H&F Council explained
What is the council?
Hammersmith & Fulham Council is made up of paid employees to manage and run the day-to-day things – schools, council housing, rubbish, local roads, parks, social services, leisure centres, recycling, community safety, environment projects, birth registration, libraries, local planning. There are more than 800 different services.
Officers
The council's paid workforce are the officers. Some are housing officers, planning officers etc. They are employed as experts in their field, their job is to smoothly and professionally deliver the policies agreed by councillors. Some officers are frontline, such as refuse collectors, social workers and teachers. Some are support staff, such as admin, finance and computing.
How does it work?
In addition to the officers are the councillors. Fifty local councillors are elected by residents to serve for four years, with anyone 18 or over and registered, able to vote. The borough is divided into 21 smaller areas called wards, such as Hammersmith Broadway, Ravenscourt, Sands End, White City and Brook Green. Some wards have two councillors, some three, depending on size. Each year a Mayor is chosen as the ceremonial first citizen of the borough.
Who are the councillors?
Councillors are residents of the London borough of Hammersmith & Fulham. They are voted in to represent the people who live in their wards. They are unpaid, but get allowances to cover their expenses. Most councillors belong to political groups, though some are independent. Each group puts forward names of councillors to sit on committees (such as housing, health, climate change, licensing etc) to discuss what should be done. The biggest political group will have the majority vote on decisions and actions.
What do councillors do?
Councillors work for the people who live in their area. Helping residents is known as casework, with councillors representing residents and making inquiries about issues that affect them. Councillors attend committees where they can ask questions and make decisions. The meetings are open to the public, and are also live-streamed on YouTube, so everyone knows what's going on. Councillors also hold monthly drop-ins which are called surgeries where residents can meet them face to face to discuss issues. The surgeries are advertised on posters and on the council website. Councillors who are in the majority party elect a Leader and Deputy Leader. Councillors in the opposition group elect a leader and deputy leader of the opposition. The big decisions are made by councillors who have been selected for Cabinet positions. These roles cover issues such as health, the local economy, community safety etc.
What don't councillors do?
Councillors don't get involved in national issues; that's what MPs do. The UK has 650 MPs who sit in Parliament, voted in at General Elections every five years. They help make national laws in the House of Commons, and represent people in their constituencies. There are three MPs covering parts of H&F; Ben Coleman, Rupa Huq and Andy Slaughter.
Can my councillors help me?
Yes! That's their job! If you have a local problem you can email your councillor, or turn up to one of their regular 'surgeries' to see them face-to-face and discuss issues. If they can't help you, they'll usually know someone who can. To get the names and contact details of your councillors, type your postcode into the Find my councillor search.