Barking and Dagenham Council has undertaken a comprehensive review of its constitution, including officer powers and the delegation scheme, to enhance service performance and ensure accountability. The review took place at a recent council meeting, where members examined the core principles and detailed rules that govern the council's operations.
The council's constitution serves as a comprehensive guide, outlining the responsibilities of members and officers, meeting procedures, and codes of conduct. It is structured into seven key parts, each addressing a different aspect of the council's governance.
The constitution aims to improve the quality of services to local people by ensuring decision-making leads to enhancements in service performance. It also establishes mechanisms for holding decision-makers accountable and promotes community involvement in decisions affecting residents' lives, fostering effective partnerships with public, private, and voluntary bodies.
Part 3, the Officer Scheme of Delegation, was a key focus of the review. This section outlines the functions delegated to council officers from the Assembly, Committees, the Leader, and the Cabinet. The scheme also addresses potential conflicts of interest and the basis of delegation. The council reviewed the officer scheme of delegation, which outlines the functions delegated to council officers. This includes functions delegated from the Assembly, Committees, the Leader, and the Cabinet. The scheme also addresses conflicts of interest and the basis of delegation.
The council also reviewed various rules, including contract rules, financial regulations, employment procedure rules, and land acquisition and disposal rules. These rules provide the framework for managing the council's operations and ensuring compliance with legal and regulatory requirements.
Key principles underpinning the constitution include enhancing service performance, accountability, transparency, community representation, increasing community involvement and engagement, and corporate working.
The constitution also defines key terms such as Assembly, Be First, Budget, Cabinet, Chief Executive, Chief Financial Officer, Councillor, Key Decision, Policy Framework, and Monitoring Officer.
The council's Vision Priorities focus on supporting residents during the cost-of-living crisis, ensuring safety, promoting healthier lives, fostering education and employment, enabling inclusive growth, creating safer neighbourhoods, and providing good housing.
For the purposes of the constitution, the term 'residents' includes (where appropriate) those people who live, study, work or have businesses in the borough or who receive services for which the Council is responsible.
The constitution may only be amended by a resolution of the Assembly, according to Part 7 - Review, Revision, Suspension, etc. of the constitution.