The Democratic Services Committee met on 12 January 2026 to discuss the council's annual report, proposals for member workshops, and the forward work programme. Key decisions included deferring a workshop on the 21st Century Councillor for further clarification and agreeing to proceed with proposals for workshops addressing the Performance Panel Assessment (PPA) scrutiny recommendations.

Democratic Services Committee Annual Report 2025

The committee reviewed the draft Democratic Services Committee Annual Report for 2025. Members commended the officers on the report's depth and variety of training offered to councillors, while also discussing reasons for low attendance at some sessions, such as time pressures and existing professional experience. The committee agreed to the content of the draft report, subject to formatting amendments, and delegated authority to the Head of Democratic Services, in consultation with the Chair, to finalise it before submission to the Full Council. A publicly accessible, concise version of the report will be developed for the next meeting.

Member Workshop Proposals - 21st Century Councillor

The committee discussed proposals for a member workshop based on the 21st Century Councillor research, intended to inform the Member Induction Programme for the 2027 Local Government Elections. A provisional date of 2 February 2026 was identified for a session open to all elected members. However, concerns were raised regarding the costs associated with external facilitators from Birmingham University and the clarity of whether the session was for training or research. Members suggested that involving group whips could increase attendance and generate richer data. Consequently, the committee agreed to defer this matter until their meeting on 27 April 2026, allowing the Head of Democratic Services to clarify further details.

Member Workshop Proposals - Addressing Performance Panel Assessment (PPA) Scrutiny Recommendations

The committee received a summary of proposals for member workshops aimed at addressing scrutiny recommendations from the Performance Panel Assessment (PPA). These workshops, provisionally scheduled for 5 and 10 February 2026, will focus on reviewing the balance of pre-decision scrutiny versus thematic policy development and embedding diversity within scrutiny review work. An independent review is being developed by the Centre for Governance and Scrutiny (CFGS). The committee agreed that the proposals from CFGS would be shared for consultation and feedback, and delegated authority to the Head of Democratic Services, in consultation with the Chair, to finalise the arrangements for the workshops.

Forward Work Programme

The committee reviewed the proposed Forward Work Programme for 2025-2026. The programme includes items such as the consideration of the draft Democratic Services Annual Report, updates on the member workshops, the Members ICT Protocol, and the Member Development Programme. The committee noted the proposed Work Programme and approved it.