Hackney

Hackney is focussing on changing the way the council operates to maximise the potential of members' contributions. The work involves:

• Review of the council's organisational culture and how the democratic culture feeds into it.
• Mapping interactions between members, officers and residents.
• Reviewing how far the code of practice on local government publicity creates real barriers for the Mayor and members to be able to lead on better communications with residents, or are the barriers a product of the organisation's culture?
• Devising an induction for the new councillors who will be elected in May 2010 that includes helping them to identify and meet with the important people in their ward.
• Reviewing the Council's mechanisms for engagement in the light of how we could make scrutiny more effective, in a wider context in which members scrutinise public services, and with a greater licence to involve residents.

The work is in being additionally supported by Capital Ambition and London Councils

On 5th MarchAfterwards Robin Hewings from Hackney presented some of the research and learning into Member support from the work funded through Capital Ambition and 21st Century Councillor:

This work in Hackney is supported through additional funding from Capital Ambition