These are the biggest changes Sheffield City Council wants to make to its constitution

At next week’s annual council meeting at Sheffield Town Hall, members of the chamber will be asked to approve changes in the constitution, including recommendations from the governance committee, the council’s monitoring officer “in respect of complaints” and more.

As a report published ahead of the meeting says, “the council’s constitution sets out how the council operates, how decisions are made and the procedures that are followed to ensure that these are efficient, transparent and accountable to local people”.

The council, the report adds, has a duty to keep the constitution up to date.

So what are the changes for the next municipal year in Sheffield?

The role and function of the deputy leader of the council has been amended so from now on – if the changes were to be approved – the role will come with extra responsibilities as being the lead member for customer experience (including complaints) to promote a positive complaint handling culture.

Strategy and resources policy committee terms of reference have been amended to include “lead responsibility for complaints including monitoring of complaint handling performance”.

The role of the policy committee chair has been updated as well (the statutory health scrutiny powers have been amended).

Previously, the local authority had the power of referral to the secretary of state. From now on, “the secretary of state must be notified of proposals by the health body and has the power to intervene”.

There is a small amendment in how the finance committee will work.

Before this, the committee monitored the council budget each month. This will be changed to every quarter.

With regards to the public questions, amendments have been made to the procedure, adding the ability of members of the public to make statements and removing the pre-meeting procedural elements.

The report also says: “Questions concerning the remit of the strategy and resources policy committee should be addressed to the chair of that committee, not the leader of the council.

“Questions should be addressed to the leader only if they concern matters which are not within the remit of any committee and fall within his/her role.”

At next week’s meeting, councillors will elect a new Lord Mayor and Deputy Lord Mayor; a leader and a deputy leader of the council; the committees and members will be established (with chairs and deputy chairs) and appointments to council panels, working groups, etc and external bodies will also be made.