Political Structure
The Council has adopted the strengthened Leader model of governance. Under this model the Council’s executive functions are discharged by the Cabinet as a collective body or are delegated to officers.
The Leader of the Council is elected every four years through the Assembly and in turn he/she appoints up to 9 members to make up the Cabinet, one or more will be appointed as Deputy Leader. Each cabinet member is allocated a specific area of responsibility known as a Portfolio.
These governance arrangements differ from the Elected Mayor model where all executive functions are discharged by one person, the Elected Mayor.
The Council annually elects a Ceremonial Mayor who is the Borough’s first citizen. He/she performs civic duties and supports organisations and charities. This is a non-political role.
Constitution and Meetings Protocol
The Constitution
All local authorities are required to have a Constitution in place as defined in section 37 of the Local Government Act 2000.The Constitution provides a single point of reference as to how the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham (“the Council”) operates. It contains the rules and procedures for making decisions and managing the Council's business. The contents of the Constitution derive from:
- Statute – Acts of Parliament and Regulations
- Decisions of the Assembly
- Decisions of the Council’s Cabinet
The Constitution is divided into chapters covering:
- Summary and explanation
- Meeting Articles
- Officer Scheme of delegation
- Contract, Financial, Employment and Land Acquisition and Disposal Rules
- Codes and Protocols
- Members Allowance Scheme
This link takes you to the Constitution. Open the most recent version (at the top of the list). The Parts of the Constitution are referenced throughout the Political Structure section of the App. Scroll through to find the Part referred to.
Meetings Protocol
The general meeting rules can be found in Part 2 (Chapter 3) of the Council Constitution.
At the beginning of each constituted public meeting, the Chair will ask that mobile phones are switched to silent mode and will explain that proceedings will be webcast live over the
internet. Members of the public who attend meetings and who do not wish to appear in a webcast will be advised to sit in the allocated area which is not in camera range.
The protocol on filming, webcasting, photography and the use of social media at Council meetings can be viewed in Part 5 (Chapter 6) of the Constitution.
For further information contact: Alan Dawson, Head of Governance & Electoral Services by email: alan.dawson@lbbd.gov.uk
Committees and Boards – Agendas and Minutes
Assembly
Made up of all 51 Members
Assembly is the central political focus of the Council and the coordinating body for all elements of the political structure. It sets the overall corporate direction, policy framework and financial limits for the Council within which all operations and policies are carried out. It aims to foster a community-focused approach to the formal side of the Council's business, recognizing the wider interests of the community and the need to be accountable to them.
Assembly agenda and minutes
Cabinet
Made-up of a maximum of 10 Members, appointed to by the Leader of the Council who chairs the meeting. Each Cabinet Member is allocated certain areas of responsibility, known as a portfolio.
The Cabinet is the primary decision-making body for matters which are not otherwise delegated, the formal link between Members and officers in terms of overall direction and performance management; and the key forum for ensuring a corporate approach to service delivery and appropriate partnership links with others with a view to effecting community leadership.
It works within the Council's overall policy framework and pays particular attention to the effective and appropriate use of the Council's resources (workforce, finances and assets). It is also the body which gives direction to the Chief Executive and the Leadership Group, holds those employees to account for their performance and is also responsible for ensuring appropriate links with external partners.
Cabinet agendas and minutes
Health and Wellbeing Board
is made up of:
- Cabinet Member for Social Care & Health Integration, Chair
- The Strategic Director of Service Development and Integration (as both the Director of Adult Social Services and the Director of Children’s Services)
- Four other Cabinet Members, to be appointed by the Leader of the Council (the representation shall revert to three other Cabinet Members in the event of the statutory Director of Adult Social Services and the Director of Children’s Services posts being held by separate officers)
- The Director of Public Health
- A member appointed by local Health Watch
- Chair of the Clinical Commissioning Group
- Further Board-level GP appointment from the Clinical Commissioning Group
- Accountable Officer for the Clinical Commissioning Group
- Executive Director level appointment from Barking, Havering & Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust
- Executive Director level appointment from North East London Foundation NHS Trust
- Borough Commander, Metropolitan Police Service
The Health and Wellbeing Board was established on 1 April 2013 under the provisions of Health and Social Care Act 2012. The Board is an executive committee of the Council and has executive functions as delegated by the Cabinet.
The remit of the Board is to strengthen working relationships between health and social care, and, encourage the development of more integrated commissioning of services. Through its work the Board will improve health outcomes for local people and reduce health inequalities. The main functions of the Board are:
- Understand local need and the wider determinants that impact people’s health, and using this intelligence to produce the Joint Strategic Needs Assessment, a document from which commissioning and service delivery will flow.
- Drive the continuous improvement of health and social care through the borough’s Health and Wellbeing Strategy and, using this strategy to ensure that health and wellbeing need is met and commissioners are responsive to health and wellbeing priorities.
- Encourage partnership working and integration in health and social care service. Overseeing joint arrangements between relevant bodies for the provision of services through Section 75 agreements.
- Involve elected officials, patient representatives and local people in the commissioning of health and social care services giving communities a greater say in how their needs are addressed.
Health and Wellbeing Board agenda and minutes
Overview and Scrutiny Committee
Made up of 10 Members and meets monthly
- Holds Cabinet, senior officers and key partners to account for decisions
- Contributes to development of key local policies and services (through pre-decision scrutiny)
- Identifies and investigates services or policy areas which appear to be problematic
- Appoints a Sub-Committee to deal with call-in of Cabinet decisions and petitions from local residents
Overview and Scrutiny Committee agenda and minutes
Health Scrutiny Committee
Made up of 6 Members and meets quarterly
The Committee has a similar role to the Overview and Scrutiny Committee but for health-related issues only
The Scrutiny Handbook will give you an insight into how scrutiny works at Barking and Dagenham, and your role and responsibilities as a scrutiny councillor.
Health and Scrutiny Committee agenda and minutes
Licensing and Regulatory Committee
Made up of 10 Members.
The Committee has overall responsibility for a range of licensing matters such as applications for premises licenses for the sale of alcohol, review applications for premises licenses, applications for street trading, night cafes etc. and licenses for sex establishments and betting shops. The three main aspects of legislation relating to the Committee’s work are the Licensing Act 2003, Section 101 of the Local Government Act 1972 and the Gambling Act 2005.
The Committee has appointed a Licensing Sub-Committee consisting of three Members of the Committee including the Chair or Deputy Chair (or both) of the Committee to make decisions as required on applications, in line with statutory guidance issued under Section 182 of the Licensing Act 2003.
The Committee meets quarterly to consider strategic/policy matters, other current issues and, in exceptional circumstances, applications which would otherwise have been dealt with by the Licensing Sub-Committee but where it has been decided that the matter should go before the full Board.
The range of licensing matters falling within the remit of the Sub-Committee include applications for premises licenses for the sale of alcohol, review applications for premises licenses, applications for street trading, night cafes etc. and licenses for sex establishments and betting shops.
Applicants, Responsible Authorities (e.g. the Police, Fire Brigade) as well as any other interested parties such as ward councillors, acting on behalf of their constituents and local residents, who have made relevant representations will be entitled to address the Sub-Committee.
Licensing and Regulatory Committee agendas and minutes
Licensing Sub-Committee agendas and minutes
Planning Committee
Made up of 10 Members and meets monthly
The Committee makes decisions on larger planning applications or ones that are likely to have a significant impact on the local community.
Meetings are open to the public and any person who has an interest in any particular planning application (applicant, agent, objector) is entitled to address the Board, as are the relevant ward councillors.
Planning Committee agenda and minutes
Personnel Board
Hearings consist of three members made up from a total membership of 9 members.
The Board deals with the following matters in respect of all staff except JNC officers:
It hears appeals against:
- dismissal on the grounds of redundancy, gross misconduct, capability and sickness absence, and
- final written warnings on the grounds of misconduct
Personnel Board hearings are held during the day (usually on a Thursday)
Personnel Board scheduled hearing dates
Audit and Standards Committee
Made up of 8 Members and meets approximately 5 times per year
The Committee:
- Agrees internal and external audit proposals and reports
- Reviews financial performance of the Council and its arms-length companies
- Oversees internal governance arrangements such as whistle-blowing and anti-fraud policies
- Agrees the Council’s Annual Statement of Accounts and Annual Governance Statement
- Oversees Councillor and officer conduct issues
- Membership of 8 councillors (not Cabinet Members or Chair of Overview & Scrutiny Committee) and meets approx. 5 times a year
- Appoints a Hearing Sub-Committee to deal with complaints against Councillors
Audit and Standards Committee agendas and minutes
Pensions Committee
Made up of 7 Members and meets quarterly. It also has non-voting members who represent staff and other bodies with an interest in the Fund
The Committee:
- Oversees the administration of the staff Pension Fund
- Agrees the investment policy for the Pension Fund and meets with appointed external fund managers
Pensions Committee agendas and minutes
Forward Plans
By law, councils have to publish a document detailing “Key Decisions” that are to be taken by the Cabinet, Assembly and/or the Health and Wellbeing Board. The document, known as the Forward Plan, is required to be published 28 days before the date that the decisions are to be made.
A Forward Plan is maintained for the Cabinet and the Assembly, as well as a separate Plan for the Health and Wellbeing Board. Key decisions are defined as:
(i) Those that form the Council’s budgetary and policy framework (this is explained in more detail in the Council’s Constitution)
(ii) Those that involve ‘significant’ spending or savings
(iii) Those that have a significant effect on the community
In relation to (ii) above, Barking and Dagenham’s definition of ‘significant’ is spending or savings of £200,000 or more that is not already provided for in the Council’s Budget.
In relation to (iii) above, Barking and Dagenham has also extended this definition so that it relates to any decision that is likely to have a significant impact on one or more ward (the legislation refers to this aspect only being relevant where the impact is likely to be on two or more wards). As part of the Council’s commitment to open government it has extended the scope of this document so that it includes all known issues, not just “Key Decisions”, that are due to be considered by the decision-making bodies as far ahead as possible.
The latest Cabinet Forward Plan (and earlier versions) can be viewed here
The latest Health and Wellbeing Board Forward Plan (and earlier versions) can be viewed here
Attendance Records
The Governance Services team maintains a record of attendance at the core political structure meetings, which councillors are appointed to each year by the Assembly. These are known as ‘qualifying’ meetings.
Qualifying meetings include all the Council’s main committee and sub-committee meetings plus other meetings Councillors are formally appointed to, such as school governing bodies and the Housing Forums.
Ward surgeries, local ward activities, ad-hoc meetings with officers and other informal business meetings are not counted as qualifying meetings. You may wish to keep your own records of these activities.
Legislation states that if a councillor fails to attend a ‘qualifying’ meeting during a six-month period, he/she will immediately cease to be a councillor. The system used by the Governance Services team alerts councillors to any periods of non-attendance of longer than three months. This means that steps can be taken before the six-month deadline.
If your are unable to attend a meeting, please notify the Committee Clerk of your apologies in advance of the start of the meeting and these will be recorded.
For further information contact: Alan Dawson, Head of Governance & Electoral Services by email: alan.dawson@lbbd.gov.uk or phone: 020 8227 2348