Councillors on the frontline: follow up

Further written evidence from Sunderland City Council (CC 10a)

Thank you for the opportunity to provide views on the Government's response to the CLG Committee's Councillors on the Frontline report.

Sunderland City Council very much welcomed the opportunity to submit evidence into the Inquiry and we were pleased to host one of the four oral evidence sessions, as well as arrange for members of the Select Committee to meet informally with elected members, officers and others in the city.

During these visits the Committee were able to see for themselves the impact of the City Council's Community Leadership Programme (CLP). This programme, designed in 2009 as part of the City Council's strategy to deal with the challenges of future funding constraints, changing citizen demand and a need to improve outcomes in the city, is designed explicitly to develop the role of councillors as community leaders, change agents and partners in the transformation of social outcomes and public service effectiveness in the city.

At its root, the CLP supports the role of councillors by putting them at the heart of Sunderland's strategy for social and economic renewal, and helps them to fulfil their potential as community leaders by providing a new type of support and capacity building, and a new set of tools with which to lead.

Much of the evidence gathered in Sunderland was used in Committee's report and we are pleased to note that the Government's response to this report, on most points, accords with Sunderland City Council's own approach to Community Leadership Councillors.

In particular, the Government's commitment to promoting maximum local discretion and decision-making is welcomed and we value the Government's concern that it does not "accidentally undermine the authority of councillors" and that "councillors are, in turn, visible in their communities, getting out and about, meeting their constituents and giving them the help and support they need". This is precisely the approach that Sunderland City Council is taking through its Community Leadership Programme and one which has been very successful so far.

Alongside the strengthened role of councillors within their communities, the Committee's report also makes note of the "increasingly difficult decisions about service reductions and budget priorities" which councillors are being called on to make.

At the same time, it is noted that there is a significant level of under-representation from local communities on councils. Whilst the Committee's report talks of training and allowances to councillors, it is disappointing that the Government's response does not seem to appreciate the fact that to sustain a healthy and diverse councillor base in more disadvantaged areas, allowances are vital, and that to attract the skills and capacity we are likely to need in the future, we need to be competitive in offering viable remuneration / the wider package.

As noted above, the Government does make it clear that it is for local areas to shape the role of councillors and in Sunderland we are seeking to provide this support, but the concern may be that other areas do not, and as a result, with no clear detail from Government as to how they provide this support, the role of a local councillor may fail to appeal to those who would be most valuable in the position.

Many thanks once again for the opportunity to comment - I hope these observations are helpful. Please do not hesitate to get in touch if we can be of any further assistance in this important work.

April 2013