Tower Hamlets CouncilFuture Women Councillors Initiative

A presentation for: The London Member Development Network

London Council’s

7th October 2008

Tina Dempsey & Shalim AhmedCorporate Learning and Development Officers

Organisational DevelopmentChrissy Townsend, Future Councillors Group

Future Councillors - Background• Part of a wider strategy to further progress

Member learning and development and promote local democracy

• Funded by Capital Ambition• 3 strands

– All party Member learning and development – to build capacity and accelerate improvement;

– Enhancing Member / Officer relationships and understanding;

– Future Councillors

Future Councillors Initiative

• Inevitable turnover of councillors at local elections in Tower Hamlets;

• Complex political dynamic;

• Some younger councillors may choose to carry out only one term of office because of life/career choices;

• Increasing population mobility;

• Address the current gender imbalance on the council (11 out of 51) councillors are women;

• Would also build upon the council’s award winning ‘Women into Public Life’ scheme;

• No guarantees - However, they will be in a position to support other women and to assume other vital community leadership roles

Feature: London Council’sThe X Factor

Tower Hamlets Women Councillors

Currently:

• 11 out of 51 Members (21%)• 2 Cabinet Members• 3 Overview and Scrutiny Leads• Leader of Liberal Democrats

Key positions 2007:• Leader of the Council • Mayor

Future Councillors – The Launch• Launched in conjunction with

Council’s Women into Public Life websites (WIPL)

• 45 local women participated in the launch

• 30 issued with application forms• 17 returned (all invited to join

programme)• Induction evening May 08• Cross party presentations from

existing women councillors

East End Life

Identifying learning and development needs

Acquiring knowledge:

The political environment and local government context;

Tower Hamlets Partnership;

Housing and Children’s Services;

PCT;

Budgets and finance;

The Olympics

Skills development:

Effective communication- Dealing with the media;- Public speaking and

presentation skills;

Time management and organisational skills;

Work – life balance;

Networking skills

Key outcomes to date

Co-opted members for 08/09

Overview & Scrutiny Reviews

including:

- Child poverty

- Affordable home ownership

- Alcohol Misuse

amongst young people

- Parental Involvement

- Early Intervention

- End of Life Care  

• Participation in LAP’s

• Residents’ Panel

• Local Democracy Week- ‘Minnie Lansbury’ event

• Raised levels of confidence and knowledge

• Networking and support

Tower Hamlets Future Councillors Initiative

Tower Hamlets Future Councillors

with John Biggs (London Assembly Member) & Paul Wheeler (Director of the Political Skills Forum) at the:

London Governance Workshop

Mulberry Place

QUESTIONS?QUESTIONS?