Ward Councillor Role and Responsibilities

• Leadership at Ward Level 
• To lead and champion the interests of the local community and effectively represent the interests of the Ward and its constituents. 
• To meet and liaise regularly with local interested parties and involve and consult them on key Council decisions. 
• To support and promote citizenship locally and empower the community to participate in the governance of the area. 
• To undertake case work for constituents and act as an advocate in resolving concerns or grievances. 
• To communicate with local people and answer enquiries: o about decisions that affect them o about opportunities in the community o regarding the rights of constituents o as to why decisions are taken 
• To act as an advocate for the Council within the Authority and outside Localism 
• To participate constructively in the good governance of the area.
• To use influence as an Elected Representative to develop links between groups and communities in the Ward and local area. 
• To forge local partnerships to ensure resources are used to meet the priority needs of the area. Representation 
• To inform the debate at Full Council meetings and contribute to the effectiveness of the Council meeting as the focus of visible leadership.
•  To contribute to the formation and scrutiny of the Authority’s policies, budget, strategies and service delivery. 
• To contribute to the scrutiny of decision making and review of the policies and services of the Council and of other public services delivered in the Borough via the Scrutiny process.  
• To represent the authority to the community and the community to the Council. 
• To develop and maintain a knowledge of the Council and develop effective working relationships with its officers. 
• To participate in the activities of any political group of which the Councillor is a member. 
• To represent the Council on outside bodies and to participate effectively in the appointed role and, where appropriate, to represent those bodies within the Borough. Other 
• Commitment to delivering excellent public services. 
• To fulfill the legal (in accordance with the Council Code of Conduct for Councillors) and local requirements placed on an elected member. 
• To be responsible for personal development and undergo appropriate development and continuous improvement for any role undertaken. Competencies Community Leadership Skills 
• Ability to lead and champion the interests of the local community
• Ability to manage casework (including the use of IT to support the process) 
• Community engagement 
• Ability to influence and persuade 
• Negotiation skills
• Managing conflict and mediation skills 
• Ability to develop relationships with key officers and partner agencies 
• Ability to build effective relationships with all sections of the community so as to be able to represent their needs to the Council 
• Ability to chair community meetings and facilitate discussions Knowledge 
• Understanding of how the Council works
• Knowledge of the Council structure, key contact officers and services procedures and eligibility criteria 
• Knowledge of the political decision making structures 
• Understanding of the Code of Conduct for Councillors, ethics and standards and the role of the Standards Committee and the Standards Board for England. 
• Understanding of national policies and their impact on the Council 
• Knowledge of the strategic priorities and key policies of the Council
• Understanding of legislation and Council policies to which Members must adhere (e.g. Dignity at Work, Smoking Policy, Freedom of Information, Data Protection, equality legislation) 
• Basic understanding local government finances and audit processes 
• Understanding the Corporate Parenting responsibilities 
• Knowledge of the Council’s complaints procedure Communication Skills 
• Ability to deal with the media whilst being able to identify when additional support from public relations specialists is required, to ensure the Council is positively represented
• Ability to communicate with a range of audiences 
• Active listening and questioning skills 
• Presentation skills 
• Public speaking