Councillors at the heart
Councillors have a unique role in connecting us to our communities.
Strong councillors are at the centre of local networks in all our places. They help people who work for Kirklees Council and other organisations to grow our relationships with our citizens, and they help to connect citizens with each other. That’s why it’s important for us to put councillors at the heart of what we do.
Yet we know that the valuable role of councillor is often misunderstood, by both our citizens and our staff. The Kirklees Democracy Commission made some specific recommendations about improving things for everyone:
“Kirklees Council should promote the role of councillor to staff members in a structured and ongoing way, as part of wider cultural changes both with the council and in our communities. Our staff should understand the importance of the councillor role and how it is an invaluable asset as part of changing and redesigning services.”
Kirklees Council should promote the role of councillor to help Kirklees citizens understand the role and to encourage citizens to come forward and stand as councillors. We should positively promote the councillor role based on the real life experiences of our councillors, and demonstrate how being a councillor can enrich a person’s life.
You can find out more about what we’ve been doing in response on our blog, or have a look at our videos to learn more about the councillor role. Kirklees Council staff can also register for our Working in a Political Environment training via MiPod Xtra on the council’s Intranet.
Latest blogs about our work with councillors
Videos: A day in the life of a councillor
Videos: Putting councillors at the heart
Face to face with our councillors and officers
Keep in touch
Get updates about this and other local democracy activities in Kirklees: