Guide for prospective councillors

Council officers are employed to ensure that the decisions taken by councillors are carried out. They provide guidance and support to all members equally, regardless of political persuasion and work to enable councillors to fulfil their duties.

Support comes from a variety of sources within the council. Each department will have an officer designated as a member liaison officer, and they will be on hand to assist and direct members towards finding the right information within the council. A senior officer is allocated to each new member as a source of advice during the first six months of office.

Officers within the council's Democratic Services department provide ongoing support and advice regarding IT or training needs, co-ordinating training provision for members. They also support councillors on any committees that they may sit on.

Practical support

The council issues IT equipment to enable councillors to access and be available to the public, the council and its workforce. Officers are on hand to help and assist new members and provide supplies of business cards etc. Members within one of the main political groups have access to a group room. The Council also has a dedicated area on its staff intranet for members. This space holds valuable information online including data provided by service areas, links to training documentation, the constitution and also CMIS, which is the platform the council uses to provide councillor and committee information.

Peer support

There will be some existing councillors who retain their seats following the May 2025 election and these members are always willing to support new colleagues. In addition, the three largest political parties have political assistants employed by the council to provide administrative support to the group leader and its members.