Report by the Constituency Manager.

A report by the Constituency Manager proposed a new approach to how the appointed community representatives interacted with the Committee. The report also proposed a timeline for re-recruiting community representatives in line with the amended structure and role specification (not excluding those community representatives who were currently co-opted on to the Committee).

The Committee noted that whilst community representatives did not have a mandate to speak on behalf of the public, they did provide a level of expertise and/or knowledge to help inform the debate. Their role responsibilities were to:

·  proactively engage with residents and communities beyond those within their existing networks;

·  accurately reflect the community’s feedback and views in the discussions and decision making processes;

·  communicate with residents and communities, feeding back the work  of the Committee;

·  be well informed and be clear about local priorities; and

·  champion the Community Representative role ensuring it has value in the Constituency Committee process.

It was proposed that a new recruitment drive took place to recruit one community representative for each electoral ward. Members noted that this process would not exclude the five existing community representatives and the Committee agreed that it was important to acknowledge the contributions they had made so far.  Councillor Phil Gilchrist, the Committee’s previous Chair had requested that the following statement be noted:

  “I would like to thank our community representatives for the advice, assistance and local knowledge they have brought to our work over the past year. It is important that our activity is informed and supported by the leading figures in our communities. Their perspective has been valuable.”

The community representative role specification and description (Appendices one and two to the report) had been amended slightly to highlight the need for community representatives to hold a Community Forum (with support from the Constituency Team) within their ward. The Committee noted how it was proposed that the Community Forum would link with the Committee and that it may take the form of an existing community meeting.

The Committee also noted that the timeline for the proposed recruitment process should allow for those appointed to be co-opted onto the Committee at its meeting scheduled for 15 October 2015.

Representations were made about how important it was for the Committee to engage with the youth as it made key decisions that would affect the young people of Wirral South and it was essential that consultation took place first.

RESOLVED: That

(1)  a new recruitment process to appoint community representatives for the Committee be commenced in a timely fashion to ensure that successful applicants can be co-opted onto the Committee at its meeting on 15 October 2015;

(2)  one community representative be co-opted specifically to represent the youth of South Wirral and all youth in the area be given the opportunity to apply to take on this role;

(3)  the newly proposed structure of engagement between community representatives and the Committee by adopting Community Forums be agreed; and

(4)  the following Members be nominated to sit on the Selection Panel that will meet to assess the applications following an agreed time period during which the Community Representative roles will be advertised:

  Councillors Phil Gilchrist, Andrew Hodson, Christina Muspratt, Steve Niblock and Tracey Pilgrim.