Services for Members of the Council

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Facilities and Services for Members of the Council

Identification -

All members of the Council will be given a smartcard (identity badge) which they will need to use when visiting certain Council premises. This will also be required to enter the car park via the barrier.

Members' stationery

A range of printed stationery is available through the Member Services Unit who are located within the Members' Lounge in Bellair.

Document Reproduction

A photocopier is available for the exclusive use of members in the Bellair lounge. Further services can also be obtained via the Committee Secretariat & Member Services Unit.

Computers, the internet and electronic mail

The Council currently provides its members with the "common desktop" system: a PC running the Microsoft Office™ software suite and linked to the internet and electronic mail on a broadband connection. Each Councillor is offered an address "@devon.gov.uk" This provision is currently being reviewed to see if a more flexible approach to providing equipment can be accomodated.
Councillors using this system will receive basic training and may receive more specialist training and technical support from the Council’s staff.
More and more of the Council’s business is being done via computers and electronic communications. Email is now the primary means of communication and, to keep themselves fully in the picture, Councillors must be able to take advantage of these systems, otherwise they may lose out on important information.
Photographs, contact information and other details about members are posted on the Information Devon website for the benefit of the public. See the Councillor details.
There is a PC linked to the internet and a photocopier in the Members' Lounge which are exclusively for members' use when at County Hall.

Printers and Fax Machines

Travel and accommodation arrangements

There may be instances when, in the course of attending meetings or conferences on behalf of the Council, members require assistance in making travel or other arrangements. Travel arrangements can be made through the Member Services Unit.

Telephone calls

Members may contact staff at the majority of the County Council offices by ringing the Devon County Council Call Centre on: 0845 155 1015 (General Enquiries)
If Members are unsure of whom to speak to about a particular problem it is suggested that they contact the Committee Secretariat & Members Services Unit at County Hall who will be able to assist them on 01392 382300.

Members' Information Bulletin

An information bulletin is distributed weekly by electronic mail (from the Member Services Unit) and is intended to alert members to official meetings or visits that are known to be taking place or to matters which might be of general interest. Members also receive daily updates from the Council's press office on matters of importance, both locally and nationally and weekly updates via The Insider The Council's intranet 'The Source' and a Members Web is keep up to date for Members to access.

Members' postal arrangements

All outgoing mail to members is sent via the Chief Executive's Directorate. This is to prevent members receiving more than one package from County Hall through the post at any one time. Plastic re-usable envelopes are used when necessary.
Urgent mail such as Committee agenda or answers to requests for urgent information/advice will be sent out on the required date. Non-urgent or routine mail will be sent out on a Wednesday and a Friday If you experience any difficulties with this arrangement please contact a member of the Committee Secretariat & Member Services Unit.
In addition to the normal post received through the Royal Mail the facility exists for "non-urgent material" to be left for members in the pigeon holes in the Committee Suite corridor. There is a large rack at the end of the corridor which contains a pigeon hole for each member. Members' names appear at the top of their slot. These pigeon holes will only be used by Officers to leave non-urgent information items for collection or items requested by members. None of the items placed in these pigeon holes will normally be posted on. Items will remain until collected by members or until they are cleared out periodically by the Committee Secretariat & Member Services Unit.

The Information Centre

This is situated on the ground floor of County Hall (Room G53), The Information Centre offers an up-to-date information service for members and keeps a wide range of material on subjects of direct interest to local government.
The Centre electronically delivers the Daily Informer which brings together in one daily document news from Devon County Council, local and national media, government departments, alert services, journals, House of Commons and House of Lords Hansards and government department consultations. The items chosen reflect Devon County Council's wide areas of interest. It also offers a daily Local press cuttings service from newspapers across Devon.
Reference books, maps, town guides, telephone directories, national and local newspapers and local government journals are held in The Centre. Items for loan are available on subjects such as management, meetings, administration, the environment, social issues and finance and it has rapid access to the extensive collections of the Devon Library Service and Inter Library Loans service.
The Information Centre also operates the Members’ support line which offers information and support to Devon County Councillors.

Contact details

Email – centre@devon.gov.uk

General Tel – 01392 380101

Strategic Intelligence

Strategic Intelligence is part of the Chief Executive's Directorate, providing a wide range of statistical and information services to the County Council, District Councils and other public bodies in Devon, ranging from census data to statistics on population & housing, industry and many other figures relevant to the Council's activities.

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