Decision details

Standards Committee Objectives, Work Programme and Priority Group

Decision status: Recommendations Approved

Is Key decision?: No

Is subject to call in?: No

Decisions:

 

The Chair explained there had been a workshop session to look at actions/priorities for the Standards Committee over the next year. 

 

Previously, the Standards Committee had agreed the following 6 objectives:

 

a)     Has responsibility for promoting high standards of conduct by Members, Co-opted Members and Officers and for the policies and processes which support this aim.

b)     Advises on the induction and training of Members and Co-opted Members on standards of conduct.

c)     Monitors the operation of the Members’ Code of Conduct and recommends any changes considered necessary to the Code to the Council for approval.

d)     Has responsibility for overseeing the Code of Conduct for officers and recommending any changes considered necessary to the Council for approval

e)     Manages the members’ and officers’ registers of interests and gifts / hospitality;

f)      Monitors the Council’s Whistleblowing Policy and make recommendations to the Council in respect of any proposed changes. The Committee has no role in Appendix 1 considering or determining member complaints as this role falls to the Monitoring Officer.

 

The Priority Groups were made up as follows:

 

Priority Group One: Councillor John Bailey, Councillor Brian Smedley, Councillor Frances Nicholson, David Stripp and Paul Hooper.

Priority Group Two: Councillor Frances Nicholson (chair), Robin Horton and Alan Hemsley.

Priority Group Three: Councillor Hugh Davies, Councillor Martin Dimery (chair) and Sally Foster.

 

Co-opted Member David Stripp said he had been part of the Group who had been tasked with researching the complaint process.  The Group had devised a questionnaire to get feedback from those who had lodged complaints.  The Group hoped the questionnaire would help the Council to improve the service.

 

During the discussion that followed the Committee welcomed the questionnaire including the suggested changes that had been made to the draft which was circulated at the meeting.

 

Further suggestions included:

 

·       The question about how straight forward the complaints form had been should be graded 1 – 5, rather than yes/no

·       The question about response times should be changed to read something like did you get a response within 5 days, and if not, how long did it take?

·       The column referring to complaints against an officer of Somerset Council should be removed

 

The Monitoring Officer offered to help the Group work on the detail of the questionnaire.

 

RESOLVED

 

1.      That the actions/priorities for the Standards Committee be:

 

Action

By whom

By when

1.                Review the Officer’s Code of Conduct

Monitoring Officer

January 2025

2.               Complaints Report:

2.1 Ongoing Review

2.2 Refresh Code of Conduct Training

2.3 SALC to be involved with Standards Committee

2.4 Support Package for Parish Councils

2.5 Cross Reference analysis of complaints

2.6 Detail to be recorded of upheld complaints

 

 

Priority Group 1

Priority Group 2

 

Scott Wooldridge

 

 

Scott Wooldridge

 

Monitoring Officer

 

Monitoring Officer

The next meeting

3.               To consider whether to include Co-opted Members on Complaints hearings

Priority Group 2

Next meeting

4.               Petition for review of structure (national)

Scott Wooldridge

Next meeting

5.               Hearing Sub Committee – information to be sent to all Standard Committee Members

Monitoring Officer

Ongoing

6.               Date of next meeting

Scott Wooldridge

ASAP

 

2.     That the Monitoring Officer work with Co-opted Member David Stripp to amend the draft questionnaire as discussed.

 

Publication date: 28/10/2024

Date of decision: 18/07/2024

Decided at meeting: 18/07/2024 - Standards Committee

Accompanying Documents: