Local Government One Borough Voice Survey Report 1... · Survey Report 01 January 2020-05 March 2020 Local Government Boundary Review-Councillor Survey PROJECT: Local Government Boundary

APPENDIX 1

Survey Report01 January 2020 - 05 March 2020

Local GovernmentBoundary Review -

Councillor SurveyPROJECT: Local Government Boundary Review - Councillor

Survey

One Borough Voice

Local Government Boundary Review - Councillor Survey Survey Repoit for 01 January 2020 to 05 March 2020

Q2 How long have you been a Councillor with Barking and Dagenham Council?

4 (7.8%)

16(31.4%) —

,— 15(29.4%)

13 (25.5%)

Question options

• 1 to4 years 5tc 8 years • 9to 12 years • l3to 16 years • Over 16 years

Op(ional question (51 responses. 0 skipped)

3 (5.9%)

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Local Government Boundary Review Councillor Survey Survey Report for 01 January 2020 to 05 March 2020

Q3 In addition to your role as a councillor, what other position do you hold within the

Council?

16

14

12

10

8

6

4

2

6

13

Question options• Cabinet Member • Scrutiny Chair • Deputy Scrutiny Chair • Committee Chair • Deputy Committee Chair

• Member Champion • None • Other (please state role) • Policy Task Group Chair

Optional question (50 responses, 1 skipped)

0

10

7

1

Pope 2

Local Government Boundary Review Councillor Survey Sravey Report (or 01 January 2020 to 05 March 2020

04 What Committees / Boards do you belong to?

55

4850

45

40

40

35

30

25

20

1511 11

9 910

1:

8

Question options

• Assembly? Ceremonial CoUncil Audit and Standards $ Housing Forums • Cabinet • Policy Task Group

• Health Scrurny Committee • Licensing and Regulatory Committee • Personnel Board

• Ovorvew and Scrut:ny Committee • Pension Board • Pensions Committee Community Safety Partnership

• Health and Welibeing Board • Planning Committee • JNC Appointments, Salaries and Structure Panel

• Planning Visitng Sub-Committee

Optional question (51 responses. 0 skipped)

Page 3

Local Government Boundary Review - Councillor Survey Survey Report for 01 January 2020 to 05 March 2020

05 Have you been appointed by the Council to represent it on any outside bodies?

Question options•Yes •No


Paqe 4


Q6 Please list the organisation and role

Employee Joint Consultative Committee. East London Waste Authority Board

(ELWA), Governor at Adult College, Governor at Grafton Primary School,

London Councils Transport and Environment Committee. Thames Regional

Flood and Coastal Committee, Trustee for Barking and Dagenham CVS

• Eastbrook School Governing Body • London Councils Grant Committee —

(Deputise for ClIr Ashraf) London Councils Leaders Committee — (Deputise

for ClIr Rodwell) Rose Lane Primary School Governing Body• Local

Government Association (LGA) General Assembly (Deputise for ClIr Rodwell)

• London Councils Greater London Employment Forum• LBBD Business

Forum Steering Group — Chair• Local London Skills and Employment Board

May & Baker Eastbrook Community Club TrLlstees Trewern Management

Committee Rush Green Primary School Governing Body

• Barking and Dagenham Safeguarding Adults Board Barking and

Dagenham Safeguarding Children Board• Dagenham Housing Group• Local

Plan Steering Group Shareholder Panel Integrated Care Partnership

Board • Thames Locality Board — Chair• Safer Neighbourhood Team

Valance Ward

School Governors Bangladesh welfare Association Barking and Dagenham

Chairman Labour Friends of Bangladesh Barking & Dagenham Chair

Committee Member of the Community Music Service

East London Waste Authority (A Director. ELWA LTD) Adult College of

Barking and Dagenham Governor Body Standing Advisory Council for

Religious Education (SACRE) Governing Body (Vice-Chair) Local Authority

School Governor - St Vincents

London Road Safety Council Standing Council on Religious Education

(SACRE) Governing Body Citizens Advice Bureau Becontree Safer

Neighbourhood Team Meeting Becontree Centenary Steering Group

Ofsted Report Panel Becontree Safer Neighbourhood Team

Greatfields School Governing Body Remembrance Day Parade

Corporation Member of Barking and Dagenham FE College. Chair of Barking

and Dagenham FE College Policy and Resources Committee, Member of

Barking and Dagenham FE College Remuneration Committee, Chair of

Technical Skills Academy Board, Member of London Councils Lead Member

for Childrens Services Group. Member of Barking and Dagenham Children’s

Safeguarding Board. Trustee of Cohn Pond Bursaries for Higher Education

Trust.

Dagenham Housing Forum Joint Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee St

Page 5


Josephs and St Teresas Catholic Primary Schools Federation Governing

Body

Admissions Forum William Bellamy Governor Local plan steering group

Registered Provider Forum Chadwell Heath Community Trust Board LA

Governor Barking Abbey School

I am the Local Authority Representative on the School of Governors Board at

All Saints Catholic School. I am also on the Citizens Advice Bureau.

Corporate Parenting Group: Ofsted Report Panel and the Fostering Panel

May and baker trustee

Admissions Forum - Member Members Corporate Parenting Group Member

OFSTED Report Panel Member Furze and Warren Hard Federation

Governing Body - Chair of Governors

LA Governor at Becontree Primary School: Employee Joint Consultative

Committee and London Scrutiny Network

Dagenham United Charity London Councils Crime & Public Protection Lead

for B&D Safer Neighbourhood Board

Kallar Lodge Trustee Vice Chair of CAB Chair of Dagenham Charity Chair of

Governors at Dagenham Park School

• Barking Housing Forum Barking Riverside Community Interest Company•

East London Solutions Leaders Group Local Government Association

(LGA) General Assembly• Local Government Association Economy:

Environment: Housing and Transport Board — Vice Chair• Local Government

Labour Group Executive • Local Joint Committee • Local Plan Steering Group

• London Councils Leaders Committee• London Councils Lead Member for

Housing Local London Chair Homes for Londoners Board Arts Council

England Board Arts Council for London Board Create London Board

Chair of Dagenham United Charity

Barking Riverside Community Interest Company Barking Riverside Limited

Board Local Plan Steering Group London Councils Transport and

Environment Committee (Deputy) Public Transport Liaison Group Registered

Provider Forum LBBD Infrastructure Board

Trustee Cohn Pond trust fund Governor Parsloes Primary School

May and Baker Eastbrook Community Club

London Road Safety Council Elevate Board Of sted Report Panel

• Admissions Forum George Carey Church of England Primary School

Pope 6

Local Government Boundary Review - Councillor Survey Survey Reoort for 01 January 2020 to 05 March 2020

Governing Body London Councils Greater London Employment Forum

Chadwell Heath Community Centre

Chair of Public Transport Liaison Group

Registered Provider Forum

Governor for Goresbrook School

Dagenham United Charity

Community MLIsic Service Advisory Hub and additionally Music Hub

I am on three Governing Bodies. On two of them I am the Local Authority

appointee. On the other one I was originally a Local Authority appointed

Governor, but this was changed to a Co-opted in a Governing Body

restructure which reduced LA Governors. I am Chair of Governors at this all

through school.

Barking and Dagenham Adoption and Permanence Panel Barking and

Dagenham Fostering Panel Barking and Illord United Charities OFSTED

Reporting Panel

I am the Local Authority Representative on School Governor Board at Five

Elm School

Governing Body for North East London Foundation Trust

Local Government Association (LGA) General Assembly London Councils

Grants Committee — Vice-Chair London Councils Leaders Committee —

Deputy Reserve Forces and Cadets Association for Greater London Barking

Carnival Committee London City Airport Community FLind Board Summer of

Festivals Steering Committee - Chair Becontree 100 Steering Committee -

Chair Pen to Print Panel - Chair

EJCC Shareholder Panel Elevate Strategic Partner Board Elevate Limited

Liability Partnership Board LGA General Assembly (Deputy) London Councils

Pensions CIV Sectoral Joint Committee


Pace 7


Q7 On average how many hours per month do you spend on Council (and political)

business? This includes online / email.

Atterrdance an exiemal6 2 5

rreetnctS as a represen

W ri S rj e 1 7r

42 -

Question options

Oven 20 hours

• 16-20 hours

• 11 15 hours

6-10 hours

1-5 hours

Erlgacsno vii COnuierni

e.g. ionic vs-to

Dealng miii constt.iernlu

enqLnlries casewo.

14 18

Travel 2 7 13 19

Olner 3 5 3

10


14 - 14

20 30 40 50 60

A::nncance ar Council

Corin-tieea

Attendance at olden

Counci meetings

Time spent on party

political busnesu e.g.

13117 28 12

10 ,4 12-

22

11 7 35 2

14 18

62

7 6 19 15

5 4 14 14

8

- 3

13Preparng for mveings

Aneniding ViOrkstiops.

Inairinig conierenices 6J 15 . 27 1

Pope 8

Local Government Boundary Review - Councillor Survey Sui iou Report io 01 January 2020 to 05 March 2020

Q8 If you selected ‘Other’, please state the Council / political business below

As Cabinet Member for Public Realm I spend an additional 10-20 hours a

month supporting my duties. I spend approximately 2 hours a week driving

around the borough to identify cleansing issues. as well as organising

community litter picks, attending photocalls for our press releases on big

policy issues. I also spend around 10 hours a week attending community

events as a representative of the council - i.e joining the Barking and

Dagenham float at Pride this year. attending the B&D Mayors events and

attending flag raisings and summer of festivals events.

Additional Cabinet Responsibilities: - Opening new council facilities (Homes

and Money Hub. Food Clubs) around once a month, usually taking around 3-

4 hours -Meeting and visiting local businesses and attending jobs fairs -

around 20 hours a week - Reviewing Councillor training and development -

once a month for 2 hours - Visiting Mosques. Schools and Churches - atleast

once a month for 2 hours Overall. I spend around 35-40 hours a week on

council work in an average month.

Safer Neighbourhood Team meetings. Residents Associations. Dagenham

East Regeneration Steering Group

Visits and photoshoots in my role as cabinet member

Wider community events eq summer festival and Asian cultLiral festival LBBD

Councils youth pride and Ceremonial Mayor parade Walk and about in the

ward and Check for fly tipping and street cleaning

Representing the council at community/wider events London Pride Summer

of Festivals Flag Raisings

Safer Neighbourhood Team Meetings. Proposed planning sites ward

meetings. Emergency/Environmental site visits, Summer and Council Events

Attending Summer of Festivals Community Events. Community Group

events, Roadshows.

Ward Walkabouts weekly which takes around 2 hours. I also attend various

events in the borough - Summer of Festivals. Holocaust Memorial Day. the

Domestic Abuse Commission Launch and Womens Empowerment Month

events. I am involved with the Barking and Dagenham Faith Forum as a

community leader.

Walking around our ward for 2 hours a week, and attending lots of

community events that take place across the borough, including flag raisings

and diversity month events. I also attend the Barking and Dagenham

Womens Group

Walking around my ward to spot problems and fix them. As a councillor I am

a community representative and I visit schools. Mosques and community

education centres. As I represent an area of the borough which is going

Page 9


through rapid regeneration, I spend alot of time consulting residents about

redevelopment.

Preparing and sending out a monthly email newsletter to Becontree ward

residents. This includes collecting email addresses from residents with GDPR

agreements; gathering content from many sources including casework,

briefings, and information; synthesising content into short clear snippets;

preparing the newsletter in Word format: then reformatting and distributing via

Mailchimp.

Walk/drive around the ward - 2 hours

Walking the ward

Charity, ceremonial & wider community events

Attending School Assembly and School Events. Union Meetings to discuss

local partnerships. Walking the Ward. Finance Sub Committee Meetings at

the Schools. Monthly meetings with Head Teachers at both schools. Monthly

meeting with Executive Head.

As I work and live locally I am often asked advice. This will not be in a formal

setting so it is not easy to calculate and has not formed part of my

submission

As Cabinet Member for Enforcement. I attend regular police meetings. 2

resident meetings as well as photo shoots for press releases, street cycles

and community events.

Most weeks I work between 55-60 hours as Leader of the Council. This

includes significant time spent lobbying central government in my multiple

external roles for London Councils, as vice chair of the LGA EEHT Board,

and as Chair of Local London. I also make a conscious effort to schedule in

weekly ward visits to local mosques. schools and community groups, as well

as attending community events wherever I can

As the Mayor of Barking and Dagenham I attend many community events

and represent the borough at ceremonial events across London. In the past

year, I have hosted and attended over 100 events.

As Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Social Housing, I meet regLilarly

with ward members to discuss development plans taking place in their area.

I regularly walk around my ward, visit local schools and attend community

events each month.

Community Days: Ward ‘Walk-abouts’ business drop-ins etc

Visiting Local Schools and Community Groups. as well as the Youth Zone.

We also walk around our ward regularly

Visits to Community Centres. Schools and Mosques

Pafle 10


Attendance at external meetings as a representative of the Council - This will

involve charity events on behalf of the Political party. - This will involve

attending Political forums, campaigns. - This will involve major projects within

my ward effecting my ward and surrounding areas.- Depending on my

constituent case, I will spend the necessary time to assist them for an

outcome. - On occasion I would visit local businesses, providing support and

sign post. from the effect of high business rates or Anti-social behaviour. -

regularly drive round the ward to report fly tipping. incidents, eyesore

gardens. My time is also collaborated with the Political dLities of

representation such as contribUting support for the London Mayor.

highlighting the importance of the party values for the good of all

communities. I tirelessly and passionately campaign on what matters on the

door step for every household. I believe in elder life care that Adult social

care should be provided in a dignified way and continually press on for extra

resources to sustain good quality care. As I an appointed Member Champion

for Quality Care, I passionately visit care venues to ensure support that the

service users and residents are cared for in a dignified way. I have taken a

voluntary role of campaigning for Climate change emergency on aspects that

effect the borough as leaving a legacy is extremely important for the next

generation.

I am a school governor and provide advice at the Sikh Temple

Survey does not appear to take into account that members will wish to read

council documentation / discuss issues which may not be directly related to a

specific meeting or casework enquiry but is an important part of elected

office.

As Cabinet Member for Equalities and Diversity I spent a significant amount

of time working with community groups in the borough. notably the Barking

and Dagenham Womens Group. I also lead on many of the Flag Raisings at

the Town Hall.

Youth Zones, Visits to Five Elms School, Ofsted Report Panel. Admissions

Forum

Opening of health hLib in my ward, walking and driving around ward to look

for issues. eg. fly tips

I spend a few hours each month attending the mosque and visiting

community groups in our ward. Recently. myself and my colleagues have

spent more time dealing with council issues thanks to the Controlled Parking

Zone consultation in our ward.

As Cabinet Member for Community Leadership & Engagement. I have lots of

responsibilities within the community that include organising and attending

the Summer of Festivals. I also attend many external events across London

where I represent our borough and chair lots of community group

committees, which take up a significant amount of time.

I scrutinise the performance of other cabinet members by leading

Poqe 1 1


Performance Challenge Sessions 6 weekly with members, and also do

additional work with residents from across the borough to consult on the

budget.


Page 12

Question options

• 41 to 45 • 46 to 50 • 36 to 40 • 3 to 35 • 261030 • 21 to 25 • 161020 • 11 to 15

6 to 10 • 1105

Optional question 151 responses. 0 skippeo9

0 (0.0%)


09 How many cases! issues do you deal with, on average, per month?

9(17.6%)

4(7.8%) —i

3 (5.9%)

5 (9.8%)

13(25.5%)

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Local Government Boundary Review - Councillor Survey Suvey Repoi 01 January 2020 to 05 March 2020

QiD Is the time you spend on council business what you expected when you became a

councillor?

20 (40.8%)

Question options

• No - I spend less time on Council business • No - I spend more time on Council business • Yes


29 (59.2%)

0 (0.0%)

Pe 14


Qil For those members who stood between 2014- 2018, has the time you now spend on

Council business increased?

Question options

No •Yes

Opttona/ question (30 responses. 21 skipped)

Pane 15

Local Government Boundary Review Councillor Survey : Suivey Ripcr for 01 January 2020 to 05 March 2020

Q12 What do you think is the reason for this?

I became a Cabinet Member in 2018. which has significantly increased my

responsibilities. As the Cabinet Member for Public Realm, I find that

councillor colleagues and residents come to me directly with street cleaning

issues or reporting missed bin collections, which take a significant amount of

time to process. I am not on as many internal committees now that I am a

cabinet member, but I now have lots of additional meetings with officers and

members, which take up around 25-30 hours a week. As a Cabinet Member.

this works out to a full time role.

More demand from residents. Residents believe that politicians can get

things done for them, so rely on us more. I do more in my new portfolio as

cabinet member for skills and bUsiness. I am also being proactive to create

more opportunities to get our businesses involved in the community, which

creates more work for me.

There is an increasing level of work overall as there is a higher demand.

Cases are becoming more complicated which means we need to spend more

time on these, as they are priority cases.

The Council is adopting new ways of working so we’re working proactively to

engage with residents. I have moved from Eastbrook ward to Becontree

ward which is a much bigger ward with different demographics and more

complicated issues.

The council has a large regeneration programme and many companies that it

has set up. We have many responsibilities around this. There is a lot of

training to ensure that we are fully skilled as well as numerous briefings.

As residents become to know you and trust you they are more willing to ask

for help. There are more people needing help due to austerity. The council

has less front line staff and not everyone has the ability to use technology to

deal with the issues they may have.

Austerity. My ward is one of the poorest in the borough.

Cases are more involved

There is a much higher expectation of our Borough, as we are becoming a

place which attracts attention for the scale of our housing development

programme. Austerity has lead to higher levels of deprivation in our borough,

which means that the demand from residents continues to rise and cases

become more and more complex.

The area I represent has changed. we have more properties that are

privately rented. this causes housing issues and we have an upturn in the

number of fly tipping we are reporting.

My ward is now larger, there are more people and more issues

Paqe 1i

Local Government Boundary Review - Councillor Survey : Survey Report for 01 January 2020 to 05 March 2020

As it is my second term. I know more about what my residents expect from

me. Austerity has made people poorer in Barking and Dagenham so our work

increases.

Attending to constituents concerns are increasing. Some are settled in form

of advice whilst some become casework

My first term was spent finding my feet in the role and learning about the

vision for my constitLients from every background. During my role I have

helped communities to aspire for opportunities. eliminate hatred, improve

local businesses and encourage civic pride in the local area. Currently in my

second term. I was given an appointment as a member champion. and policy

member, these significant positions involved direct impact to residents from

the cradle to the grave with a legacy where ‘noone is left behind.

Poverty has increased as well as population. Demands for council services

has risen. My ward has seen one of the highest rises in the borough

INCREASING POPULATION, MORE CASEWORK AND RESIDENT

DEMAND FOR INSTANT RESPONSES.

More people know me

Residents are becoming more proactive - eg. introduction of the CPZ in my

ward.

The problems in society have grown and the solutions have become harder.

Village Ward has a mixture of flats and houses and most certainly the

problems in our flatted estates have grown. A lot of the time is spent on

following up the same case often again and again to get a sensible result.

Housing related unhappiness has grown. I take the more complicated cases

that involve some research and some detailed written work. Proposed

developments have become more controversial. All three Village Ward

Councillors tend to go the extra mile for residents. We have a good profile

and contact with residents brings more work. I use local shops and regularly

bump into local people who raise matters with me. One particular Village

Ward shop I use nearly every day I consider myself lucky if I escape without

adding to the casework, I think my record is 5 items of casework in one visit.

Having four TRAs and when functioning more than that always adds to work.

We always have at least one of us at a meeting. sometimes two and

occasionally three of us there. We have three sheltered units and try to make

sure that at least one of Us attend all of those meetings. Each meeting easily

produces three or four items of casework, usually a mixture of individual and

general. About 18 months ago one of the meetings produced about around

20 items. This is all more than it used to be. The only thing I am saved from

is Social Media. I rarely look at any of that though one of the three of us

does and she does pick up quite a lot from that.

More complex issues for residents

Paqe 17

Local Government Boundary Review Councillor Survey SL1’vey Rocort foi 01 January 2020 to 05 March 2020

People in Barking and Dagenham have been hit hardest by Austerity, which

means they become more dependent on local councillors to help deal with

increasingly complex casework. We have a large youth population that deals

with a variety of challenges. and as Londons growth opportunity we are

developing a huge number of new homes, with brings with it a whole host of

consultation with residents.

The demand for council services continues to grow thanks to 10 years of

austerity. As ward councillors we see increasingly complex issues arising.


18

Local Government Boundary Review - Councillor Survey Suiey Report for 01 January 2020 to 05 March 2020

Q13 What aspects of your duties have increased the most?

receive lots more communication from councillors and residents, which

means I deal with lots of cases in a week (a usual week would see me pass

on around 40 cases of missed bins/litter reports). As a Cabinet Member I

receive weekly packs of documents to read that take up a significant amount

of time, and I have to prepare presentations that go oLit internally and

externally. All aspects of my role have increased except for ward surgeries,

where we are seeing fewer residents attend due to the convenience of

email/phone.

We are seeing more people at our surgeries and we are picking up more

casework from all avenues - social media. email and face to face. I find I am

doing more community work to engage with residents. We run a facebook

page to communicate with residents easier.

Casework. Ward visits and meetings. resident engagement (mainly on

telephone)

Casework. Anti-social behaviour and fly-tipping is increasing, which means I

am having to do more work with the local police than did previously.

Casework has increased as well as their complexity. There are a lot more

training requirements and briefings.

Reporting issues that residents feel unable to report themselves. Dealing with

issues around housing and parking. I have also become Chair of Overview

and Scrutiny.

Constituent contact as a cabinet member since serious crime rose. We also

set up the East BCU Serious Violence Summit.

Meeting with other chairs of Health Scrutiny Committee

I pick up more casework than in 2014. thanks to the hardship that council

cuts have caused for local residents. I have found particularly that residents

attend surgeries less. but use social media significantly more to contact me

than before. As our borough gets recognised nationally. I also use my

platform as leader much more to lobby on behalf of the borough. which takes

up much more time than in 2014-18.

Most of the case load is around missed bins, fly tips and long term cases are

around housing issues.

emails from constituents

Resident contact - it is increasingly complicated, and usually relating to

financial or housing concerns.

Residents concerns on home repairs and more demand for information on

Paoe 19


accommodation matters.

I am part of different committees and taking my role seriously. Being a chair,

my role has also increase outside the council.

My role as Policy member has increased, as the Government has been

abhorrently reducing the funding on aspects that matter to my constituents. I

have to work more to support and offer beneficial agencies for my

constituents. From Mental health, community cohesion and opportunities for

young people. my role involves a long term vision of beyond 10 to 20 years

including post Brexit. I am currently sign posting some communities to have

accurate immigration support in order to get on with their daily lives.

Complaints about controlled parking zones, anti social behaviour, housing

complaints not being addressed, low level crime, bad neighbours

CASEWORK ENQUIRIES

Contact with ward residents - our population has increased dramatically and

there is high churn, so we deal with lots of issues.

Emails I receive

Case work in general. New development proposals with greater controversy.

Controversial planning extensions and appeals to Bristol. Having to address

the same items of case work again and again. Caretaking and street cleaning

issues have increased. Non-collection of rubbish issues has eased off a bit

now, but we had a year of them in high volume. I need to spend a lot more

time on wider issues of the council than I do as I have some fundamental

concerns on a few issues such as the General Fund re-charges to the HRA.

but time spent on day to day issues and the increase in time spent on School

Governor work limits the time available for this. Obtaining information on

wider issues in the form you want it has never been easy. but often seems

harder now, though this would be difficult to quantify. Parking related

problems have increased. This includes lack of parking space in general and

PCNs that seem to have a dubious element to them. I then go out of my way

to help residents through the process.

Casework

Engaging with residents in all aspects. but particularly in relation to social

media and emails.

Engagement with my residents, as well as increasing responsibilities

collectively for cabinet members. As a result of our 2015 growth commission.

our roles are becoming more proactive and focused on long term solutions.


Pope 20


014 What methods of communication do you use when engaging with your constituents?

55

5150

4948

50

45

3840

3335

30

26

25

20

15

10

5

22

-a

3

Question options

ê Other (please state the method of communicaTom • Meetings • Newsletters • Social Media

Email • Text Telephone • Face to face

Optional questIon (51 responses. 0 skipped)

• Letter

Page 21

Local Government Boundary Review - Councillor Survey Survey Report tu 01 January 2020 to 05 March 2020

Q15 Rank each method n preference order from ito 10

OPTIONS AVG. RANK

Face to face 2.00

Email 2.72

Telephone 2.85

Meetings 4.55

Text 4.74

Social Media 5.04

Letter 5.47

Newsletters 6.16

Other 7.22


Paqe 22


Q16 Have you noticed any significant change in the amount of time you spend

communicating via each of these methods in the last 12 months?

25

Question options

• Speeding sgisfaaetly less time

Meetnqs 3 5

aOtner 2 4 2

II

10


Page 23

27 10

20 30 40 50 60

1430

29

15

Spending less me

Spendsg more time

• Soending sign icaetly more lime

10

Face to face 4

Te:cpiiote 5

Text 1121

Email 2

Let:ei 6

Socai rind a 1 6

Newx;e:ers 3

21

27 4 2

8 12

17 10

Local Government Boundary Review - Counciflor Survey Survey Report for 01 January 2020 to 05 March 2020

Q17 Do you feel the balance above is right for you to communicate effectively with your

constituents?

Question optionsNo •Yes


43 (93.5%)

Par 24

Local Government Boundary Review - Councillor Survey Suvey Report for 01 January 2020 to 05 March 2020

Q18 Why do you think this?

During the last twelve months majority case works were conducted by email.

visiting and meeting constituents either in surgery or at home. Method of

communication depends on and decided on a need basis.

Residents have different ways of communicating - some prefer to talk face to

face or over the phone so they can explain an issue fully. whereas other find

it easier to contact me via email or text. As a councillor it is important to me

that residents are always able to get in touch. I also find that social media

helps me to let residents know about litter picking events and update them on

our process with cleaning areas of the borough. which allows me to reach

more people quickly. I spend lots of time on Facebook and Twitter proactively

responding to issues and picking up casework to pass on.

As a councillor I always want to meet face to face so that I can empathise

and can understand their issues. I understand that residents cant always

make meetings and don’t always prefer to. so I will make myself available to

residents, however they prefer to communicate.

Because I am responding to the needs and methods that my residents ask

for

The easy way to communicate the residents by telephone, email and face to

face and meeting

The community I represent responds better to face to face, calls and emails

Because this is how residents want us to respond

Different people prefer different modes of communication. Not all elderly

people are IT literate. There is something for everyone. I prefer to

communicate with the constituents using their preferred mode.

I Believe that face to face and via telephone is an interactive way of

communicating with constituents and dealing with their complaints and

issues. It is a more efficient way to hear from them directly and advise them

accordingly.

When you speak to residents face to face it is easier for me to understand

their issues. It also means we can solve issues there and then. for instance.

by signposting residents to other agencies who will be able to help.

I prefer to speak to people face to face.

Residents require a variety of methods of communication arising from their

preferences and lifestyles. For some groups. meeting them on their doorstep

is the best way to make contact. I get positive feedback from ward residents

about the Becontree email newsletter and the social media I do on Facebook

and Twitter for my role as cabinet Member for Educational Attainment and

Pane 25


School Improvement from a wider group of Borough residents.

While Casework is increasing and become more complex meaning I have to

have follow up with the residents, I personally find emails are the most

effective way to communicate as there is a trail of the concern, I can easily

see if every point in the concern has been addressed and if there is any

action required it is far easier to follow up on as I have evidence.

Not all communication methods are used at the same time, so I am able to

balance.

Residents have been able to contact me as required when needed.

I believe that my constituents now know who I am and how they can contact

me and they are satisfied that they can contact me when necessary

Too many issues, diverse ward and lots happening

From experience.

As before if you attend meeting regularly or answer casework promptly

people are more confident in contacting you and will even recommend that

others contact you

It’s alot and I have very little spare time. We campaign on weekends also.

This year has been particularly busy for my portfolio as we have rolled out

the CPZ’s. launched the Landlord Licencing Scheme and Refreshed the

Community Safety Partnership

People know I work for them and keep in touch

I prefer speaking to residents face to face as I believe that this is the best

way to communicate, but I also find social media useful to update residents

on everything that is happening within our borough. As a councillor I think it is

important to be available and flexible to engage with residents however they

prefer.

As ward councillors we are accessible and try our best to resolve their

issues. We could do more in terms of ward news letter on a monthly basis

but we don’t have the time to administer this.

Email is fast and accurate

Face to Face meetings still remain important since not everybody has access

to emails.

It enables more understanding of constituents problems and importance of

taking actions.

I have to cater according to my constituents needs. Some prefer face to

face, meetings and some like email etc and phone.

Pope 26

Local Government Boundary Review - Councillor Survey SL’rvey Report for 01 January 2020 to 05 March 2020

My constituents, feel that they are obtaining an effective listening ear to the

situations or circumstances. I must be doing something right as my

constituents have elected me for the second term.

The world has changed and so have the ways that people interact. Despite

being older than many in the council, I am tech savvy due to the nature of my

job and I use as many ways to reach out to my residents as possible. The

increase in my wards population in all demographics means I have to evolve

and try to engage with everyone at all levels.

RESIDENTS NOW COMMUNICATE MORE THROUGH EMAIL/PHONE

THAN BY LETTER. I ALSO HOLD WEEKLY SURGERIES AND ATTEND

REGULAR PUBLIC MEETINGS. WHICH HELPS TO MAINTAIN A

BALANCE.

Yes

I have not noticed any significant change in the amount of time I spend

communicating with residents in last 12 months although it is important that

LGBCE understand the important of members responding to specific events

(i.e. CPZ implementation) which give rise to considerable short term activity.

as well as the vital role ward members can and do play during

Linforeseen/tragic events i.e. Barking Riverside fire.

Because there is more than 1 way to communicate

I communicate using a vast range of mediums when connecting with

residents. I think that it covers the majority of effects ways. Some people do

not have access to the internet’email address so they prefer to speak over

the phone or ask me to come in person. I do not really use social media for

my role, however. I feel that the above methods of communication are

eqLIaIIy accessible to those who may otherwise reach out using social media.

It is the best possible way

Feedback from Residents

We used to issue more newsletters, but the volume of casework makes these

a bit harder to write and deliver.

I am always communicating with people in different ways.

I Strongly believe that my constituents now know who I am and how they

can contact me and I believe that they are very satisfied that they know how

they can contact me.

I am always available to residents

I make sure to make myself available to residents in any way that they prefer

Pace 27

Local Government Boundary Review Councillor Survey : Survey Report for 01 January 2020 to 05 March 2020

to contact me.

Because residents will contact me however suits them - although I prefer

face-to-face contact. I realise that email can be more convenient for lots of

residents.


Page 28

Local Government Boundary Review - Councillor Survey : Surve! Report for 01 January 2020 to 05 March 2020

Q19 Is there anything else about your experience as a Barking and Dagenham Councillor that

might be relevant to the Council’s submission on Council size?

I think we have the balance right at 51 Councillors - most of our CoLincillors

do their work alongside other responsibilities currently. and are able to carry

out these effectively. However, our borough is set to change dramatically

over the next few years so we know that if our numbers decreased then we

would struggle to maintain the levels of community engagement we currently

do. As Councillors we are finding increasingly complicated casework from

residents - especially in relation to housing and the infrastructure around that.

Over the next 10 years we expect our borough to increase massively.

meaning ward councillors are likely to represent more residents and deal with

more casework each. There has been a lot of attention on Barking and

Dagenham recently as we have the 3 Markets of London coming and the

Film Studios, which means that as Councillors we spend more time engaging

with residents to explain the change and the effects of regeneration.

There is more demand from residents in this borough - I have previously

been a councillor in Hackney from 2002-2010, and I feel I do a lot more work

here. even in my year as a back-bencherl Residents are quite dependent on

the council because we are a deprived area, and they believe we will be the

answer to everything. Residents have a range of different issues that they

depend on us to sort — helping into employment and training, debt

management. complicated housing needs inclLiding temporary

accommodation and homelessness. Reducing the number of councillors

would be an injustice to our borough. as we do a huge amount of work. All

our councillors have a continuous professional development programme.

which sets out their goals and aspirations for their development, which

means they are informed and giving the best service to residents. We need

more wards. because of demand and also because we will be developing

thousands of homes over the next 10 years. meaning councillors will be

representing more residents and will be even busierl

Although Eastbrook Ward is about the right fit for continuing as a viable three

member ward. I would recommend that the three properties in Rainham Road

North. north of the Central Park Nursery Road are transferred to Eastbrook

Ward from Heath as the boundary is currently confusing and these properties

are isolated, Central Park can be transferred to Eastbrook Ward as it is used

more by Eastbrooks residents who identify it as their park as they have the

main access points. This will not involve significant moves in electorate. If

new wards are required to reflect population changes. then the smallest

existing wards could be reduced to two member wards, whilst retaining a 51

member council. One member wards having been tried before are not at all

ideal.

The number of councillors we have allows us to effectively meet the needs of

our constituents. Whilst we may amend the boundaries in this process. we

would damage the effectiveness of our council with reduced nLimbers.

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Local Government Boundary Review Councillor Survey : Suvey Report for 01 January 2020 to 05 March 2020

With the amount of redevelopment. I feel we need more wards within the

borough and to keep at 51 Councillors spread evenly across the borough.

DLIe to the level of developments and population increase, the demand has

gotten higher, in which case more wards may be required. A minimum of 51

councillors are required at this stage.

Casework has no bearing on electorate as one represents all residents and

receives casework for all residents. There is not an average month as

matters literally vary from week to week. The current government policies

have made life unbearable. Resident need assistance, In my opinion, we

have a balance of clirs. An reduction would be detrimental.

I consider that as Barking and Dagenham is one of the more deprived areas

in London, with its unqiue socioeconomic issues as well as increasing

demographic. the local community requires effective and timely representaton

and support from their local councillors. I believe that all my colleagues within

the Council work hard to achieve the best outcomes for our residents and if

anything. LBBD could benefit from increased Councillor representation. This

arguement could be validated by examining the demographic changes within

LBBD from the previous Boundary Review over twenty years ago.

We know our population is increasing in Barking and Dagenham and we will

be a much bigger borough with more challenges. We will need to account for

these changes. and as a deprived borough we struggle with a larger

caseload because our population has specific needs that require a lot of

support. Any reduction in the number of councillors would be counter

productive and would effect the level of service provided to residents.

In my ward, there is a huge regeneration program. meaning that the

population will increase dramatically over the next 5 years. We will need to

make sure we have enough councillors to represent these residents and deal

with their issues effectively.

The growth on population, particularly amongst young people and the high

proportion of young people in the general population is relevant to the

Council’s submission on size. As the population of young people has

increased there has been a greater than expected growth in the numbers of

children and young people with complex needs requiring significant extra

support and resources from the Council. This affects the role of all councillors

but especially the role of Cabinet members with a consequential impact on

their own ward work. In my view, there is a need for 3 councillors at the level

of each ward to ensure the growing work load can be covered. As the

population of the Borough increases significantly in the short and medium

term, there should be an increase in the number of wards to adequately

represent the burgeoning population which would argue for the total number

of councillors increasing above 51 in Barking and Dagenham. The high levels

of deprivation in the Borough also affects the level of ward work required and

the number and cultural diversity of councillors in each ward. For example,

the high level of communication at ward level and specific to individual wards

requires active ward councillors to reach all parts of the varied communities

resident in wards. Wards in areas of great deprivation need a greater

Paoe 30


personal presence by councillors in their ward. Name recognition of

councillors is essential to enable the advocacy role of ward councillors to be

fulfilled adequately: residents need to know who their local councillors are.

They need to feel that they are approachable and have time to get out into

their neighbourhoods and listen to their issues, as well as present and

advocate on their behalf with clarity and authority. In my experience, the 3

councillor ward model works well to enable the breadth and volume of work

to be covered, and to enable councillors have first-hand knowledge and the

relevant cultural experience to represent diverse communities between the

three of them. This woLild be less possible with a 2 councillor ward model, As

the Borough grows rapidly. the nLlmber of councillors may need to increase

beyond 51 - otherwise wards left with just 2 councillors may struggle to

represent their constituents adequately as well as carry out their onerous

Council-wide responsibilities. However, I understand that we are unlikely to

be allocated a greater number of councillors for Barking and Dagenham even

in the light of the above reasons. This would be a great pity. Please note that

1 member wards would be disastrous given the volume and complexity of

work reqLlired of a councillor in Barking and Dagenham so any future

reconfiguration of wards arising from population growth should avoid this at

all costs.

It is very hard to say what an average month is for a councillor due to the

needs of my constituents and meetings. The work load can change, some

weeks I am required to be in meetings every night of the week. which means

preparing for 4 different meetings. This can limit the amount of time spent on

casework and may also mean missing meetings within my own ward to

attend a council meeting. As a community leader I also attend community

events. Parades and school fetes of the schools I am governor of. in my role

as councillor. While these events are not held every month. when they are

held they are full day events, which take me away from dealing with

residents. Also depending on the workload and other factors of my ward

colleagues I may have to cover them at ward meetings. I. like many other

members, also work full time so it is important for us to be able to support

and cover our colleagues. Any decrease in councillors will have an impact on

our ability to carry out our roles effectively.

The population increase to the borough. given the large regeneration

programme that will be underway for many years to come mean that more

people will be coming to live in our borough. The responsibility and

expectation of councillors has increased over the years and we have to

attend many training and briefing sessions. We also have external political

engagements that relate to our role. where there is an expectation that we

will attend. This consists of the safer neighbourhood team. tenants and

residents associations, local Labour Party meetings. local government

association. community and voluntary sector and faith group events. There

can sometimes be diary clashes, but this can be managed across the three

councillors currently.

Hours per week can be very changeable with some weeks being 25 hours or

more depending on meetings and resident engagement.

Page 31

Locol Government Boundary Review - Councillor Survey Siavey Report foi 01 January 2020 to 05 March 2020

As a London Borough with a high degree of constituents with low income,

Councillors are called upon for assistance from refuse to housing needs. The

Borough is building more homes which will mean that some ward will have

many more people. It is hoped that the borough will have extra wards to deal

with this increase served by additional councillors. This will ensure that no

wards have less than 3 councillors so that our constituents retain the same

level of excellent service that they now receive from their councillors.

lye been a councillor for 19 years and the workload has increased

considerably, the issues change but with the reduced numbers of officer’s our

workload has increased. Residents contact me now because they can’t get

get through to the council.

I would like to clarify that case work varies from month to month depending

on whether there is a particular issue in the Ward i.e., introduction of CPZ

and issues with premises which are operating illegally, planning issues within

the Ward etc. Where issues like these have arisen the average time spent on

workload would increase considerably. With the considerably amount of

building works taking place within the Ward I would expect the workload to

increase further over the next few years.

Although your reports will be based on those who have chosen to register to

vote Councillors are elected to represent all residents and businesses

owners. It could be suggested that in some cases those who contact you and

are not registers can have the more complex needs and casework. So from

the outset your number crunching puts us at a disadvantage.

Anything less than we do would be failing our residents.

With all the new population and council cuts, people rely on us more.

Over the next two decades we expect our borough to change significantly —

we are London’s growth opportunity, which means we’re building 2,000

homes by 2023 and 50.000 homes in the next 20 years - this equates to the

city of Yorkl We will clearly have to look seriously at restructuring our ward

boundaries to reflect this. With over 130 different cultures in our borough,

Barking and Dagenham councillors must work especially hard to engage with

all aspects of the community. We are also one of the most deprived areas in

the country, which means that our councillors deal with serious cases on a

regular basis.Any decrease in number of councillors would mean our

residents suffer. We reviewed our scrutiny functions in 2018 to ensure that

we tailor our internal structures to the needs of residents. At present. every

one of the 51 councillors have a position on at least 1 committee, and most

represent the council externally on numerous boards — they are all invaluable

both within the town hall and community. I therefore believe that maintaining

at our current level of 51 councillors is the best way to ensure effective

representation.

The council are embarking on a massive building program that will see more

residents in River ward over the next year or two. We are looking at over

4000 extra homes and we will need all three ward councillors to manage the

Page 32


extra work load. As Mayor this year I have had additional responsibilities

which have meant relying on my ward colleagues to take the lead on

casework — we must ensure that we have no 1 member wards which could

result in overworked councillors and ultimately. residents losing out.

This is a poor area, so has more people that need help from their councillors.

From my experience the workload is increasing. The population continues to

grow. and residents will need more of our support.

The diversity of the borough and it being reflected on the council

In many cases the workload split 3 ways is still significantly too high

My experiences and workloads are evenly shared amongst the 3 ward

councillors. This number is just ideal to address residents huge problems.

I believe all the councillors are hard working and spend lots of time in their

wards with residents, which is important. The current work of the councillors

does justify this size, except some wards with the new developments.

I believe that some wards could be better designed in geographical clusters

rather than a split. For example. Thames ward is currently divided into two

because of the Al 3. The ward also needs clarification due to the future

expansion to Riverside housing project adjacent to Thames ward. Some

wards are too sparse in population such as Eastbrook ward due to Eastbrook

park. Other examples are that Village ward is too small in density: with

Abbey and Longbridge ward with a large density population that may benefit

from equal geographic variation. In my view, the larger wards may not

necessary need as many councillors. where others may benefit with more

than 2 councillors.

It is a case that B&D is the cheapest place in London to live and has been so

for many years. New transport links, especially in my ward. mean that more

people will be coming here. I have seen growth and how it affects us in terms

of pressure on infrastructure. Lessons need to be learned all over

POPULATION INCREASE HAS LED TO IMMENSE INCREASE IN

CASEWORK LEVELS AND DEMANDS ON ME AS A COUNCILLOR.

RESIDENTS NOW ALSO EXPECT INSTANT RESPONSES TO THEIR

ENQURIES.

The time I spend on council duties in terms of formal attendance at meetings

has decreased significantly as a result of becoming a parent to two small

children. The time spend on casework has somewhat reduced although not to

the same extent, and in some ways I am more involved in wardcommunity

events now and pick up a different range of casework than before. I am

somewhat cautious about how this information will be understood by the

LGBCE who oddly in my view are not an organisation who really understand

local government — a certain % of the adult population will become parents

over a four year council cycle, no one should feel they need to apologise for

Pope 33


becoming a parent, and if data showing a drop in overall hours is interpreted

has a need for fewer councillors that is the polar conclusion of the opposite

which should be reached- having a supportive, non-parent ward colleague

has been very important. If anything a fully representative Council indicates a

need for a greater coLincil size or at least no reduction.

New developments bring there own problems and naturally increase case

work.

The people who did not elect you. are often those who bring the biggest

casework to you. The electorate also bring a lot of cases, demanding almost

immediate results, forgetting there is a process to follow.

Being a Borough Council with large level of constituents and with low

income. coLincillors are called for assistance from bin collections to housing

needs. The Council is building more homes which mean that some wards will

have more people. This means that the borough will need extra wards and to

increase service by additional councillors. to ensure that every ward has 3

councillors. so that our constituents will have the same level of outstanding

service that they receive from their councillors.

As councillors we are already very active - any reduction in council size

would mean we coLild not represent our residents effectively.

Our population is expected to grow dramatically over the next 5 years thanks

to our ambitious housing development programme - in my ward alone we

expect over 4.000 homes to be bLiilt by 2026. Clearly, we will need to look at

increasing representation in this area of the borough. OUr coUncil runs

efficiently at 51 councillors - we recently reviewed our democratic structures

and have ensured that our committees rLin as effectively as possible.

Therefore: I would like our council to maintain at 51 councillors.

Our council works effectively at its current number - we have a strong

scrutiny function, and every councillor sits on atleast 1 additional committee.

Councillors take on different roles within the organisation - some of us in

Cabinet need to defer to ward colleagues to handle resident casework. and

likewise others take a more proactive role in representing the council at

commLlnity events. With any fewer councillors. I fear that we would not be

able to continue providing the same level of service.


Pac 34

Local Government Boundary Review Councillor Survey : Survey Report (or 01 January 2020 to 05 March 2020

19(38.0%) —‘

Question options

• 75-.- • Prefer not to say

• 18-24 years

Optional question (50 responses. I skipped)

Q20 Age

7(14.0%)

25 - 34yearsI 65 - 74 years • 55 - 64 years • 45 - 54 years • 35 - 44 years

Paqe 35

Local Government Boundary Review Councillor Survey Survey Report tor 01 January 2020 to 05 March 2020

Q21 Gender

20 (41.7%)

26 (54.2%)

Question options

4 Prefer not to say Female 4 Male


2(4.2%)

Page 36

Local Government Boundary Review Councillor Survey Suivey Report for 01 January 2020 to 05 March 2020

022 Do you identify, or have you ever idenfified, as Transgender?

Question options

• Yes Prefer not to say • No


0(0.0%)

28 (93.3%)

Paqe 37

Local Government Boundary Review - Councillor Survey SLirvey Report for 01 January 2020 to 05 March 2020

Q23 What is your sexual orientation?

Question options• Other (please state) • Lesbian • Gay man • Prefer not to say


Bisexual • Heterosexual (straight)

—--- I-—--

Page 38

Local Government Boundary Review Councillor Survey Slttve/ Report for 01 January 2020 to 05 March 2020

Optional question 148 responses. 3 skipped)

Asian or Asian British - Indian

o (0.0%)

0 (0.0%)

0(0.0%)

0 (0.0%)

0 (0.0%)

\N 0 (0.0%)

18 (37.5%)

5(10.4%)

Q24 What is your ethnic group?

4 (8.3%)

3 (6.3%)

Question options

• Other mixed / multiple ethnic background (please state) • Other - Arab • An other Asian backgroLind

• Mixed - White and Asian • Mixed - While and Black African • Mixed - White and Black Caribbean

• Asian or Asian British Chinese Any other Black / African / Caribbean background • Any other White Background

• White - Gypsy or Irish Traveller • White - Irish • Prefer not to say • Any other Asian background

• Asian or Asian British - Bangladeshi • Asian or Asian British - Pakistani

• Black or Black British - Caribbean Black or Black British - African

• White - British / English / Welsh Scottish / Northern Irish

Page 39

Local Government Boundary Review - Councillor Survey : Suivey Report for 01 January 2020 to 05 March 2020

Q25 What is your religion?

10(21.7%)

Question options• Other (please state> • Jewish • Hindu • Buddhist • Prefer not to say • Sikh • Muslim

Christian (including Church ol England. Catholic. Protestant and all Christian denominations> • No religion

Optional qUestion (46 responses. 5 skipped)

0 (0%).

0 (0.0%)

0 (0.0%)

0 (0.0%)

4 (8.7%)

3 (6.5%)

21(45.7%)

Paqe 40

Local Government Boundary Review - Councillor Survey Survey Report fot 01 January 2020 to 05 March 2020

026 Do you consider yourself to have a disability or long-term condition (such as cancer,

dyslexia, diabetes, arthritis, a heart condition, or a mental health condition)?

29(61.7%)

Question options

• Prefer not to say No •Yes

Qotional question (47 responses. 4 skipped)

Pape 41

—— 16(34.0%)

Local Government Boundary Review Councillor Survey Suivey Retort foi 01 January 2020 to 05 March 2020

Q27 Type of impairment

10

9

8

7

6

5

4

3

9

2

1

2 2

0 0 0 0

Question options

• Prefer not to say

• Learning difficulty

• Restricted mchilLty • Wheelchair user • Speech impairment • Other (please state)

Hearing impairment • Mental health issues


1

Paio 41

Documents

Local Government One Borough Voice Survey Report 1... · Survey Report 01 January 2020-05 March 2020 Local Government Boundary Review-Councillor Survey PROJECT: Local Government Boundary