Which of these roles do you hold?

The response given to this question determined which of the other questions in the survey were relevant so that they could be posed to Members in those roles. Respondents could select more than one response.

Total responses: 35

 

How long have you been an MBC councillor?

Total responses: 35

 

 

 

Do you represent a parished area?

Total responses: 35

 

Time Spent – overall work (Monthly)

Total Responses

Minimum

Maximum

Mode

Mean

Median

Time spent per month on Council Work

32

12

174

30

45

31.5

Time spent per month on case work

30

4

70

10

22.6

20

Time spent per month on parish work

17

0

50

20

14.4

15

Time spent per month working with other local community groups in your area

25

0

120

10

17.4

10

 

Time Spent – specific duties (Monthly)

Total Responses

Minimum

Maximum

Mode

Mean

Median

Planning Committee

12

2

40

6

15.7

10

Licensing Committee

6

0

10

3

3.8

3

Services Committees

15

3

25

6

8.9

6

Other Committees/Nominated groups

15

1

50

2

9.8

4

Chairing

8

1

30

10

11.3

7

 

Briefings

Total Responses

Minimum

Maximum

Mode

Mean

Median

31

1

30

2

11.1

8

 

 

Training (Annually)

Total Responses

Minimum

Maximum

Mode

Mean

Median

Planning Committee Training

10

9

60

10

19.9

17

Licensing Committee Training

6

3

16

5

7.2

5.5

Chairing Training

7

0

4

0

0.6

0

 

Other time spent (monthly)

Total Responses

Minimum

Maximum

Mode

Mean

Median

On outside bodies, including external boards and partnership meetings

28

0

40

0

7.1

3

Liaising with officers (outside of the role of chair or vice-chair)?

28

0

40

4

7.6

4

Travelling on council business (meetings, briefings, training etc.)?

28

0

30

2

7.3

4.5

 

Comments about impact of technology on Council Work

Total comments received 25, these are shown in full below.

From these comments it was identified that:

·         14 comments were broadly positive about the impact on technology on Council work. Seven mentioned less travelling saving time and money.

·         Five said digital was easier with information available at their fingertips and four mentioned improvements in their work/life balance. Several also mentioned increased attendance at meetings within their comments.

·         Seven Comments were broadly negative. Here concerns about increased workloads, increased expectations for responding to queries and feeling disconnected were raised.

·         Four comments were classified as being neutral, these commenters suggested that technology has had a negligible impact. There were mentions of needing to ‘catch up’ after the pandemic and one said they prefer a ‘hands on approach’ based on their experience with their constituents.

Q9: Use the box below to tell us about how technology has impacted your COUNCIL work

The use of skype/ Teams has made meetings easier especially the Cllrs briefings. it has reduced travel time and made it generally easier

More meetings re online which for me results in being increasingly disconnected and informal discussions are very limited.

Skype/Teams meetings have been very successful and will probably continue for training and briefings sessions thus reducing travelling times.

It has massively increased the workload and reduced the time people are willing to wait for a reply. The idea that technology lightens the workload is to coin a phrase naive.

Ability to access emails on the go so better communication. During the pandemic attending virtual meetings. All my equipment is my own

email makes it easier to contact officers, fellow councillors, and members of the public but of course there is then pressure to answer them quickly. If I want to speak at a committee as a visiting member it is more convenient to do it virtually than in person. It is essential to maintain a good work life balance and turn the computer off regularly when at home. When I was first elected in 1982 the only way of contacting council officers and residents was by telephone or letter !!

We do a lot more meetings and briefings online in addition to attending committees in person

Made things easier using Zoom for training and briefings.

Has helped as I can do council related work while travelling to and from work and during lunch break.

Hate not having meetings back at Town Hall

Some parts are an improvement, others can be a problem as I prefer to take a "hands on" approach to issues within my Wards meeting with many who prefer a personal contact particularly the elderly and young people who prefer to talk to me about issues they may have rather than make contact via email.

Access to technology was far greater in the past when I had a working laptop and printer I now have neither and only patchy access to email on other devices.

Easy access to information and documents on the Internet. Satnav in carrying out site visits

It has meant that a lot of meetings, training and briefings can be virtual which saves me travelling and means that I am more able to attend them around work.

It has saved me approx. one whole day per week in travel to and from meetings. (typical allowance for journey 40 mins each way - say one meeting per day - allowing for the niceties of incarnate meeting, coffee etc)

email kills me

Remote meetings saves so much time and encourages me to attend more meetings. As the council has no telephone directory the Skype system to contact officers is invaluable (changed the way I am able to work).

It’s reduced some meetings, but currently it feels like we're trying to catch up and with so many different aspects to the Council I still can spend 4 hrs in the car to and from Maidstone, and ERL issue in the morning and then a Planning or "corporate interest" later in the evening. It’s hard to say and quantify, so much has changed...again! Changes in Council, changes post Covid, changes in roles, extra demands like Local Plan etc have meant more meetings, some online. When it was pretty well all online, it cut down LOTS of travel and site visits!

Use of virtual technology during COVID has saved a lot of travelling time and I suspect has increased attendance at working groups.

Negligible impact

It has saved travelling time; enabled me to attend more meetings / case work; enabled me to do other things at the same time during a meeting

Virtual meetings has been very useful and allows better attendance to briefings and training sessions

My email inbox has increased at a considerable rate since Covid-19. So replying and dealing with emails has increased tenfold.

Has helped to some degree having some digital. But did make starting as a Cllr hard and feel we still need to catch up on some elements.

Virtual meetings, training and briefing sessions enabled greater flexibility and save travelling time.

 

Approach – Proportion of approach used

Total Responses

Minimum

Maximum

Mode

Mean

Median

Route case work through to the relevant council department and let them respond

29

0%

99%

0%

15.3%

10%

Route case work through to the relevant council department and keep a watching brief

29

0%

98%

10%

19.3%

15%

Personally handle case work with direct liaison with relevant department throughout

29

1%

100%

90%

65.4%

75%

 

Casework – Proportion by organisation

Total Responses

Minimum

Maximum

Mode

Mean

Median

MBC

30

30%

99%

70%

59.9%

60%

KCC

30

0%

60%

0%

21.4%

17.5%

Parish

30

0%

40%

0%

11.7%

7.5%

Other organisations (i.e housing body, health, police)

30

0%

20%

0%

7.1%

5%

 

What support do you get from the council to help with case work?  What works well? (i.e. direct contact with officers, website)

Total comments received 27, these are shown in full in the table below.

The following was identified:

·         Twelve said that direct contact with officers works well.

·         Four comments had positive mentions of support from Officers.

·         Four mentioned occasional difficulties in identifying who is the relevant person to contact.

·         Five mentioned the website, three of which mentioned using the website as a resource or directing constituents to it, one said the website was too generalised and another mentioned being unable to report issues on a constituent’s behalf.

Q12: What support do you get from the council to help with case work?  What works well? (i.e. direct contact with officers, website)

Very little, I try to identify the relevant team leader,

Helpful when I find who is responsible. I do find that feedback from officers is lacking in a lot of cases.

Excellent help from officers and the direct contact with them is the best approach.

No actual support is provided. direct liaison with officers works best. The website and customer service telephones are not effective solutions in most cases. as it takes more time involves more staff and generally delays an outcome. In may cases it is actually impossible for a Councillor to report via websites as for e.g. with Environmental health you have to give your address. Not terribly helpful if you are complaining on behalf of a third party living nowhere near where you live.

Timely answers to questions and advice

Direct contact with officers as with experience I know which ones to contact and which ones are particularly helpful e.g. planning. the website is useful for queries on waste collection for instance.

Direct contact with officers

Not enough experience yet to comment

All my experience of officers has been good.

Officers always helpful direct contact is best

Technical support on Planning issues with the relevant Officers. Good support from Officers concerning Licensing issues in the Borough. Good working relationship with Officers in the Communities, Housing and Environment Departments who provide good support in the waste collection and waste management services. Good technology exists which is useful in this area and easy to use.

Some teams and individuals are very good others less so.

Excellent and prompt advice and information from officers. Works well as it is.

As soon as I find the right officer / I’ve found them very helpful

The easy to report websites for fly tipping etc work well. Direct contact with officers works well too.

Officers are usually very helpful, but I am always conscious of their direct workload.

emails are usually responded no later than by the second reminder

Direct contact with officers, the skype system is invaluable for this. Website for research. As a member working doing case work being asked to do online reporting hinders me.

I make enquiries, I get answers, or I tell residents to use the website, to report things.

Direct contact

Generally direct contact works very well. Dealing with KCC is more difficult

Support if needed from MBC, very limited from KCC

Direct contact with officer is better. However sometimes I find it difficult to locate the right person to talk to.

direct contact with officers works better than relying the web site which is too generalized

Direct contact with Officers

I get good support from officers at all levels mostly by email exchanges. I only call if something is urgent or better by phone. Website is good and the majority of things are there, but many residents contact their local councillor before using the web site.

Occasional support from officers when residents have problems with day-to-day concerns i.e. waste collections/planning/enforcement. All officers respond quickly to assist with answers to and/or resolutions which can be relayed back to residents

 

Is there further support the council could provide? (i.e. dedicated webpage, dedicated officer to assist with case management)

Total comments received 24, these are shown in full in the table below.

From these comments the following was identified:

·         Ten mentioned they would like a dedicated officer or group of officers that they can go to for support and another said that if this role existed the officer would need to be very knowledge.

·         Four requested improved staffing lists so they can easily identify the most appropriate officer to contact.

·         Four said they were happy with the current support provided.

·         Two made negative comments about having to use the same channels as residents/are treated the same as residents.

·         One suggested having a dedicated webpage for support.

Q13: Is there further support the council could provide? (i.e. dedicated webpage, dedicated officer to assist with case management)

If the Council could send out a list of all team leaders, it would avoid going to the service heads

Who to contact would be very helpful.

None at present

Councillor enquires should never have to go via the general website or call centre. The insistence in some cases that they should impedes representing the public.

Dedicated staff offering support in clusters

dedicated webpage could be useful

Not enough experience yet to comment

Greater clarity of who, and what authority, is responsible for each issue.

May be good

I have been a Member for over 10 years and have a reasonable knowledge of who, what and when to seek assistance from Officers most who have been employed for many years and are very experienced and have extensive knowledge.

The officer / Elected Member relationship has changed over the years (as the powers of Councillors have reduced) and the former parity of esteem is largely lost.

Nothing further needed. Easy and quick access to info

Dedicated online chat or call centre

A dedicated officer would be nice! Sometimes we don't know how to deal with cases but they have probably come up before so maybe a dedicated officer in each area or a main email box to use that can be filtered the right way as sometimes we are asking the wrong department.

Dedicated officer to assist with case management please.

Just support and not to be treated the same as a member of the public when I am pursuing information/action

I have a problem with people who don’t use the internet. AND People DONT look at websites! They moan. Some issues are quite detailed and need specific grasp and reply: Planning Applications, specific streets of missed bins, General Flooding matters etc. An Officer would have to be VERY broadly knowledge AND specifically knowing to deal with or re-refer.

I am reasonably happy with the current situation.

Officer liaison meetings would be helpful.

As above a clearer intranet to find the correct officer to deal with

dedicated officer / point of contact would be helpful

I sometimes think a dedicated officer would be good for councillors but the work load can be so varied it would be best to pilot this first before creating a particular post.

Dedicated officer would be great. Repeat reminders of who is who (directory of officers) actually repeat the email say twice a month and add new people etc.

If number of Ward members are reduced access to a dedicated officer to assist with case management would be welcomed

 

Comments about impact of technology on Case Work

Total comments received 24, these are shown in full in the table below.

From these comments it was identified that:

·         Seven mentioned accessibility, either in relation to being more accessible to constituents or being able to access information.

·         Five said technology has had little impact on their case work.

·         Two said technology had improved the management case work

·         Two suggested that casework has increased as a result of technology.

·         There were also several comments about members specific approaches/situation.  

Q14: Use the box below to tell us about how technology has impacted your CASE work

No impact

I find that I am contacted mainly by phone land line or mobile 60% of the time and then the rest by email

Not really

It helps produce surveys and responses to local issues, but produces a high demand for time ie dealing with Social Media and thousands of emails. It makes it easier for residents to report problems, which is good but again this increases workload

It makes me more accessible to my constituents

It is good for keeping residents informed of the action I am taking on a particular issue and for getting information from officers.

Deal with most issues by email contact with officers

Not enough experience yet to comment

Helped

Only when I send to officers

Quick access to information relating to case work and subsequent access to Officers who are able to provide assistance.

Access to technology has diminished over the last ten years to a very low level.

Easy and quick access to information.

It has meant that I can easily search the planning portal for looking at planning permissions and comments.

Beyond saying that email makes us very easily accessible nothing to add. There is an expectation that emails should receive immediate response.

preference of email over phone

Skype system to contact officers additionally skype allows remote contact with officers viewing documents at the same time (share screen facility). Website for research. Online reporting hinders case work

I get very good Officer responses, because I know the key officers and their roles and know them personally. So, an email to them gets the detail I need. NEW Members would struggle. Currently the new Members don’t know enough, so they call more established Members. Any directory would need to be quite large! They wont use it, so personal relationships are best, NOT MORE ICT based systems. Social Media has increased the "tittle tattle", rumour and innuendo. When a "major issue" happens (Ward or Borough) then that increases work in just email activity. Handling any response or ignoring can be a PR blunder.... advice is often needed.

A case work application / tool would be useful. MPs have something where cases can be logged tracked and all correspondence kept

To be fair not that much. My older residents prefer more traditional methods. If I am dealing with the Parish technology can be very useful.

none

Slow internet at home.

not a huge amount because most issues are better dealt with face to face or over the phone. Not everyone has a computer or likes Zoom.

My emails have increased dramatically over recent years, and this was happening pre covid. I would not be able to do a good job without a smart phone and cloud technology.

 

Comments about how the balance work has changed during respondents’ time as a Councillor

Total comments received 27, these are shown in full in the table below.

From these comments it was identified that:

·         11 said that their workloads have increased during their time as a Councillor.

·         Five said they do not have enough experience to comment, being new to the role.

·         Four said that technology has had little or no impact on balancing their caseload.

·         Two said that technology has improved the balancing of their case work. 

·         One mentioned that workloads fluctuate during the year.

·         There were also several comments about members specific approaches/situation. 

Q15: Use the box below to tell us about how you think the balance work has changed during your time as a Councillor

I have seen a continuing increase in the amount of work and time needed as the Councils role in the community rightfully extends, this has seen a step change since the Covid-19 pandemic

Clearly more online Skype and Team plus a bit of Zoom less meeting officers in person.

Not been a Councillor for long enough to judge

Case work has increased. Briefings and training have increased. The amount of time spent on training has increased. there are more meetings overall. when I started I in 1994 I was doing 50 to 60 hours a month now it can be as high as 280.-

I haven’t been here long enough to comment

New technology has assisted greatly but in turn has increased the workload

I am more efficient at dealing with issues as I have gained experience

Not enough experience yet to comment

It has increased from a few years ago - it is heavier when you start as a Cllr and it takes time to who is best to contact and learn about the legalities and policy around different areas. However, we are getting increasing amounts of representations as areas are cut and infrastructure is harder to come by. I also find I am reacting to issues, rather than being proactively communicated to by the council about decisions. There are also a lot more briefings than there were when I started as a Cllr.

It's change as has the world

Having been a Councillor who is known for what I do within the Community, my residents feel that they can call on my advice and support at any time if they have issues. I have made it my role to get to know young people in my Ward who feel confident to talk about issues that concern them. The same applies to the elderly who frequently ask for advice or assistance. Getting to know people and listening to them gives them confidence at all ages. I enjoy working within my Community.

When Councillors exerted far more influence and attracted more respect it was a joy to dedicate as many hours as possible to effective advocacy for ward and Borough. The diminution of influence has tempered this enthusiasm. However, direct interventions such as patrolling local green spaces and clearing litter and fly tipping are time consuming.

Little change in balance of work.

Difficult the say as I’m a new councillor

I haven't been a councillor very long but I think that people are getting more aware of how to contact their councillor and to email and ask for help so my case work has increased.

Workload has increased in proportion to the roles I have undertaken

little change, except that most briefings are now held remotely

Badly worded question!!!! I don't do any "balance work" I leave that to tightrope walkers and jugglers etc. Not a clue of what is needed here!

Use of technology has INCREASED work in visibility and level of "attack". Emails PER DAY can be onerous. Then they need dealing with or setting the diary!

It has increased. I think this is partially due to becoming better known

My Borough work has increased a lot. I was initially a cabinet Member, so my workload was already quite high. But under the Committee system I have been Vice- Chair of Policy and Resources as well has chairing planning. Case work has stayed at the same level but as Borough Councillors we do more direct work with our residents than our County Members.

My first year. So, I had no prior knowledge

It is a about the same. However, during lockdown, the community support increased.

as my knowledge and networking has increased, so has my ability to deal with residents’ issues I am ore able to resolve / attend to issues more myself (on my own) than handing over to officers

I am definitely in front of a computer more than ever or on my mobile and expect this will increase in future. Once we get back to the habit of meeting people directly, I expect the emails will continue along with other online work and the days will get longer.

It has not

Work fluxes during the year. Would like improved spacing (Sept /Oct for instance is intense).

 

Comments about how technology has impacted on balancing work? And if this change has been positive or negative. 

Total comments received 25, these are shown in full in the table below.

From these comments it was identified that:

·         Nine were broadly positive with mentions of increased efficiency, being able to spread workload out and improved communication.

·         Five made comments suggesting there has been no change or no improvement in balancing work due to technology.

·         Three specifically mentioned time saved due to less travelling.

·         Three highlighted increased expectations on responses/answer to queries or issues raised by their constituents.

·         Four were pragmatic, highlighting both advantages and disadvantages balancing work due to increased due of technology.

·         One raised concerns about technology ‘overload’.

Q16: Use the box below to tell us about how technology has impacted on balancing work? And if this change has been positive or negative.

Overall positive, the use of virtual meetings has enabled briefings and routines with senior officers to continue without the need for any of the parties to have to physically move around to attend.

Less meeting officers in person is to a negative.

Ditto

Technology has helped in some ways i.e., better communication reducing the time it takes to produce ward newsletters or letters to residents. It has increased expectations from the public and massively increased case work and communication requests. answering my emails can take 4 hours a day.

Technology doesn’t only bring benefits - it also presents challenges, so overall I would say that technology impact is neutral

there is now more pressure to answer emails quickly, so I have to make sure I set aside breaks from doing my council work at home. Overall, the change has been positive.

I am spending more hours in meetings online

Not enough experience yet to comment

Negative less contact with fellow members and some officers

Technology has helped in balancing my workload as information can be provided within my Community when required very quickly. Not all residents have computers and many elderly residents do not want them. The most important thing for me is to personally keep in touch with residents in order that if assistance is required I can and do provide assistance to them. The negative impact of technology can be residents not wanting to tell you about matters that are troubling them for fear of looking stupid. I use technology all the time in my professional role so it would be difficult to make a judgement on whether technology is positive or negative. I have to use it!

Access to technology has reduced, capability of technology when accessed and absence of basic tools like a printer are debilitating to work as a Councillor.

Faster access to information and documents.

Positive

It has been helpful to be able to fully use the calendar options to make sure that I am planning and scheduling my work effectively.

On-line meetings, as already described, has been massively beneficial.

briefings are now held remotely, cuts on travel time, save of around 1 hour per briefing

Increase in remote meetings both committee and individual contact with officers, positive While pursuing casework being told to use online reporting systems, Negative Poor website layout hinders research. Negative

I love technology, but personally it’s getting to "overload" in all its aspects. But then I want to cut my travel it’s a two-sided coin. But the health concerns now affect me, "white blinded" vision, back ache, tremulous hands etc.

Technology has made a big different to Group/ Workshop/ Briefing type meetings as these can all be done virtually. One can even attend as a Visiting Member virtually to Committee meetings, although personally I prefer face to face.

None

Technology has helped and there is not the need to attend every briefing in person which cuts down on travel/time.

positive impact, I'm able to deal with more issues as the workload has increased over the years

I feel technology has made me more productive and efficient. Technology has created a better balance in terms of spreading the load. So essentially emails can be written at night as opposed to making phone calls or going to see people?

It has not

Positive to some degree. The mix is important of physical and digital. There is a negative of the amazonisation of life. I have a full-time job and council is not a full-time occupation. Therefore, the rising pressure for quicker responses from the public is harder. Technology facilitates this but could perhaps help with it as well.

 

Comments about what respondents think are going to be the biggest changes to how council work and case work are conducted over the next 5-10 years

Total comments received 25, these are shown in full in the table below.

From these comments it was identified that:

·         Seven said they expected workloads and expectations of them to increase.

·         Five mentioned reforms of Local Government (Including the Boundary Review and becoming a unitary authority).

·         Five said they were unsure, with one of these stating they are new to the role.

·         Three said they expected face2face interaction to reduce.

·         One said they would be requiring new skills to deal with the increasing amount of communication platforms.

Q14: Use the box below to tell us what you think will be the biggest changes to how you conduct council work and case work over the next 5-10 years?

The continuing housing crisis, and deteriorating environment caused by increasing congestion and over development

Increasingly we are seeing the Council does not wish to meet residents in person or speak on the phone the preference is to report it online, email or leave a message. The assumption that everyone has access to the internet, online banking, social media is not correct. This results particularly with older residents saying what's the point no one listens no one cares.

Not sure

I will need to continue to up my ability to conduct and the time spent on research and policy development and to devote more time to developing even more Social Media skills on yet more platforms.

Meeting expectations and handling an increasing workload

I really don't know. Will Local Government continue to exist in its present form?

Not enough experience yet to comment

The biggest help would be having one authority rather than MBC and KCC. Every borough council could have the responsibility of KCC and therefore divide responsibility.

Council work un-known I feel know change will happen people will still need help

In my Wards the numbers of houses that have already been built, have placed a strain on facilities within the area. I believe that technology will greatly assist how I maintain the personal approach to residents that I started in 2011 when first elected. There are many issues with the expansive developments in all areas in the South East of England, resulting in the requirement for medical facilities, schools, highways a reduction in pollution and the need to protect green areas not keep building on them. There needs to be greater control of development within planning and affordable homes provided for purchase by young residents of The Borough of Maidstone!

Continued loss of influence and powers, continued loss of esteem in role and financial cost of being a Councillor (in terms of impact upon employment prospects and equipment / materials).

Increasing and improving technology.

Not sure

The change to executive arrangements may have some change on the committees and the work that I do. Case work will increase as more residents move into the newly built houses in my ward.

It might not happen, but I would like to see the role becoming more strategic and less social worker. This does not mean a reduction in community liaison and involvement. It would mean less time dealing with, for example, housing cases and not being able to magic up a new house but more time working on policy and strategy to deliver housing

electoral reform and / or boundary review

Increase in remote meetings both committee and individual contact with officers.

I doubt I will WANT to serve that long! The prospect of more emails every day and some of the vitriol with them, despite my desire to work for a better community means I really had to think about any next election. My health, my sanity, Versus an easier life, more free hours and less stress? AS A VOLUNTEER!

Continued use of technology. However, I do not see any likelihood of the workload decreasing, if anything it will increase. Councillors cannot just deal with strategic issues; they must always serve those who elected them.

LGBR

With the increase in household in MBC area the workload will increase.

the impact of the boundary review financial / budgetary pressures devolution / partnership working residents’ expectations

Technology will improve but create even more channels of communication. A I will encompass all our lives and change work patterns. Personal contact with residents and the council has been lost over recent years and I would not want this to reduce any further.

None

Further demands for quicker responses from Cllrs who are effectively part time. So, this needs to be supported. Hybrid meetings will probably increase.