Central Bedfordshire Council news and press releases

Parent governor representatives sought for children’s committee

Thursday, 2 July 2020

We're seeking nominees for one replacement volunteer parent governor representative role, on our Children’s Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

Nominations for the posts are being sought from all parent governors of special schools.

Candidates are required to self-nominate, and parent governors are eligible in any special school phase (lower, primary, middle, secondary or upper).

Find out how to nominate yourself as a parent governor representative.

About the parent governor representative role

Our Children’s Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee scrutinises performance, considers children’s services policy and offers comments that inform our Executive in making decisions.

It is one of four overview and scrutiny committees which are responsible for reviewing service delivery and performance, helping to develop our policy and make recommendations to our Executive. Its role includes overseeing the Executive’s education functions.

The role of a parent governor representative is to:

  • act as a non-political voice for parents in the area; representing to us the main education issues which concern parents of pupils in schools we maintain
  • liaise with the other parent governor representatives on their own local authority
  • attend and contribute to the meetings of the Children’s Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee, and any working group meetings that might be set up by that committee, to which they may be appointed as a representative
  • establish good relations with other members of the Children’s Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee and our officers
  • feedback our discussions and decisions made on education to the parents
  • abide by our rules on committee procedures (the Constitution)
  • act with due propriety according to standards laid down for the conduct of councillors and co-opted members in local government.

The closing date for nominations is 4pm on 15 July 2020 and in the event of there being more than one candidate, an election will begin on 16 July 2020, with a closing date of 4pm on 14 August 2020. The successful candidates will be appointed until 30 April 2023.

The Children’s Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee meets during the day, roughly every eight weeks, usually at Priory House, in Chicksands. The first meeting successful candidates would be required to attend is 1 September 2020, but if an election is necessary, the successful candidate would attend their first meeting on 17 November 2020.

Although the parent governor representatives are voluntary positions, they will receive a meetings allowance of £75 for up to four hours or £150 for more than four hours, together with travel expenses.