What do Councillors Do?
The Wider Context
Scotland’s 32 councils were created by the Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994. Shetland Islands Council dates from 1975, when it became a Unitary Authority and replaced the Zetland County Council.
Councils have a wide range of responsibilities, such as setting annual budgets, providing education services, supporting economic development, maintaining roads, etc. Most have similar functions, but there are vital differences for an Islands Council – usually around geography, or population. For example, very few councils are responsible for interisland ferry services.
Each council is divided into electoral ‘wards’, with boundaries designed so each councillor represents roughly the same number of voters. In Shetland, we have 23 councillors, in seven wards. While many candidates live in the ward where they stand for election, this is not a requirement.
Council elections take place every five years.
How it works in Shetland
Following each election, all Councillors meet as Shetland Islands Council and appoint a Convener, who chairs full Council meetings and acts as the civic figurehead. The Council also appoints to the position of Council Leader to provide political leadership. Chairs and Vice Chairs are also appointed to the main committees, the smaller Boards and other groups.
In terms of how it does its business, the Council is organised into directorates which oversee all the Council’s services. Some involve the direct delivery of services to the public (such as refuse collection, ferry services etc.), and others provide support to the wider organisation (such as finance, procurement and legal services). Councillors sit on a variety of committees and boards to make policy and spending decision and oversee performance.
How do decisions get made?
The Council’s business works on a quarterly cycle – essentially a series of committee and board meetings, followed by a meeting of all Councillors sitting as Shetland Islands Council. (Additional meetings can be called; for example if there is too much business to be covered in one day, or if a decision is quickly required to meet a government deadline.) Committee meetings cover a range functions such as education, environment and transport, finance, economic development, planning, housing, etc.
The Council and NHS Shetland also work together as the Shetland Health and Social Care Partnership, and the Integration Joint Board (IJB) has responsibility for decision making about delegated functions related to health and social care – that includes adult social care services - and plans how health and social care work together
There are also other committees and boards which conduct legislative and regulatory business or oversee the work of the Council, such as Planning, Licensing and Harbours.
Committees and Boards have fewer members than the full Council and typically include representatives from each ward.
Councillors may also be nominated or appointed to external bodies - for example, Orkney and Shetland Valuation Joint Board.
Most meetings of the Council and its committees are held in the Council Chamber, Lower Hillhead, Lerwick, and are open to the public. They can also be watched live or later online, at and if Councillors are unable to attend meetings in person there is an option to attend remotely via Microsoft Teams.
How are decisions made at Council meetings?
Every meeting has an agenda, which will include a number of reports on a range of different topics.
Each focuses on a single issue, project or topic. There will be information in the report on what’s required from Councillors – it may be a decision at the meeting, simply to ‘note’ the information included, or pass it forward to the Policy and Resources Committee or the full Council.
Reports are written by officers and cleared through the ‘agenda management system’, which means their content is finalised for including on the meeting agenda, and they’re checked for any e.g. legal or financial implications. Agendas are published online seven days before a meeting is held and sent directly to Councillors.
You can find all committee reports online along with lots of other information including committee membership, a meetings calendar, etc.
Councillors are given a short presentation on a report by the relevant officer, and can ask questions to clarify any issues they may have. Councillors then debate between themselves before deciding how to move forward. If a decision is required on the day, the meeting may decide to approve the recommendations in the report, or Councillors may propose an additional or alternative decision (an ‘amendment’). A vote may be required, which is generally a simple show of hands.
Officers then act on the decision taken by Councillors, which may then lead to specific actions, and/or further reports to update Councillors, or to seek guidance through further decisions.
Not all council activities need a council decision – officers can handle many day-to-day services through delegated powers, and committees can actively give senior staff delegated powers to pursue specific issues on the Council’s behalf.
“I think explaining the importance of good working relationships between members and officers is key, and that you also have a corporate responsibility to the council as well as the role you play representing your community.”