Just seven out of 54 councillors attended social media training over the past year even though their tweets and Facebook posts have led to a number of complaints.
The low number was revealed as a Brighton and Hove City Council committee debated standards and complaints.
And views differed about the usefulness of various sorts of training – or indoctrination, as it was referred to by a former leader of the council.
Councillor Daniel Yates, a former Labour leader, questioned whether newly elected councillors needed training, saying that he mostly learnt on the job.
He told the council’s Audit and Standards Committee that attending introductory training was not a sign of competence.
Councillor Yates, who previously chaired the committee, said that he undertook training only for a limited number of roles where specialist knowledge was useful – in particular, planning, procurement and standards.
He said: “It is possible to avoid indoctrination and still be competent – and, of course, the level of competence required of a councillor is pretty close to zero, as is evidenced by the fact you just need to stand for election and get more votes than anyone else.
“There is no measure of skill, ability or competence required. To try to train somebody up to do the job once they’ve achieved the threshold is quite difficult for some people.
“So anything you can do to find out about what they want to learn rather than what you want to teach them might help get some better engagement.”
At Brighton Town Hall, he criticised the idea that new councillors should have to take three or four days off work for lots of training “they didn’t know they wanted or needed”.
Conservative councillor Dee Simson said that new councillors coming in after the local elections next month should be offered training.
She said: “It’s great we have new councillors coming on, very keen and enthusiastic and wanting to get on with what they’ve stood for. But sometimes they don’t always realise there are procedures.
“They can’t just run riot and do what they want to do. They have to toe the line a bit.”
The committee was told that two more complaints had been received last month about the behaviour of councillors on social media.
Although during the annual review of complaints for 2022, Councillor Yates said that the volume of complaints relating to social media posts had fallen.
According to the review, the council received 26 complaints about councillors last year, down from 36 in 2021 and 33 in 2020.
The town hall meeting was told that members were repeatedly invited to a 90-minute online social media training session with a specialist external trainer but just seven out of 54 attended.
The training had even been tailored for the council and its “vibrant” politics, councillors were told.
Green councillor Pete West said that councillors who did not attend training should be required to explain why. He added that he did not take up the offer because he did not use social media.
Councillor West said: “I feel we need to be insistent with members and they should have to give a reason for not wishing to turn up.”
Yes, one candidate knocked on my door: “I’m local and I’ve a restaurant blah, blah” but he didn’t make much sense, good on him for standing, but, but you must level a minimum level of education nowadays.
I think that Councillor Yates’ comment about the skill level required just about sums up what’s wrong with the current method of selecting candidates. As residents we tend to expect much more. Could there be a booklet forming “advance advice” given to candidates explaining just what is required to run a city and their part in that, before being elected? It should also include what liaison there should be with the council employees. If someone has no experience of running a business, or even a limited level of life experience, but only has their own desires the outcomes are not going to be that good.
As for social media, should it be used at all for official business?
I think that the role of Councillor should be more professional, maybe full-time and the pay increased to reflect this. The other side of the same coin would be more accountability and better support. I also think that there should be more focus on qualifications and experience that could be relevant to the job. Only one prospective Councillor has been on my doorstep and spoken about his experience and how it is relevant to the job He has earned my vote. Others have just asked me if I vote Green or Labour, as if this is a magic code-word for “vote for me”. Lazy politics. I have always believed that Councillors should be about the person not their affiliation to a party. All too often being a Councillor is regarded as a stepping stone to national politics, with attention to the actual job of Councillor not being center-stage of their attentions. If they do not bring value what is the point of them ? Perhaps look to the US system where only the mayor – the de-facto chief executive is elected and everyone else is an employee.
Nemeth needs training for sure.
As someone who has had extensive training in sensitive issues, such as social, mental health, physical health, and well-being; I can confidentially say that having that training in place can only be beneficial to the role. Councillors are expected to deal with a wide variety of issues, and having training in place that helps them navigate some of the complex challenges this can present can only, in my mind, improve the service they are able to provide to their constituents.
Councillors come from a variety of backgrounds, and this provides strengths in some areas, and weaknesses in others, such is the nature of all human individuals! However, to temper this argument, there are also a lot of sessions out there that are perhaps arguably…superfluous. I *fondly* remember a session once, that lasted several hours, which was tantamount to “be careful what you say online”.
Anyone can be a councilor, is that good or bad? Some training is needed as its a bit like being in Parliament , lots of protocols and ritual ways of doing things
I think it’s good, far more representative that way.