Agenda item
CODE OF CONDUCT FOR MEMBERS - COMPLAINTS AND INVESTIGATION MONITORING
- Meeting of Replaces Postponed Meeting 13 Jan 2015, Standards Advisory Committee, Tuesday, 27th January, 2015 7.30 p.m., NEW (Item 3.1)
- View the background to item 3.1
To consider the report of the Interim Monitoring Officer
Minutes:
Meic Sullivan-Gould (Interim Monitoring Officer) introduced and highlighted key points in the report, which outlined the Council’s arrangements for dealing with complaints of breach of the Code of Conduct for Members. The arrangements required that the Monitoring Officer submit quarterly reports (or less frequently if there were no complaints to report) to the Standards Advisory Committee on the number and nature of complaints received and action taken.
The arrangements, revised by full Council on 18 September 2013 also included a required that in cases where the Monitoring Officer had extended the time period of investigations into complaints from two months to three months the Monitoring Officer report on the reasons for the delay to the Advisory Committee
The Committee noted that there had been no new complaints and that all outstanding complaints were awaiting the convening of an Investigation and Disciplinary Sub-Committee. It was noted that attempts to secure an acceptable date for an Investigation and Disciplinary Sub-Committee had to date failed in November and December 2014.
There was a lengthy discussion where Members expressed various concerns. The following points were noted:
· That with reference to Complaint References IDSC/01/2013 and IDSC/07/2013 listed in the report, the reasons for the delay were not reported to the Advisory Committee and it was important for this to be done in future.
· That it was disappointing to note the reasons for the delays in the backlog of cases requiring consideration at the Investigation & Disciplinary Sub-Committee stage and that this indicated that Members of SAC were failing in their duty to ensure a speedy outcome. On complaints by not placing a high priority on those meetings.
- That some Members found that day time meetings offered during the canvassing of their availability was in-practical due to work commitments and suggested that a greater portion of those meetings be held in the evening and over a period, rather than arranging an all-day meeting to clear the backlog.
- That some Members were unclear about the processes involved in arranging the meeting and were unaware that Members contacted on their availability had been nominated by their political group leaders, that securing a date and time of the meetings depended on the number of members available at those times.
- That new SAC membership would require training in relation to its sub-committees and associated processes which would delay further the conclusion of outstanding complaints.
- Clarification was sought as to the rationale for only training some SAC members in relation to its sub-committees and associated processes;
- That it would have been appropriate to make arrangements to train all SAC members at the start of the Municipal Year thereby increasing the pool of members readily available to sit on the Committee and its Sub-Committees, ensuring that every Member was fully equipped to function in their various roles and ensuring the efficient use of resources in training Members at the same time.
- That it was necessary for all Members of SAC, including Co-opted Members and Deputies to be trained, as a matter of urgency,
- Following discussion on the availability of officers, it was agreed that the proposed training be arranged by officers before the end of February 2015 and that it went ahead as long as there were at least two elected Members present.
RESOLVED –
(i) That the complaints and investigation monitoring information contained
Appendix 1 of the report be noted.
(ii) That training be arranged for all members of the Committee in order to
increase the pool of Members readily available to sit on the investigation and Disciplinary Sub-Committee to consider the backlog of complaints cases of breach of the Code of Conduct for Members.
Action by: Meic Sullivan-Gould (Interim Monitoring Officer, LPG)
David Knight (Committee Officer, LPG)
Supporting documents: