Cllr Melvyn Howell

Job Title:
Councillor

Organisation
Tunbridge Wells Borough Council

For more information about working with Melvyn contact Janine on Janine@seemp.co.uk or 01962 840664

Melvyn has been deeply involved in LSPs and wider partnerships over the last three years (at both Chairman & member level), but just having retired from these roles, he has both the opportunity and motive to share with others both hard won expertise and what PtP has taught me. He is experienced in Behavioural and Management Science and built Tunbridge Wells' LSPs' Community Plan Partnership from scratch. As previously leader of the council Melvyn has been heavily involved in the borough, working alongside the Chief Executive to elevate the area's economic development.

As director of Homestart (South West Kent) Melvyn is fully familiar with supporting families in difficulties. His membership of SEERA has given me invaluable insight into the regional context of most issues facing SE communities.

Skills:

Knowledge of how an LSP should work - getting the right people at the right level, gaining & sustaining their commitment; having passion about public engagement; being action-based; establishing & sticking to planning disciplines, integrated with required resources.
Performance management - dealing with problems early; and marketing the story of achievements.
Successful deployment of this knowledge in building Tunbridge Well's own LSP, including voluntary & business sectors
Good listening skills, sensitivity and awareness and analytical skills
Successful experience in the leadership dimension to LSP progress, as well as Member perspective and engagement.
Professional background at a senior level responsibility for performance management and risk assessment.

Cllr Melvyn Howell's personal CV: cllr_melvyn_howell 30Kb

Practitioner Associate case study

Learning modules: 1.5 day sessions with fellow PA Rory Love.

Scrutiny: 13/10/08,Slough Borough Council; and 16/10/08, Adur and Worthing Councils; Community Leadership: 14/10/08, Rushmoor District Council.

Melvyn on Scrutiny: Our messages about the enhanced role of scrutiny allowed in the recent legislation were fully accepted. Our audiences' understanding of the key role of scrutiny in governance - balancing power between the executive and non-executive elected members - was better understood by the end of the sessions. The opportunities offered by scrutiny to add more value, to be innovative, and to enhance an authority's public profile were grasped.

Melvyn on Community Leadership: The vision of community leadership in the July 2008 guidance 'Creating Strong, Safe and Prosperous Communities', linked to partnership-working, was the central theme of the session. We were successful in re-positioning community leadership from a purely executive concept, to one for all councillors.