Meeting documents

1 THE ISSUE

1.1 The Constitution of the Council gives the Council Executive the power to establish whole Advisory Bodies to help it in its work.

1.2 This report invites the Council Executive to consider (a) establishing the Student Liaison Committee as a whole executive advisory body and (b) changes to the composition and aims of the Equal Rights Advisory Body.

1.3 The respective Executive Councillors for Education and Social Services (including equalities) have been consulted on these matters.

2 RECOMMENDATION

2.1 That the Council Executive approve in principle the Student Liaison Committee as a formal advisory body to the whole Council Executive, in accordance with the provisions of the Council's Constitution;

2.2 That the Democratic Services Manager, in consultation with one or more nominated Executive Councillor(s), be authorised to agree formal terms of reference with the Student Liaison Committee to include resourcing implications and to implement the agreed arrangements;

2.3 That the Council Executive agree to establish an Equal Rights Advisory Body on the basis described in this report;

2.4 That the Democratic Services Manager, in consultation with the Executive Councillor for Social Services and the Strategic Director (Housing and Social Services) be authorised to agree formal terms of reference of this body;

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3 FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS

3.1 The costs of servicing such bodies needs to be clearly identified in respect of support from the Democratic Services team and from elsewhere in the council. The Student Liaison Committee has an identified budget that will be required to bear the costs of servicing and supporting that body (see para 4.6 below). There is no equivalent budget for the Equal Rights Advisory body, which has not met since the introduction of new executive arrangements in this Council.

4 THE STUDENT LIAISON COMMITTEE

4.1 The Committee was established with £15,000 funding approved as part of the Council's budget for 2002/03. The budget currently falls within the portfolio responsibility of Councillor Gerry Curran (Executive Member for Education).

4.2 The 3 higher education institutions in Bath have agreed to provide matching funding.

4.3 At a meeting on 28^th October, 2002, the Student Liaison Committee considered the perceived uncertainty about its status and options for the future.

4.4 The Committee at present has no formal constitutional status and has operated in effect as an advisory body to Executive Councillor Curran. The Committee acknowledged this valued link but also accepted that its brief was considerably wider than education matters. They felt they were as likely to generate liaison with a wider variety of Council services and other service providers, and therefore would need to engage with other Executive Councillors.

4.5 The Committee unanimously agreed to request they be regarded as a "whole executive" Advisory Body.

4.6 If the Council Executive is minded to support this request, discussions will need to take place with that Committee and nominated Executive Councillors to agree terms of reference and therefore the basis on which it can operate as an advisory and liaison body. Obtaining clarity on these matters will assist in identifying the resource support required to be funded from within its budget.

5 EQUAL RIGHTS ADVISORY BODY

5.1 This Advisory Body is already technically established and its terms of reference, largely based on those of the former Sub Committee, are included within the Council's Constitution. This advisory body has not met since the Council introduced new executive arrangements.

5.2 The core membership, based on the historical structure of the former Sub Committee, is shown as "8 persons selected through a process agreed by the wider community of equalities groups ......." There are no permanent elected members but there are attendance rights for each Executive Councillor.

5.3 Discussions with the Executive Councillor for Social Services, whose portfolio includes equalities, have indicated a wish to establish a smaller more focused advisory body that can effectively engage with the Council Executive in a meaningful way on important service planning and policy development issues.

5.4 It is proposed that the advisory body comprise a core membership of 4 community representatives, with co-option as necessary. It is important in this context to acknowledge that the Council's funding for support to equalities groups is limited and can only be directed to support those groups who operate in areas of equalities work for which the Council has a statutory responsibility.

5.5 On this basis, while nominations to serve on the advisory body might be sought from a wide cross section of the equalities related communities, a selection process is proposed involving our funded partner bodies on racial equality (B&NES Racial Equality Council) and disability equality (West of England Coalition of Disabled People). Representatives of these 2 bodies, with the Executive Councillor for Social Services would appoint up to 4 persons and determine at the outset, and on an ongoing basis, the number and length of any co-options.

5.6 There is some urgency in getting this arrangement launched so that the body may have some input to the Council's budget preparation and service planning process.

5.7 It is also suggested that the Democratic Services Manager, in consultation with the Executive Councillor for Social Services and the Strategic Director (Housing and Social Services), determine appropriate terms of reference for this body where these differ from those contained in Appendix 2 of the Constitution.

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This version was printed 30-Aug-01 9:23 AM