The constitution is the council's main governance document. It explains how Brightmere Council takes decisions and how responsibilities are divided between councillors, council bodies and officers.
What the constitution contains
The constitution can include the council's decision-making structure, terms of reference for council bodies, procedural rules, delegations, financial and governance arrangements and rules applying to councillors and meetings.
Using the constitution
Residents can use it to understand who is authorised to make a particular kind of decision and which rules apply to a council meeting or process.
Current publication
The current controlled constitution will be published through the council's corporate-information arrangements when approved for public release.
What governance means in practice
Governance is the system through which the council makes lawful decisions, manages public resources and demonstrates accountability. It includes the constitution, delegations, meeting rules, scrutiny, audit, standards and the professional advice needed to support decision makers.
Residents should be able to move from this overview to the actual constitution, meeting papers and decision records rather than being left with a descriptive summary alone.