Agenda item

As requested by the Committee at its last meeting on 21 June 2018, this report seeks further views from Members on the approach to recruiting additional Independent persons and presents options for a way forward.

The Committee received a report from the Group Head of Council

Advice & Monitoring Officer which was asking the Committee for its views on the approach to be taken to recruiting additional Independent Persons to the

Standards Committee as requested at the last meeting of the Committee on

21 June 2018.

The Group Head of Council Advice & Monitoring Officer explained that it had not been possible to commence a recruitment process until now due to an unprecedented increase in workload. This was because there had been a significant number of complex complaints made against Councillors under the

Code of Conduct between July to November 2018.

            Despite this, the consequential workload had provided an opportunity to test out all stages of the Local Assessment Procedure and had involved the

Independent Persons in the majority of the complaints received. It was reported that the work had been evenly distributed between the two

Independent Persons and both had been able to respond in a timely manner to the Monitoring Officer.

The two Independent Persons, Mr Green and Mr Thompson, had been consulted on whether they felt that the workload from the recent cases had been too onerous and whether they had any views on the appointment of additional Independent Persons.

The view of the Monitoring Officer was that two Independent Persons was sufficient but at the same time, the Committee needed to bear in mind how much work was involved in managing and assessing complaints. On an average, 5-6 complaints were received over a year, however since July 2018,

22 complaints had been received to date.

The two Independent Persons were then invited to provide their views.

They confirmed that the workload for them had not been too onerous, however, they felt that it would be sensible for consistency and training purposes to appoint one further Independent Person to cover for any unforeseen absences such as holiday or illness.

Following a brief discussion, the Committee agreed that a recruitment exercise should be pursued to appoint one further Independent Person. The

Group Head of Council Advice & Monitoring Officer proposed that a similar approach be taken to recruitment to that adopted by the Audit & Governance

Committee in July 2018 in appointing new members to the Independent

Remuneration Panel which conducted reviews of the Council’s Members’

Allowances Scheme. Having explained the stages to the approach used, it was confirmed that a new Independent Remuneration Panel had been successfully appointed through advertising in the business community and on the Council’s website.

The Committee

            RESOLVED – That

(1) the option for recruiting one additional Independent Person to the Standards Committee, as set out in the report, be endorsed with authority being given to the Group Head of Council Advice & Monitoring Officer, in consultation with the Chairman of the Committee, to agree the application pack and advertisement; and

(2) the Group Head of Council Advice & Monitoring Officer, in consultation with the Chairman of the Committee, be given authority to appoint two Members of the Committee and an Independent Person to sit on the Interview Panel.