’s spend is on Adults and Children’s Services. However, you have
a Member’s Fund of over £12,000 to allocate to local organizations
and charities, and a Community Pride fund of £5,000 which you can
use for highway or street scene improvements in your area.”
“In the end, making a difference in your community comes down to you.
Do you have the time, energy, inter-personal and time-management
skills, staying power and local back up – family as well as political – to
do the job? Can you cope with the setbacks, the (occasional) local
criticisms of your efforts as well as the late night calls for help? If so,
give it a go.
I did, and I don’t for one moment regret that decision.”
3.
The Role of Political Parties
Many, but by no means all, councillors are members of a political party. Those
of the same party will join together as a political group at the County Council.
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Group meetings are held regularly to agree a common line to take on issues
but do not form part of the formal structure of the Council. A group consists of
two or more people.
If you are thinking of standing as a candidate for a particular political party,
you should first get in touch with that party’s local organisation. They are listed
in the business and services section of the BT Phone Book under ‘Political
Organisations’.
Many parties also have a national website through which you can get
information about their organisations in your area. The parties currently
represented on the County Council are, in alphabetical order:
Conservatives
www.conservatives.com
Labour
www.labour.org.uk
Liberal Democrats www.libdems.org.uk
UK Independence www.ukip.org.uk
The Independent and Residents Association Members currently form a
group at the county council. A link to the LGA’s Independent Group website is
included here for information:
http://www.independent.lga.gov.uk/lga/core/page.do?pageId=1
Further information about Independent Councillors is set out in paragraph 4,
below.
Links to many other political parties are available from the Register of Political
Parties at: http://registers.electoralcommission.org.uk/regulatoryissues/regpoliticalparties.cfm
4.
Independent Councillors
Independent councillors may also form a political group, although they may not
come from the same political party or even be committed to working together.
To create a group, Members must all sign a form addressed to the Democratic
Services Lead Manager and to other group leaders agreeing to be described
as a group.
If you plan to stand for the County Council as an independent, your local
District or Borough Council’s Electoral Registration Officer can advise you
about what you’ll need to do to get your name on the ballot.
The Independent Group on the Local Government Association has published a
“Handy Hints for Independent Candidates” booklet, which is available on their
website at www.picx.co.uk/images/handyhints.pdf
5.
Local authorities in the UK
Councils differ in their type and function across the UK. Some local authorities
are ‘unitary authorities’, which means they have responsibility for all local
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government services in their area. In ‘two-tier areas’, district councils and a
county council work together in partnership. Each has different responsibilities
and no tier is more important than, or has control over, the other. Whether you
live in a single-tier or a two-tier area in England depends on boundaries set by
the electoral commission and local government re-organisation.
There are also a number of town and parish councils within Surrey. Parishes
are the smallest areas of civil administration in England and their Town and
Parish Councils provide the statutory tier of local government closest to the
people. (Civil parishes should not be confused with Church of England
ecclesiastical parishes and their Parochial Church Councils.)
Counties are elected on an all-out basis every four years, while other
authorities may opt for all-out elections every four years or hold elections by
thirds, where only one third of the Council is up for election during election
years.
Knowing what services the Council provides and which might be provided by
other public bodies will go a long way in helping constituents cut through what
can seem like a maze. A list of the respective services provided by county
councils and district/borough councils is included at Annex 3.
Some services are statutory and authorities are required to provide these
services in their areas, although it may not actually deliver them. Others are
discretionary. If you are not sure whether the County Council is required to
provide any service and to what standard, please check our website.
The County Council does not work in isolation and is required to develop
strong partnerships with other bodies both statutory and voluntary.
6.
How decisions are made
The way that the Council makes decisions, and the different structures and
meetings it has appointed to run its business in an open way, often seems
complicated to the public. The decision-making processes of the Council
include: the County Council itself; committees, including Local Committees
and the Planning and Regulatory Committee, for example; and the
Cabinet. Some decisions are taken by officers under delegated powers.
The Council
All elected Members of the Council meet regularly in what is the Council’s most
formal meeting. Council meetings are held on Tuesdays and seven Council
meetings are scheduled each year, although additional meetings can be held to
consider specific issues. The first Council meeting after the election will be the
annual meeting, which will make appointments to various roles and
committees. This will be held on 19 May 2015.
The Council as a whole sets the annual budget and taxes, approves the main
Council strategies and plans, such as school admission arrangements and the
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Surrey Waste Plan, and reviews and agrees the Council’s Constitution. The
agenda for County Council meetings allows questions to be asked of officeholders including the Leader of the Council, Cabinet Members and committee
chairmen. Other business on the agenda includes reports from the Cabinet
and other committees of the Council.
Council staff in Democratic Services will make the administrative
arrangements for the meetings and will minute them. The rules of the meeting
are set out in the Standing Orders contained in the constitution, and staff will
be able to advise you about the arrangements and deadlines for getting items
onto agendas for meetings. If you are part of a political group, you may also
have group protocols about the way things are done.
The Council’s Constitution
The detailed arrangements for the Council to take decisions and run its
business must be set out in its constitution. Copies of the constitution can be
accessed on the County Council’s website at www.surreycc.gov.uk or
obtained on request from Democratic Services. The Council sets and amends
its constitution within a framework of legislation. The constitution covers
the council’s executive arrangements; arrangements for the dischargeof
non-executive functions; standing orders; the codes of conduct for
Members and for officers; the professional staff structure, including the
roles and responsibilities of the Chief Executive, Monitoring Officer and
other officers; and audit arrangements.
The Cabinet
The Cabinet takes decisions about the running of services, within the
framework of the Council’s constitution, the budget and plans agreed by the
Council as a whole. It meets 11 times a year, ie once a month, with the
exception of August.
Surrey’s Cabinet consists of ten Members. The Leader chairs the meetings
and assigns responsibility for specific areas of work or a ‘portfolio’ to the
Deputy Leader and the remaining eight members. At present, the portfolios
are:
Children and Families
Community Services
Adult Social Care
Highways, Transport and Flooding
Environment and Planning
Public Health and Health & Wellbeing Board
Schools and Learning
Business Services
In addition to the Cabinet Members the Leader has also appointed four Cabinet
Associates to support the Cabinet in the following areas:
Adult Social Care
Children, Schools and Families
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Assets and Regeneration
Fire and Police Services
Cabinet Member Decision Making meetings also take place monthly, where
each Cabinet Member takes decisions that have been delegated to that
portfolio holder by the Leader.
Scrutiny
The councillors who are not on the Cabinet can serve on the County Council’s
scrutiny committees, known as Select Committees. There is one overarching
scrutiny committee, the Council Overview and Scrutiny Committee, and six
further Select Committees, the titles of which broadly mirror those of the
Cabinet portfolios. Select Committees scrutinise the work of the Council,
including overseeing the work of the Cabinet, helping it develop policy, making
sure it acts in accordance with the Council’s overall strategic direction and
scrutinising its decisions. They, or task groups appointed by them, review
service delivery, monitor performance and budget spend and asses the impact
of any decisions made on behalf of Surrey.
Whereas most of the Select Committees focus primarily on matters inside the
county council, the Health Scrutiny Committee comprises members of local
borough and district councils as well as County Council Members. They work
together to review and scrutinise health services commissioned or delivered in
Surrey and, as such, are externally focused.
For specific reviews, the Select Committees can co-opt representatives from
the health and voluntary sectors, businesses, users and carer representatives.
If you are elected, you will need to think about which services interest you
most, so that you can express a preference for joining the committees to
which you could offer your expertise and which you would most enjoy.
Local Committees
Members are required to balance the strategic needs of the county with the
needs of local communities. The County Council must also work in
partnership with other service providers in the public, private and voluntary
sectors. Each County Councillor serves alongside district and borough council
members on one of the 11 local committees, based in each of the 11
boroughs and districts in Surrey. These committees enable Members to
reach into the neighbourhoods and communities they represent, making links
across service and organisational boundaries. The 11 local committees have
delegated decision-making powers on local services and budgets as well as
responsibility to:
monitor the quality of services locally;
make decisions on some local services and functions;
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engage local people in issues of concern and influence the County
Council and its Cabinet on countywide plans and services according to
local needs.
Other Committees
Certain of the Council’s functions are outside the remit of the Cabinet. These
functions are dealt with by non-executive committees, which are either
responsible for some form of regulation, such as the Planning & Regulatory
Committee and Audit & Governance Committee, Pension Fund Board or for
staffing matters, dealt with by the People, Performance and Development
Committee.
The Police and Crime Panel is responsible for scrutinising Surrey's Police
and Crime Commissioner, promoting openness in the transaction of police
business and supporting the Commissioner in the effective exercise of their
functions.
The Surrey Health and Wellbeing Board (HWB) comprises representatives
from clinical commissioning groups, Public Health, social care, local authorities,
Surrey Police and other public representatives. The Board does not have its
own budget and does not directly commission services, but it identifies
opportunities for collaboration and integration across organisations to improve
the health and wellbeing of people in Surrey and reduce health inequalities.
A diagram of the constitutional structure of the County Council is attached at
Annex 6.
If you would like to know what Cabinet, Council and committee meetings are
like, you are welcome to come and see. The calendar of forthcoming meetings
is published on the internet at www.surreycc.gov.uk
Should you be unable to attend a meeting, those of the County Council,
Cabinet and Planning & Regulatory Committee, as well as some Local
Committees, are available to watch as webcasts, accessible from the Surrey
County Council website at www.surreycc.gov.uk
Access to information
Papers for forthcoming meetings must be made available in advance.
Information about forthcoming key decisions to be taken by the Cabinet,
individual Cabinet Members and the County Council must appear in a
Forward Plan, which is published on the Council’s website. You can talk to
staff in Democratic Services or the relevant Cabinet Member if you want to
know more about forthcoming decisions.
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7.
Ethics and Standards
The way councillors act in office, particularly over matters where they have
personal or prejudicial interests, is governed both by the law and by a code of
conduct, which is set out in the county council’s constitution.
8.
Support from officers
County Councillors can expect to receive support from all officers of the
council and are entitled to request information and advice from them. Officers
you may have a lot of contact with include:
The Democratic Services team
These may be the officers you see most often. The Democratic Services team
service the meetings of the Cabinet, the Council and its committees,
convening meetings and writing minutes, and carrying out policy and research
support to committees. They are generally responsible for the smooth
operation of the democratic processes of the council.
The Democratic Services team is there to help you with queries about matters
such as Standing Orders, which set out the rules of meetings, allowances and
declarations of interest. It also acts as a first point of contact with the council’s
officers. The team can also help you with the drafting of any resolutions,
amendments and questions you may wish to put at meetings.
Specific executive support to the Leader, the Chairman and the Chief
Executive is also provided by the Democratic Services team. In addition, PA
support to certain Members and senior officers is provided from within the
service.
The Business Support team in Democratic Services can provide:
o a first point of contact when you’re not sure who to contact or where to
look for information;
o an information service to help you in your council work;
o tips on search and retrieval of information on-line;
o advice on your training and development needs, finding out and
advertising what’s available, booking courses, seminars and
conferences for you;
o day-to-day support including handling correspondence and messages;
o confidential help with your constituency work;
o stationery, electoral division maps, Members’ memorabilia;
o facilities in the Members’ Room, Reading Room and Group Rooms.
Each of the three current political groups at the county council is supported by
a Political Assistant whose role is to ensure effective communication within
the group. The Political Assistant also undertakes research so that they are
able to brief the group members on matters of national or local interest, and
holds responsibility for handling media enquiries. If you need research or
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support on a local issue, the Political Assistant will usually be able to provide
this for you.
The Community Partnerships Team
The Community Partnerships Team is a unique resource and presence for the
County Council in each borough. There are 11 Community Partnership and
Committee Officers across Surrey, clustered into two areas, East and West.
The key functions of the Community Partnerships Team are:
Service integration – brokering improvements in partnerships across SCC
services and sectors
Self Reliance – leading on policies and projects that deliver change for
Surrey’s most disadvantaged communities
Community Planning – bringing SCC values to the table at borough-based
partnerships
Community Safety – ensuring effective partnership working with Police, other
local authorities and other organisations
Working with Members locally – supporting community engagement and
leadership, delivering local improvements through Local Committees.
The Community Partnerships Team occupies a unique position in Surrey.
Officers in the team hold detailed knowledge of the range of services across
an area, reach into neighbourhoods and communities, and are able to make
links across policy areas between strategic drivers and operational delivery.
The team is an invaluable source for understanding views and perspectives at
the local level and Members are encouraged to contact them for information
on the local perspectives and activities on any issue.
Training and development
A Member Development Strategy has been agreed by the County Council and
is reviewed every two years. This ensures that a training and development
programme is in place throughout the four-year term of the Council. A crossparty Member Development Steering Group oversees the implementation of
the strategy.
Members’ attendance on certain training courses is required, for example
there is a statutory requirement for members of the Planning and Regulatory
committee to have specific training but other training is discretionary and will
depend on which role you adopt and on which committees you sit. There is an
expectation that Members will attend the necessary training to equip
themselves with the required skills to ensure they are effective in their role.
In addition to formal internal and external courses, a programme of
seminars for Members is also provided and advertised directly to Members.
Democratic Services publishes regular Member Development newsletters
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advertising courses, seminars and training programmes that are being
offered either by the County Council or by external providers.
There is a Members’ Portal on the county council’s website, which provides
easy access to information about learning and development activities and
resources, as well as a wide range of information and functionality.
Buddying
We are aware that for newly elected Members, becoming a county councillor
can be a daunting experience and you may have a number of questions,
especially in the first days or weeks. To support you, the County Council has
developed a Member/Officer buddying scheme for all new Members. Each
new Member will be assigned a senior officer to act as your dedicated buddy
within the County Council.
The role of the buddy is to:
- Help Members understand the role and services of the County Council
- Signpost Members to the right officers for queries
- Help Members get to grips with the Council’s procedures and understand
the relationships between Members and Officers
- Support Members in understanding the responsibilities of the County
Council and those of our partners –both where we work together and
where we have distinct roles.
Your buddy is there to help you and a successful relationship will depend on
developing a rapport, which will help councillors and buddies to communicate
effectively. Members for their part should:
- Feel free to ask questions and discuss issues of concern with their buddy
- Respect any special wishes of the buddy
- Treat all discussions as being strictly confidential
- Not request their Buddy undertake any admin duties on their behalf
- Not request their Buddy assist them in individual political or personal work
- Adhere to their responsibilities under the Member code of conduct and
Member/Officer protocol
In addition, a member of the Democratic Services team will also be assigned as
a buddy to each new councilor, with the aim of sharing information and offering
guidance on any matters that Members might find useful, such as location of
resources and access to information, as well as introductions to other officers.
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We hope this booklet has answered many of your questions about becoming
a county councillor. If you require any further information, please contact:
Democratic Services
Room 122
County Hall
Penrhyn Road
Kingston upon Thames
Surrey KT1 2DN
020 8541 9122
email: [email protected]
Further reading:
You may be interested in finding some more general information about
becoming a councillor in England. The ‘Making a Difference: your guide to
becoming a councillor’ document is available online at
www.beacouncillor.org.uk
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Annex 1
COUNTY COUNCIL BY-ELECTION
2015
BASIC INFORMATION FOR PROSPECTIVE CANDIDATES
Who can stand for election
as a Surrey county
councillor?
You must:
1. be a British subject, or a citizen of the
Commonwealth or the European Union
2. be 18 years of age or over by the date of the
election
3. be a local government elector for the county
of Surrey; or
4. have occupied, as owner or tenant, any land
or other premises in the county for the whole
of the previous 12 months; or
5. have had your principal or only place of work
in the county during the whole of the previous
12 months.
You cannot stand for election if you:
1. are the subject of a bankruptcy restriction
order or interim order; or
2. have, within five years before the day of the
election, been convicted in the United
Kingdom of any offence and have had a
sentence of imprisonment (whether
suspended or not) for a period of over three
months without the option of a fine; or
3. work for Surrey County Council (but you can
work for other local authorities that represent
the same area)
When is the election?
Thursday 7 May 2015
How long is the term of
office?
2 years (as this is a by-election)
When is the latest date for
the delivery of nomination
papers?
4pm on Thursday 9 April 2015.
Notice of Election will be posted on or before
Monday 30 March 2015.
Notice of Poll will be posted on or before
Tuesday 28 April 2015.
When is the earliest date for
the issue of postal votes?
Postal votes are usually sent out about a week
before the election day.
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How do I apply when a
vacancy occurs?
Complete a nomination paper available from your
local district council office as soon as the Notice of
Election is published.
Nomination papers must include:
the candidate’s full name and address; the
signature of a proposer and seconder
(subscribers) and eight other electors supporting
the nomination (assenters). All must be
registered and eligible to vote at the election
within the division for which the nomination is
submitted.
Do I need a deposit?
No, not for local government elections.
What is an agent and do I
need one?
Candidates normally appoint an agent to act on their
behalf. Election agents receive all correspondence
and notices from the Council, are entitled to attend
the opening of postal votes, polling stations and the
counting of votes. Agents must make an expenses
return to the local authority within the specified
period.
Counting agents attend the counting of votes to
oversee the counting process.
How much can I spend on
campaigning?
It is not necessary to appoint an agent; candidates
may act as their own agent.
Each candidate may spend not more than the sum
calculated by the following formula:
£740 + 6.0p per elector in the division as shown on
the register in use at the election.
Details of expenses must be submitted to the
Authority within 35 days after the declaration of the
result of the election.
Guidance on spending and donations can be
accessed on the Electoral Commission’s website:
www.electoralcommission.org.uk.
What is the commitment in
terms of time spent at
meetings?
The average councillor devotes many hours each
month attending to council duties; much of this time
is accounted for by attending, preparing for and
travelling to and from official meetings of the
Council, the Cabinet, committees, etc, and for
attending meetings locally.
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Annex 2
Being a County Councillor
FAQs
The answers given here refer to the current conditions for councillors. Certain
arrangements may change for the new council.
Why should I become a councillor?
There are many reasons why people decide to become a councillor. The
National Census of Local Authority Councillors in England 2010 found that:
88.2% of
52.3% of
50.2% of
28.2% of
12.8% of
respondents wanted ‘to serve the community’
respondents wanted ‘to change things’
respondents cited ‘political beliefs’
respondents stated ‘because I was asked to’ and
respondents wanted ‘to resolve an issue’.
How much time is involved in being a councillor?
Our survey of Surrey County Councillors in October - November 2012 found
that councillors spent an average of 26.2 hours per week on council/political
business, with the largest proportion (40%) spending 30 hours or more and
the smallest (3%) spending up to 10 hours. In total, more than half of
respondents spent an average of more than 20 hours per week on
council/political business.
On average, the greatest proportion of councillors’ time (10 hours per week)
was spent engaging with constituents, conducting surgeries, answering
enquiries and meeting residents’ groups. Attending council meetings or
committees accounted for 9.7 hours of the week and other activities such as
attending external meetings, training events and seminars, for 7 hours of the
week.
It is for you to decide the level of commitment you are able to give to being a
councillor. It also depends on your role in the council and the duties you
decide to take on. According to the commitments you take on, this can vary
from a few hours each week to several hours each day. For some, particularly
Cabinet Members, council work is a full-time job.
You will need to attend meetings, some at County Hall in Kingston-uponThames, and others locally. Most of the county council’s meetings are held
during the working day and so, if you have a job, you will need an
understanding employer.
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For most of the meetings you will be required to attend, papers will be sent to
you in advance and you are expected to read them before the meeting.
The people you represent will expect you to deal with their problems, whether
or not they fall strictly within the county council’s remit. You are likely to
receive a lot of post, many telephone calls and a large number of emails.
Issues you need to consider in taking your decision are:
How your role as a councillor might impact on any family and personal
relationships – you will need their support and understanding as you
may be spending a lot of your spare time on council business;
The amount of post, emails and telephone calls you are likely to
receive from the people you represent. Not all of these will be received
at reasonable times!
The need to hold surgeries, visit constituents at their home or at the
council buildings, as well as finding time to meet with officers from the
council to help you with any issues;
That you will need to attend County Council meetings seven times a
year;
That there are other formal meetings that you might be required to
attend. Nearly all meetings are held in the day.
That county councillors often represent the county council on outside
bodies, or sit as school governors.
That, as for most of the meetings you attend there will be papers that
you will need to read beforehand, this will increase your time
commitment;
That if you are elected as a chairman or appointed to the Cabinet, the
role can be very demanding;
That, if you are a member of a political party there will be additional
calls on your time to attend political group meetings.
Will I get time off work?
However efficient you are in managing your time as a councillor, if you are in
employment you will need to have time off for your council duties. You may
already have spoken to your employer to let them know you are standing for
election.
Employers are required to provide reasonable time off for public duties. This
means that councillors, school governors, magistrates and other public
service representatives are entitled to take some time off from work. For
councillors, this should allow them time to attend formal meetings of the
council, including committees and task groups and other approved duties. In
deciding how much time is reasonable, the employer can have regard to how
much time off is required to enable the employee to carry out their public
duties and also the effect on the business of allowing the time off.
The amount of time off you will need will vary according to your role on the
council but you might anticipate that this could be about 18 days a year. If you
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can get your time off converted into hours, the added flexibility this gives you
is better than taking a full day off.
Taking time off work in practice involves some give and take. There is no legal
requirement for an employer to pay a councillor for the time they take off for
public duties. Some employers, though, do pay their staff. You should give as
much notice as you can to your employer of future council commitments. A list
of dates for forthcoming meetings is published each year.
What is the term of office?
As a county councillor you will serve a four-year term unless you are elected
at a by-election, when you would serve until the next scheduled council
elections.
Will I have my own PA/support assistant?
No. PA support is provided to the Leader and Deputy Leader of the Council,
Chairman of the Council and Cabinet Members only. Members are entitled to
request some administrative help from business support staff in Democratic
Services with, for example, typing correspondence to individual constituents.
Will I have my own office at County Hall?
No, although offices are provided for holders of certain positions. Each political
group has its own office and group room, equipped with telephones,
computers and printers, which you would be able to share. In addition, you will
have the use of the facilities in the Members’ Lounge and Reading Room.
What expenses am I entitled to claim?
Each year you will receive a basic allowance (currently £12,418), paid in
monthly instalments. This is to cover your constituency duties;
correspondence; attendance at meetings of the County Council, committees
and other authorised meetings; attendance at seminars and conferences,
outside bodies and Parish Council meetings.
Certain ‘approved duties’ are eligible for travel and/or subsistence allowances.
Some Members also receive a Special Responsibility Allowance in recognition
of particular duties they undertake, for example, membership of the Cabinet or
committee chairmanships. This is something that each Council considers and
decides on annually.
A summary of the current allowances is available at Annex 6.
Personal computers and communication
The council provides its Members with IT equipment to access the internet
and email. Councillors will be expected to use this equipment to carry out their
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council business and will be offered initial and follow-up training in using
the council's systems. Technical support is also available from the council's
staff.
We can also provide and pay for a separate BT telephone line for
use exclusively on council business. Councillors may also be
offered other equipment, according to need and roles.
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Annex 3
KNOW YOUR SERVICES
Who does what?
County Councils
Building Regulations
Council Tax Collection
Education
Elections
Environmental Health
Fire & Rescue
Highways
Housing
Leisure & Recreation
Libraries
Passenger Transport
Planning Applications
Social Services
Strategic Planning
Transportation Planning
Trading Standards
Waste Collection
Waste Disposal
District/Borough
Councils
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
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Annex 4
THE SURREY COUNTY COUNCILLOR
Serving Surrey to the benefit of local communities
County Councillors are elected every four years to represent the people of Surrey.
Surrey has 80 divisions, each represented by one County Councillor who is
democratically accountable to the electorate. County Councillors are politicians and
most have a publicly declared political affiliation.
Purpose
To listen to people in Surrey and represent their views.
To represent effectively the needs and interests of the division for which the
councillor was elected.
To promote County Council engagement with all citizens and groups, and ensure
that there are opportunities for the views of under-represented groups to be
heard.
To be an active community leader and promote social, economic and
environmental well-being and sustainability.
To support access to County Council services:

Ensuring good communication between the Council and its customers

Trouble-shooting when things go wrong and ensuring that complaints
are properly dealt with

Mediating fairly and constructively between people with conflicting
needs.
To contribute actively to decision-making on the Council’s policies, plans and
budgets, and to continuously review and improve Council services and
performance.
To promote continuous improvement in service delivery by monitoring, identifying
shortfalls and encouraging appropriate action.
To engage constructively with officers in delivering Council objectives.
To build collaborative working relationships with local partners, including the
Police.
Specific Tasks
To deal with enquiries and case work on behalf of constituents, representing their
interests or enabling them to take action themselves as appropriate.
To participate fully in the work of the full Council, local committee and any other
committee to which appointed.
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To develop knowledge of relevant specialist work areas as well as a wider
general understanding of other strategic and corporate issues.
To liaise with Cabinet Members, other council Members, council officers and
partner organisations to ensure that the needs of the local communities are
identified, understood and supported, and agreed local actions are carried out.
To identify individual learning and development needs and participate fully in
training opportunities provided.
To be actively involved with local organisations in order to keep up-to-date with
local concerns.
To act as the County Council’s representative and advocate on any outside
bodies and joint organisations to which appointed, ensuring effective two-way
communication.
To use local allocations to support local initiatives.
To make recommendations for the appointment of local authority school
governors, identifying candidates with the skills and experience to support the
work of the school and a commitment to, and an interest in, education.
To fulfil the responsibilities as ‘corporate parent’ of Looked After Children,
accepting responsibility for children in the Council’s care, making their needs a
priority and seeking for them the same outcomes any good parent would want for
their own children.
Personal Attributes
Committed to the role and public service
Professional – acts in keeping with the responsibilities of the role and upholds the
Council’s Code of Conduct, Constitution and ethical standards
Committed to and demonstrates the County Council’s Values:
 Responsibility
 Listen
 Trust
 Respect
Open-minded
Creative
Committed to representing own local community
Represents all constituents equally and without prejudice
Thinks Surrey-wide, taking into account local needs
Committed to equal opportunities and values diversity
Works in partnership
Recognises the political dimension
Seeks continuous personal development
Patient
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Respects and maintains confidentiality
Is an advocate of the County Council
Supports transparency in decision-making processes
Approachable, empathetic and understanding
Encourages trust
Manages workload effectively
Makes clear decisions
Skills/Knowledge
Good communication skills:
 Concise
 Confident public speaking
 Effective listening
Confident use of ICT, and a willingness to further develop skills and knowledge
Knowledge of own local area and issues, as well as corporate and servicespecific plans and budgets
Ability to present relevant and well reasoned arguments
Ability to work effectively with Council officers, the public, the media and outside
organisations
Ability to work as part of a team
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Annex 5
SUMMARY OF COUNCILLORS’
ALLOWANCES FOR 2014/15
BASIC ALLOWANCE
1.
A Basic Allowance of £12,418 per annum is paid to each Member of
the Council
SPECIAL RESPONSIBILITY ALLOWANCE
2.
A Special Responsibility Allowance is paid to those Members of the
Council who hold the following offices:
Chairman of the Council
£18,000
Vice Chairman of the Council
£8,000
Leader of the Council
£43,000
Deputy Leader of the Council
£31,250
Members of the Cabinet other than the
Leader and Deputy Leader of the Council
£22,500 per
Member
Cabinet Associates
£12,500
Council Overview & Scrutiny Committee
and Planning and Regulatory Committee
Chairmen
£12,000
Select Committee Chairmen (including
Health Scrutiny)
£10,000
Council Overview & Scrutiny Committee
and Select Committee Vice-Chairmen
(including Health Scrutiny)
£3,000
Audit & Governance Committee Chairman
£9,000
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Lead Member for Scrutiny of the
Police and Crime Commissioner
£8,000
Local Committee Chairmen (11)
£8,000
Pension Fund Board Chairman
£8,000
Pension Fund Board Vice-Chairman
£1,500
Opposition Group Leader
£5,000
OFFICERS OF POLITICAL GROUPS
£170 per Member
£
9,520
2,210
1,700
Conservative
Liberal Democrat
Residents’ Association
If a Member qualifies for a Special Responsibility Allowance for more than one
post, all allowances may be claimed.
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Annex 6
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