Community Leadership

products

Responsibilities	Indicators of Effective Practice
Undertake casework and represents constituents’ needs effectively	Engages with constituents and undertake case work on behalf of individuals Ensures operational issues are being dealt with appropriately by officers Considers the underlying cause of a casework issue and what actions can be taken to prevent it from happening in future Represents the community within the Council and to other agencies Campaigns on local issues Wins resources for the ward Represents all sections of the community, irrespective of how they vote Is highly visible in the ward
Have detailed working knowledge of the geography, character of ward and of key public services and contacts in ward	Knows and analyses social, geographic, economic and population information for the ward, to enable a good understanding of the ward area and its challenges Knows where to get information about services and who to contact within key services
Reconcile differing needs between people and groups within local communities	Mediates fairly and constructively between people and groups with conflicting needs Works effectively with all sections of the community – e.g. young, elderly, people with disabilities, minority ethnic communities, parents, local business owners etc. Engages with local community activists, such as action groups, community group leaders etc
Encourage and enable local people to play an active role in their communities	Keeps local people informed about important local issues or council policies and seeks their views (e.g. on spending priorities) Helps local people develop a range of solutions to problems Represents the community’s views to the council and Community Planning Partners Encourages local people to play an active role in the community by contributing to community councils, community groups, voluntary organisations etc.
Work effectively with other members in the multi-member ward to offer improved representation to the community	Works collaboratively with other members in the multi-member ward to share caseload, knowledge and information to support citizens Puts the interests of the ward before political competition, including members of your own political group

Assessment

What are your strengths in relation to being an effective community leader?
What could you develop to improve your effectiveness?
What evidence do you have that supports your answers?

Now you have identified your strengths and development needs in relation to your role as an effective community leader, think about your interpersonal skills. These are the skills which will underpin your ability to carry out the roles of an elected member effectively.

While the skills identified on the handout are not exhaustive, you may have identified your own, these interpersonal skills and their aligned indicators are there to help you consider whether you need to undertake development activities to enhance key interpersonal skills to be more effective in carrying out a role or responsibilities.

Download the assessment question document.