1. The Role and Functioning of Local Government LI: To develop knowledge on services which councils provide

2. Composition of Local Government Local government in Scotland is made up of 1222 elected councillors working in 32 local authority areas. Councils spend around £20bn per year, employ around 250,000 staff and use assets worth £32bn.

3. The Scottish Government decides laws in this area and local authorities deliver them For example, the Scottish Government decided to increase the provision of free nursery education by 50%, so the local authority had to employ more nursery teachers.

4. Different Services All local authorities perform mandatory services – ones they are required by law to provide. One example is primary and secondary education. Local authorities also carry out discretionary services – these are provided if the local authority wants to. An example would be providing outings for the elderly. Local authorities can also carry out permissive services – ones not required by law but it is legally allowed to do so if they wish.

5. Mandatory and Discretionary Services Mandatory Services Discretionary Services EducationLeisure Facilities Social WorkParks and Recreation HousingCommunity Centers Environmental ServicesAdult Education Services PlanningResidential care for the Elderly

6. Council Services: To describe the services provided by local councillors

7. Local Council Services

8. Local Councils - Health In terms of public health, Scotland has a poor record of diet and fitness compared to the rest of Europe. Councils tackle health problems by encouraging schools and public service caterers to provide a more varied healthier diet. Sometimes councils may help to promote sports events in a local area.

9. Community Care Services This involves arranging nursing in the home for people living with disabilities, and care and support for the elderly, underprivileged or mentally ill. Local councils run residential care homes.

10. Housing Local councils provide council housing for some people in Scotland. This is affordable and is rented. Instead of using a private landlord, or choosing to buy their own house, council tenants chose to rent a house from the council. It is not free unless they are entitled to housing benefits.

11. Education Councils have a statutory obligation to provide education for children aged 3 – 18. In Aberdeenshire Council, there are 17 secondary schools. Some councils run successful adult education programmes Free school meals and clothing grants are provided by councils when required.

12. Transport Councils are legally required to provide good transport links. They are also responsible for good street lighting, reducing traffic and maintaining the condition of roads. Edinburgh City Council have recently introduced electric trams as an environmentally friendly alternative to cars. In rural areas too, councils must ensure that a reliable bus service is provided. This is especially important for those areas that do not have access to local banks, post offices and shops.

13. The Scottish Government needs local government to provide the services in line with central government priorities e.g. improving health, education etc. In return, local government expects the Scottish Government to provide the funds to make this a reality. As you can see, this is a two-way relationship.

14. Task Stick the role and function of Local Government sheet into your jotter and use it to complete the question at the bottom using PEE structure

15. The Scottish Government needs local government to provide the services in line with central government priorities e.g. improving health, education etc. In return, local government expects the Scottish Government to provide the funds to make this a reality. As you can see, this is a two-way relationship.

16. Local Government Financing LI: To develop knowledge on ways councils raise money

17. Local governments are financed in a variety of ways: Government Grants The main source of local government income. This money comes from the UK government via the Scottish Parliament and accounts for about 80% of the total revenue. This is divided into three parts:-  Revenue Support Grants  Non-Domestic Rates  Income and Specific Grants

18. Council tax An amount of money paid by each household based on the value of the property. Council tax accounts for 13% of overall funding. Each local authority sets its own council tax. The amount that households pay depends on their band (A-H) which is based on the value of their property The amount varies depending on the type of house the person lives in, with those living in small flats paying less than someone who lives in a four bedroom house. If a person lives alone they will also get a 25% discount.

19. Non-domestic rates: Paid by businesses. This is set by the central government and is the same across the country. Charges for Services Such as entrance to leisure facilities, such as swimming pools and gyms.

20. Sale of assets: In the past council houses have been sold as a means of revenue, however, this has led to a council housing shortage with some people waiting 2 years for a council house.

21. Public Private Partnerships Local governments liaise with private companies to finance projects. These projects have lead to improvements in schools and hospitals, which councils could not have afforded anyway. The Edinburgh Royal Infirmary was funded under PPP.

22. Are Public Private Partnerships good for Local Authorities? State of the art facilities Improvements in patient care in hospitals and education in schools Better value for taxpayers money However, X Hospitals will cost more to build under PPP in the long run than if they were publically financed using traditional methods.

23. Task Stick the “Financing Local Government” sheet into your jotters Answer the 4 mark question – two paragraphs. If not finished in class, this must be completed for homework.

24. Work of a Local Councillor Learning Intention: To find out about the role of a local councillor A day in the life of a local councillor

25. Elections Local Council Elections are held every 4 years. Councillors are elected using a voting system called the Single Transferable Vote (STV). STV is a proportional voting system. This means that candidates standing for election have a better chance of being elected because the votes are more evenly distributed.

26. Elections STV has meant that more parties are now represented in local government across Scotland, and councillors come from more diverse social and political background. For example: After the 2007 election in Aberdeen, many of the councillors elected were very young. The education spokesperson for the council was Kirsty West who was just 19, and her brother John was the Deputy Lord Provost, he was just 18 at the time.

27. Only five councils in Scotland are now controlled by one party and 27 councils have no one party in control. This will make it more difficult to get things passed without agreement among the parties. Many councils have formed coalitions or partnership agreements.

28. Local councillors represent the people in their local ward, in the same way as an MP represents people in their constituency. The local councillor listens to the problems people have and then tries to resolve them by working with council departments. A councillor is more likely to get something done than someone trying on their own. WHY ARE LOCAL COUNCILLORS IMPORTANT?

29. Councillors find out the views of local people by holding regular surgeries in their wards. As locals, councillors speak and listen to other local people when they are in the area. How do local councillors represent the people in their wards?

30. Councillors often attend meeting of local organisations like school boards, community councils and Gala day committees.

31. Councillors also attend council meetings. Full council meetings deal with major decisions. There are also different council committees – usually one for each council department – and a councillor may sit on several of these committees.

32. Turriff and District Councillors Anne Robertson (Liberal Democrats ) Sandy Duncan ( SNP ) Alisan Norrie ( Independent )

33. Activities Complete task 13 on page 41-43 (question 4 and 5) Stick the sheet on the work of a local councillor into your jotter and answer the 6 mark question as homework.