Roles and Responsibilities of Community Councils

1
Roles and Responsibilities of Community Councils

• Community Council Training
• Programme 2007

2
Aim of session

• To increase our understanding of the roles and
  responsibilities of Community Councillors and the
  impact of legislation on Community Councils.

3
Objectives of session

• An awareness of the legislative background to
  Community Councils including equalities
  legislation
• Develop a better understanding of the Scheme for
  Community Councils and the roles of Community
  Council members
• Explore the role and remit of a Community Council
• Share ideas and good practice with other
  Community Councillors

4
Legal Framework

• Established under the Local Government (Scotland)
  Act 1973
• Duty on each local authority to prepare a
  Community Council Scheme for their area
• Scheme sets out the purpose of a community
  council, provisions for membership, meetings,
  elections, finance and exchange of information
• Scheme also includes a Code of Conduct

5
Code of Conduct

• Members must declare private interests
• Be wary of gifts, favours or hospitality
• Expenses, allowances and facilities provided for
  Community Councillors should be used solely for
  this purpose.

6
Community Councils

• Community Councils have a statutory right to be
  consulted on local planning matters
• They are listed as competent objectors on
  licensing matters
• Community Councils are non-party political
• Neighbourhood Partnerships role of Community
  Councils enhanced

7
Purpose of a Community Council

• to ascertain, co-ordinate and express to
• the local authorities the views of the community
• it represents, on matters for which those
• authorities are responsible and to take what it
• considers to be appropriate action in the
• interest of the community.

8
Roles of Office-bearers

• Chair - Chief spokesperson for Community Council
  and chair of meetings
• Secretary usually first point of contact, deals
  with correspondence and organisation of meetings
• Treasurer deals with finances of organisations

9
Role of a Community Council Representative

• To bring ideas to the meeting and contribute to
  the discussion
• To listen to others and allow them to express
  their views
• To assist office-bearers in carrying out their
  duties
• To assist with the distribution of information
  and promotion of the Community Council

10

• Questions?

11
Roles and Responsibilities of the Community
Council and its Councillors

• Duty to Promote Equality

12
Public Sector Duty to Equality

• Discrimination law places a duty on public bodies
  to promote equality in terms of race, disability
  and gender
• Community Councils are regarded as public bodies
  in Scotland. Therefore have to implement duty to
  promote equality

13
Legal Duty of Community Councils

• Community Councils have a legal duty to promote
  equality in regards to
• Race
• Disability
• Gender

14
Councils Six Equality Strands

• Race
• Disability
• Gender
• Age
• Faith
• Sexuality

15
What does this mean

• community council should ensure
• An open membership
• The composition of community councillors are
  representative of its area
• Discussions should not be race, disability or
  gender bias
• Issues of race, disability and gender be
  considered as part of the decision-making process

16
Duty to Promote Race Equality

• Find out the ethnic make-up of area
• Advertise in places where ethnic minorities meet
• Consider timing of meetings
• Consider type of premises used for meetings

• Co-host events
• Delegate a liaison person
• Invite speakers from ethnic minority groups
• Take a stance against racism within the community
  council

17
Promoting Disability Equality

• Community councils should consider how they can
  ensure that their activities contribute towards
  increasing disability equality by
• Eliminating disability discrimination and
  harassment
• Promote equality of opportunity for disabled
  people

18
Promoting Gender Equality

• Community Councils are legally required to
• eliminate sex discrimination and harassment
• promote equality of opportunity between men and
  women

19
Conclusion

• Community councils have a duty to promote
  equality by
• Eliminating discrimination and harassment
• Promoting Equality of Opportunity

20
Assistance to Community Councils

• Neighbourhood Community Capacity Building Team
• Services for Communities
• Association of Scottish Community Councils (good
  practice and policy up-dates)

21
Sources of Information

• The Commission for Racial Equality
• www.cre.gov.uk
• Disability Rights Commission
• www.drc.org.uk
• Equality Opportunity Commission
• www.eoc.gov.uk
• Association of Scottish Community Councils
• www.ascc.org.uk

22
New Directions

• Demise of Equalities Commissions
• Birth of Commission for Equalities and Human
  Rights (CEHR) (Oct 2007)
• Equalities Review and new directions

23
Trends and the Future

• Greater size in BME and in diversity
• East European migrants
• Older BME needs
• Older greying population
• CEHR
• Equality Act
• Focus