Haringey Council awarded London’s first Member Development Charter

Haringey Council has today (Tuesday) become the first of the capital's boroughs to receive a London Member Development Charter from London Councils.

The Charter is awarded to recognise the work carried out by the council to provide councillors with the support, skills and training they need to develop and effectively manage their local authority's budgets and services. It is backed by the Improvement and Development Agency (I&DeA).

Chairman of London Councils, Councillor Merrick Cockell, presented the Charter to the leader of Haringey Council, Cllr George Meehan, at a meeting of borough leaders today.

Among the initiatives Haringey has introduced are personal development plans for all members, a "Freshers' Day" induction for new councillors, flexible training arrangements with daytime, evening and e-learning options, and webcasting used as a development tool. There is a clear strategy in place, overseen by an all-party member group.

Cllr Cockell said:

"Being a councillor is a huge responsibility. You have to make objective decisions on services that affect the lives of thousands of people, use the multi-million pound budget effectively and efficiently, and engage and work closely with local communities and other stakeholders.

"It is vital that councils provide as much support as possible to help their members to develop. This is not just for the sake of the councillors themselves, but also to ensure that their residents receive the best possible leadership and services from their local council.

"Haringey has worked very hard to provide a range of ways of providing support to its members and helping them to develop their skills and knowledge. I am delighted to have presented them with the Charter and hope other councils across the capital follow their example."

Councillor Meehan said:

"Haringey has made member learning and development a top priority. I'm delighted that our commitment, from all parties, has been recognised.

"Being a councillor is increasingly demanding, and residents rightly expect a high level of competence and professionalism from those entrusted with important decisions. That's what our programme aims to deliver.

"Effective support is also vital in encouraging people of all ages and backgrounds to stand for office, so that councils are properly representative of their areas."

The formal assessment of Haringey's programme concluded:

"There is very clear cross-party and managerial commitment to member development that is bedded into the organisation.  Haringey has clearly demonstrated that it has everything in place to be accredited with the London Member Development Charter, and has set a high standard as London's first application."