Profile of South East Employers
SEE is an employers' organisation for local authorities in the South East covering the geographical boundaries of Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Berkshire, Hampshire, the Isle of Wight, Surrey, West Sussex, East Sussex and Kent. The boundary is co-terminus with the Government Office of the South East.
The Aims and Objectives of the Organisation
- To be an active and influential Employers' organisation for local government in the South/South East of England;
- To represent our Member Councils' collective interests at a national and regional level;
- To provide expert and local knowledge and advice on employee relations, organisational development, workforce planning, equality and diversity, recruitment and assessment, pay, grading and allowances, mediation and conflict resolution,. performance management and appraisal systems;
- To provide seminars, development opportunities and events for Councillors, Managers, Human Resources and Health & Safety professionals, Democratic Services Officers, Scrutiny Officers, Local Strategic Partnership Managers and Practitioners;
- To support Councils in achieving the SE Charter for Elected Member Development;
- To respond to consultation documents on relevant issues;
- To represent the South East Region Employers' side on the South East Regional Council with local authority trade unions;
- To obtain, collate and disseminate information to members regarding both employment in local government and general conditions of service and employment; including a survey on members' allowances.
The Role and Profile of a Councillor Representative serving on South East Employers
There are 105 full representative appointees who have voting rights and the period of office is for one year (renewable on a yearly basis as required by the council).
1.Key Role
- To be the democratic representative for your council acting as the link between South East Employers and the member council.
- Provide the strategic direction for the development, implementation and evaluation of the SEE Business Plan
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2.Key Accountabilities
- To act as the representative and ambassador for SEE within your council, across the south east region and nationally with local government central bodies.
- To ensure the interests of your council are represented at the formal meetings of SEE.
- Provide the strategic lead for SEE around employment, governance and local government improvement initiatives and the delivery of the business plan objectives.
- Provide strategic direction for policy development and promotion of new products, initiatives and programmes that support local government improvement, improvement within their council, and enhance the reputation of SEE.
- Collectively or individually lobbying on behalf of SEE around employment and improvement initiatives and themes that support the collective interests of member councils.
- To provide effective scrutiny and accountability of the development, implementation and delivery of the SEE business plan objectives.
3.Key Skills
- Communication
- Communicate the interests of their councils to SEE
- Communicate the interests of SEE to their councils
- Scrutiny and Challenge
- Consider and investigate broad policy issues as members of SEE
- Challenge processes, people and decisions in an objective and constructive manner
- Provide Vision
- Demonstrate openness to new ideas
- Broaden perspective and enhance effectiveness by learning from others and sharing learning and good practice
- Manage Performance
- Develop knowledge of the role of SEE as a regional employers’ organisation, and input individual council views and expectations at SEE meetings
- Encourage and support the scrutiny process and respond positively to feedback, challenge and ideas
- Political Understanding
- Represent your groups’ views and values through decisions and actions
- Understand and adhere to the rules and procedures of SEE
- Working in Partnership
- Assist in the implementation of processes to identify and tackle, in partnership with SEE, issues of council and other organisations that affect the community.
- Represent the interests of SEE as the appointed representative and provide two-way communication between SEE and the council.
- Develop a knowledge of SEE rules and procedures and develop a good working relationship with the staff of SEE.
- Leadership
- Act as the public face and ambassador of SEE
- Encourage co-operation and communication across political, council, regional and national boundaries
South East Regional Council
The South East Regional Council (formerly the South East Provincial Council) is a meeting of all the Elected Members from South East Employers with the Staff Side - 44 Lay Officials of the Region’s UNISON Branches. The SERC meets in an Annual General Meeting in July and then has two Seminars in February and October. These meetings provide education / development opportunities for both sides on a range of current issues and a mechanism whereby, collectively, the Trade Union Stewards remain in a dialogue with Elected Members from the employing councils.
The Regional Joint Committee
The RJC is a Committee of 14 Elected Members from South East Employers with a Staff Side of 12 Lay Officials of the Region’s UNISON Branches held in February and November. However, in February 2007 it was agreed that, although the Regional Joint Committee would remain, it would only be convened should an exceptional situation arise that required it; normally it would no longer meet.
Joint Secretarial discussion
Both Sides have a Secretary – currently Tony Jones for UNISON and SEE’s Regional Director. Dialogue is continuous and a Work Plan is agreed at the AGM for a programme of joint working for the coming year.
Constitution of South East Regional Council 
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Meetings
All representatives are invited to attend:
- 3 Full meetings of the employers, including the Annual Meeting;
- 3 Regional Council meetings - the Annual Meeting plus 2 others run as Joint Seminars.
In addition, those appointed from the full body will attend:
- 3 Executive Committee meetings - these are for policy development, briefing and a closer look at specific issues;
- 3 Management Committee meetings - these are responsible for staffing and office accommodation, developing the Business Plan and monitoring performance;
- Regional Joint Committee meetings (to be scheduled if and when required); plus ad hoc working groups and consultation meetings as required.
Please note that meetings are in the daytime and are usually held in London.
SEE committee representatives 2010-2011
SEE Contacts
Jennifer McNeill, Regional Director, Email: jennifer@seemp.co.uk
Pam Barber, PA to Regional Director, Email: pamb@seemp.co.uk
Fran Bell, Business Support Manager, Email: fran@seemp.co.uk
SEE, Newfrith House, 21 Hyde Street, WINCHESTER, Hampshire, SO23 7DR
Tel: 01962 840664
Fax: 01962 842018