Elected Member Development
North Ayrshire Council · 27 August 2026
Back to Audit and Scrutiny Committee — 27 August 2026 and its agenda
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NORTH AYRSHIRE COUNCIL 27 August 2026 Audit and Scrutiny Committee Title: Elected Member Development Purpose: To provide information and seek views on the development sessions provided to Elected Members over the 12 months from September 2025 to August 2026, and on future planned development sessions. Recommendation: That the Committee notes the report and provides feedback (a) on the Elected Member Development sessions held in the period September 2025 to August 2026 (b) on means to support Elected Member attendance (c) on how future programmes might be improved (d) the future development sessions scheduled to date and (e) to suggest additional topics for the next year. 1. Executive Summary 1.1 This report provides information on development support provided to Elected Members during the period September 2025 - August 2026, on attendance rates, feedback from current activities and on future planned development. 2. Background 2.1 An annual report is provided to Audit & Scrutiny which details the Council's learning events programme for Elected Members and individual Elected Member attendance figures. This report provides information for the period September 2025 until August 2026 inclusive. 2.2 The Audit Commission report on “Roles and Working Relationships - Are you still getting it right?” emphasised that Councillors need the skills and tools to carry out their role. This includes training in relation to both Council and ALEO responsibilities, as well as scrutiny, audit and financial decision making. Finally, it noted that training and development should be an ongoing process, not a one-off induction. 2.3 North Ayrshire Council has continued to offer a full training programme for Members in addition to e-learning and the opportunity to attend Improvement Service events and webinars. The number of internal development sessions from September 25 – August 26 was 14 sessions.
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2.4 Appendix 1 contains details of the internal development that has taken place between Sep 25 and Aug 26. Individual Member attendance from Sep 2025 to Aug 2026 varied between attendance at 13 sessions to attendance at none. 2.5 Elected members also have access to e-learning modules on the iLearn system. Take up of this learning is low although one Councillor has completed four courses from Sep 2025 to Aug 2026. 2.6 Overall there were 137 separate Member attendances at development sessions between Sep 25 and Aug 26. These figures include those aimed at specific committee members (i.e. Appeals). 2.7 The Council offers Members an annual 1-2-1 Personal Development Plan (PDP) discussion to discuss their development needs. Whilst take up for this is historically low, any requests from Members have been actioned. For example, the Planning Awareness session was previously limited to Planning Committee Members only. This has now been opened up to all Members after a Member request. 2.8 Council previously agreed that all Members who sit on the Appeals Committee should receive training before they sit on the Committee. An externally facilitated session was held in May 2026 for three new panel Members, but open to any of the existing panel. Two Members were in attendance. 2.9 Members can provide feedback by electronic means on sessions attended. For the period Sep 25 – Aug 26 the feedback response rate was 20%. The sessions are rated 1-5 by respondents on content, presentation, friendliness of tutor, relevance and overall service provided. The feedback is primarily positive with only four ratings of 3 or less and everything else a 4 or 5. Generally training is well received with Members confirming that for the majority of sessions their skills/knowledge has increased by attending the training. A breakdown of the 28 evaluations received for all sessions for this 12 month period is included in Appendix 2. 2.10 In addition to provision offered by the Council, there is learning available from the Improvement Service (IS) in the form of Briefing notes, masterclasses, newsletters and more recently webinars. Our own intranet Connects site also hosts information, such as the slides from learning events. 2.11 We are currently at the early stages of planning for the 2027 Elected Member Induction Programme. In June 2026, a survey was issued to Elected Members to gather feedback on the effectiveness of the 2022 Induction Programme in preparing them for their role, and to seek views and suggestions on the development of the 2027 programme. Five responses were received. The feedback provided will be taken into account in the design and delivery of the 2027 Induction Programme. 2.12 Members and Officers are consulted on future training topics and any views from the Committee are also welcome. The Elected Member Learning and Development Event Schedule for the latter half of 2026 is still in development and will be published in due course. A draft copy of the sessions already planned is included in Appendix 3. 2.13 In conclusion, the Council continues to offer an extensive development programme for Members. While attendance levels vary from one session to another and between individual councillors, on average Members attend a significant volume of
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development, particularly when on-line and external events are included. Nevertheless, it is important that the Committee has the opportunity to review the current development arrangements and suggest improvements. 3. Proposals 3.1 The Committee is recommended to note the report and to provide feedback a) on the Member Development sessions held in the period September 2025 to August 2026, b) on means to support Member attendance c) on how future programmes might be improved d) the future development sessions scheduled to date and e) to suggest additional topics for the next year. 4. Implications/Socio-economic Duty Financial 4.1 Investment in development produces more informed decisions and better outcomes. As this supports good governance and better decision making, Elected Member development continues to be an area of focus in terms of Best Value activity. Human Resources 4.2 Effective development is key to keeping North Ayrshire Council as a high performing Council. Legal 4.3 Effective development is a key component of good governance, leading to better decisions. Equality/Socio-economic 4.4 Effective equalities training is essential for Members. Training in equalities assists Members to develop policy and inform decision making processes whilst ensuring that appropriate equalities impacts are taken into account. Climate Change and Carbon 4.5 None. Key Priorities 4.6 Sharing of information and knowledge through briefings and development sessions with Elected Members supports the delivery of all priorities outlined in the Council Plan. Community Wealth Building 4.7 There are no direct community wealth building impacts although trained and skilled Members will be better placed to support their communities. A session on the Community Wealth Building refresh is planned for next year.
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Islands Communities Impact Assessment (ICIA) 4.8 There are no direct island communities impacts although trained and skilled Members will be better placed to support their island communities. A session on the Islands Programme & National Islands Plan is planned for September. United Nations Rights of the Child (UNCRC) 4.9 There are no direct impacts on UNCRC although there is an e-learning module on iLearn available to Elected Members. Consumer Duty 4.10 None. 5. Consultation 5.1 The Learning and Organisational development team have been involved in the preparation of this report. All sessions have been evaluated Aileen Craig Head of Democratic Services For further information please contact Paul Houston, Learning and Organisational Development Adviser, by email on phouston@north-ayrshire.gov.uk. Background Papers None
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Appendix 1 - Learning & Development Attendance Sep 25 - Aug 26 Community Justice Parental Employment Connected for Change Supporting Children with Additional Needs Community and Locality Planning Code of Conduct Cyber Security Update Planning Considering Statutory Impact Duties Councillor Duties on Outside Bodies Using MyNAC Appeals Panel Cyber Security Update Disclosure Scotland and PVG Alan Hill Y Y Y Y Y 5 Amanda Kerr 0 Angela Stephen 0 Anthea Dickson Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y 10 Anthony Gurney Y Y Y Y Y Y 6 Cameron Inglis Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y 8 Charles Currie Y Y Y Y Y 5 Chloe Robertson Y Y 2 Christina Larsen Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y 9 Davina McTiernan Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y 10 Donald L Reid Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y 13 Donald Reid Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y 11 Eleanor Collier Y Y Y Y Y Y Y 7 Ian Murdoch Y Y Y Y Y 5 Jean McClung Y 1 Jim Montgomerie 0 Joe Cullinane 0 John Bell Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y 8 John Sweeney Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y 10 Louise McLaughlan 0 Margaret Johnson Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y 11 Marie Burns Y Y Y 3 Mary Hume Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y 10 Matthew McLean 0 Nairn - AngusMcDonald 0 Robert Foster 0 Ronnie Stalker 0 Scott Davidson Y 1 Scott Gallacher 0 Shaun Macaulay 0 Stewart Ferguson Y Y 2 Todd Ferguson 0 Tom Marshall 0 Totals 9 9 10 9 11 12 10 14 12 12 7 2 10 10 137
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Appendix 2 – Evaluation Feedback from Sep 2025 – Aug 2026 Development Session Content Presentation Tutor Relevance Overall Has the session increased your knowledge and/or skills? 6 Oct 2025 - Community Justice - Working Together 4 4 4 4 4 Yes 6 Oct 2025 - Community Justice - Working Together 5 5 5 5 5 Yes 22 Oct 2025 - Parental Employment Support 4 4 5 4 4 No 22 Oct 2025 - Parental Employment Support 5 4 5 5 5 Yes 22 Oct 2025 - Parental Employment Support 5 5 5 5 5 Yes 30 Oct 2025 - Connected For Change 4 4 5 4 4 Yes 30 Oct 2025 - Connected For Change 5 5 5 5 Yes 6 Nov 2025 - Supporting Children With Additional Needs 5 5 5 5 5 Yes 6 Nov 2025 - Supporting Children With Additional Needs 5 5 5 5 Yes 10 Nov 2025 - Community and Locality Planning 5 5 5 2 3 No 10 Nov 2025 - Community and Locality Planning 5 5 5 5 Yes 12 Nov 2025 - Code of Conduct 5 5 5 5 Yes 19 Nov 2025 - Cyber Security Update 4 4 4 4 4 Yes 19 Nov 2025 - Cyber Security Update 5 5 5 5 5 Yes 19 Nov 2025 - Cyber Security Update 5 5 5 5 5 Yes 8 Dec 2025 - Planning Awareness Update 5 5 5 5 5 Yes 8 Dec 2025 - Planning Awareness Update 5 5 5 5 5 Yes 8 Dec 2025 - Planning Awareness Update 4 4 4 4 4 Yes 10 Dec 2025 - Considering Statutory Impact Duties 4 4 4 4 4 Yes 10 Dec 2025 - Considering Statutory Impact Duties 5 5 5 5 5 Yes 26 Jan 2026 - Councillor Duties on Outside Bodies 5 5 5 3 4 No 26 Jan 2026 - Councillor Duties on Outside Bodies 5 5 5 5 5 Yes 27 Apr 2026 - Using MyNAC to Log Constituent Requests 3 4 4 2 3 No 27 Apr 2026 - Using MyNAC to Log Constituent Requests 5 5 5 5 5 Yes 27 Apr 2026 - Using MyNAC to Log Constituent Requests 4 4 4 5 4 Yes 27 May 2026 - Cyber Security Update 5 5 5 5 5 Yes 27 May 2026 - Cyber Security Update 4 4 4 4 4 Yes 22 Jun 2026 - Disclosure Scotland and the PVG Scheme 5 5 5 5 5 Yes Note The scale runs from 1 (Dissatisfied) to 5 (Satisfied) on all of these ratings, with the exception being Overall which is presented as 1 (Dissatisfied) to 5 (Delighted).
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Appendix 3 – Elected Member Development Schedule Sep – Dec 2026 (DRAFT) Date Topic Delivered by Lead Comments TBC Roads Update Graeme Robin (Asset and Strategy Manager, Roads), Stewart Walker (Network and Operations Manager, Roads) Thomas Reaney (Head of Service, Neighbourhood Services) TBC 9 Sep 2026 3pm – 4pm Islands Programme & National Islands Plan – Progress and Next Steps Sarah Baird (Senior Officer, Islands) Louise Kirk (Director, Regional Economy) This session will update Elected Members on the North Ayrshire Islands Programme and the new National Islands Plan, including progress to date, key developments and the proposed next steps to progress delivery and maximise impact for our island communities. 15 Sep 2026 10am - 11am Supporting Needs: The Placement Process Lindsay Morris (Executive Manager), Xanthe Wylie (Principal Psychologist), Angela Merrylees- Stalker (Quality Improvement Officer) Andrew McLelland (Head of Service, Education) Many children have their needs well supported by their local mainstream school. In some cases, an alternative placement is considered. This session will take members through our process for ensuring appropriate placement in specialist provision, from identifying needs, to making a referral to the Inclusion Group and beyond. We will cover the range of universal supports available in our establishments as well as targeted and specialist provision. We will also outline the appeals process.
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Date Topic Delivered by Lead Comments 5 Oct 2026 (2pm – 3pm) Community Grants and Funding Jacqueline Greenlees (Senior Manager, Policy, Performance & Community Planning) Rhonda Leith (Head of Service, Connected Communities) TBC 2 Nov 2026 3pm – 4pm Cyber Security Update Gavin Alston (Team Manager, ICT and Cyber Security), Fraser Cunningham (Cyber Security Officer) and Stephen Quigley (Cyber Security Officer) Fiona Walker (Head of Service, People and ICT) In this session the Cyber Security Team will give an overview of the cyber security threats facing the Council and the action being taken to meet these challenges. Elected Members are at an increased risk of targeted cyber attack, the team will give practical advice on how to keep yourself safe online. Finally, there will be time for discussion and any questions. 9 Nov 2026 10am – 11am Code of Conduct Update Aileen Craig (Head of Service, Democratic Services) This session will provide an update on the Councillor Code of Conduct and recent cases. 18 Nov 2026 (10am – 11am) Youth Employment Laura Neill (Senior Manager) Sam Anson (Executive Director, Education) TBC 7 Dec 2026 (2pm – 3pm) Planning Awareness Update Allan Finlayson (Senior Manager Aileen Craig (Head of Mandatory training for elected members was included in the Planning (Scotland) Act 2019 and North Ayrshire’s Planning and Legal service have provided this training to Planning Committee
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Date Topic Delivered by Lead Comments (Planning) / Raymond Lynch (Senior Manager (Legal) Service, Democratic Services) members. The latest opportunity to do so again has now arrived and the invitation to participate in training is being widened to all elected members. This is to raise awareness of the Council’s National Planning Improvement Framework which will be subject to consultation and engagement with all Community Councils. The training session will provide elected members with an overview of the following aspects of the Planning system in Scotland and how this affects communities. • An introduction to the Planning service • What is Planning? • Introduction to the Council’s Planning team • Development Planning – the Local Development Plan and National Planning Framework (NPF4) • Development Management – the assessment of planning applications by officers and the Planning Committee • Enforcement • Other Planning roles TBC Child Poverty Laura Kayes (Policy Officer) Child Poverty) Sam Anson (Executive Director, Education) TBC