The Staffordshire County Council Constitution committee meeting was scheduled to discuss the council's constitution, which outlines how the council operates, makes decisions, and the procedures it follows. The report pack provided to attendees detailed the various sections of the constitution, covering members' roles, citizens' rights, decision-making processes, and the functions of different committees and officers.

The County Council's Constitution

The meeting was scheduled to review the Staffordshire County Council's Constitution. This comprehensive document outlines the framework for the council's operations, decision-making processes, and the roles and responsibilities of its members, officers, and citizens. The constitution is divided into several key sections, detailing how the council functions, its governance structure, and the procedures it adheres to.

Introduction to How the Council Works

This section was scheduled to provide an overview of the council's structure and operations. It was intended to cover the rights and responsibilities of County Council members, officers, and citizens. Furthermore, it was set to explain how the County Council operates, including the principles of decision-making, the role of the Cabinet, the definition of Key Decisions, and the function of Scrutiny committees.

The County Council's Constitution - Role and Purpose

This part of the agenda was focused on the overarching role and purpose of the Constitution itself. It was planned to cover its interpretation, the process for its review, the circumstances under which it could be suspended, and how it is published and made accessible to the public.

Members of the County Council

A significant portion of the discussion was scheduled to be dedicated to the members of the County Council. This included their composition, eligibility criteria, election processes, and terms of office. The agenda also listed the roles, functions, rights, and responsibilities of all councillors. Additionally, the Members' Code of Conduct, guidance on member-officer relations, the Members' Allowances Scheme, and a Parental Leave Policy for Members were all slated for review.

Citizens and the County Council

This section was set to outline the rights of citizens in their dealings with the council, including their rights to participate in democratic arrangements, access information, and make complaints. A petitions scheme was also to be discussed, detailing how citizens can formally raise issues with the council.

The Full Council

The agenda indicated that the purpose and functions of the Full Council were to be discussed. This included its role in setting the budget and policy framework, its meeting procedures, and the specific rules governing the Budget and Policy Framework Procedure.

The Cabinet

The meeting was scheduled to cover the executive arrangements of the council, including the appointment and terms of office for the Leader, Deputy Leader, and Cabinet Members. The role of the Cabinet, its decision-making processes, consultation procedures, and the responsibilities and general delegations to Cabinet Members were all listed for discussion. Terms of reference for Boards and Cabinet Sub-Committees, as well as the Shadow Cabinet, were also on the agenda.

Overview and Scrutiny Committees

The general role and function of Overview and Scrutiny Committees were to be examined. This included their terms of reference, membership, meeting procedures, work programmes, and how they hold Cabinet Members and officers accountable. The process of call-in for executive decisions was also scheduled for discussion.

Other Committees

The agenda included a review of other committees, specifically the Planning Committee, Audit and Standards Committee, Pensions Committee, and Charities and Trusts Committee. The terms of reference and functions of each of these committees were to be discussed.

Joint Arrangements

This part of the agenda was to cover the general principles of joint arrangements and the terms of reference for existing arrangements.

Officers

The discussion was set to include the management structure of the council's officers, the roles of statutory officers, and matters relating to their conduct, employment, exercise of delegated powers, finance, legal, and contract matters. The Scheme of Delegation, the Local Code of Conduct for Officers, the Whistleblowing Policy, the Anti-Fraud, Bribery and Theft Policy, and Officer Employment Rules were all listed for consideration.

Procedural Standing Orders

This section was dedicated to outlining the rules of procedure for how meetings of the council and its committees operate.

Access to Information Procedure Rules

The agenda indicated a discussion on the rules governing access to information, including agendas, reports, minutes, attendance at meetings, the exclusion of the public, and the Forward Plan of Key Decisions.

Financial Regulations

The meeting was scheduled to review the council's Financial Regulations, covering financial planning, budgeting, reporting, audit, control, spending, income, treasury management, assets, insurance, and managing risk.

Procurement Regulations

Finally, the agenda included a review of the Procurement Regulations, detailing procurement processes, the contracts register, the procurement toolkit, public procurement regulations, and exemptions and exceptions.

The meeting's information status was PENDINGCOUNCILPUBLICATION, meaning that while the council had been checked for information, it had not yet published it. Therefore, this summary is based solely on the scheduled topics outlined in the provided report pack and agenda.