Issue - items at meetings - Update on Complaints

Issue - meetings

Update on Complaints

Meeting: 04/10/2018 - Councillor Conduct Committee (Item 780)

780 Update on Complaints pdf icon PDF 203 KB

To receive an update from the Monitoring Officer on complaints currently being considered.

 

Complaints update attached. 

Minutes:

The Committee received a copy of the rolling record of complaints currently being considered by the Monitoring Officer. 

 

Jeremy Chambers introduced the report saying it provided an indication of the current case load.  Cases would not be discussed in detail as this could prejudice the outcome of any later hearing.  

 

NOTED

 

1.               The record gave a flavour of the type of cases being considered. 

2.               Case Ref: 011 was received in August 2018 and Case Ref: 014 after the Annual Council Meeting in May 2018. 

3.               Since publication of the agenda another complaint had been received, concerning Councillor Coleshill and relating to an incident that had occurred at the last Council Meeting (20 September 2018).  Sarah Jewell (Independent Person) had been consulted and the Monitoring Officer had decided to employ an external investigator to look into the complaint.  Both the Monitoring Officer and the Head of Legal had been witnesses at the meeting. 

 

AGREED to note the information provided on current complaints.      


Meeting: 11/07/2018 - Councillor Conduct Committee (Item 7)

7 Update on Complaints pdf icon PDF 199 KB

To receive an update from the Monitoring Officer on complaints currently being considered.

 

Rolling record to follow. 

Minutes:

The Committee received a copy of the rolling record of complaints currently being considered by the Monitoring Officer. 

 

Jeremy Chambers introduced the report saying it provided an indication of the current case load.  Cases would not be discussed in detail as this could prejudice the outcome of any later hearing.  

 

NOTED

 

1.               The suggestion that councillors full names should be included in the rolling record to avoid confusion. 

 

2.               Concern that some cases were taking a long time to resolve.  Some of these had taken a long time because they were exceptionally complex.  Straightforward cases should be dealt with more quickly. Jeremy Chambers acknowledged that some of the cases had taken too long, had cost too much and that this was in part due to the transition between the old, new and temporary monitoring officers. 

 

3.               Jeremy Chambers gave the following information to members about how the complaints process worked.  He said that he assessed all complaints as they came in.  If the complaint fell outside the remit of the code, it was dismissed.  If he felt that there was a case to answer he would consult one of the independent persons and would then decide how to proceed. 

 

4.               A flowchart, which had been devised explaining the process, would be sent to members of the committee. 

 

5.               Members would receive training before any hearings were held. 

 

6.               The complaint No: 009 from November 2017 had now been completed.  The findings had been sent to the complainants and the time allowed for an appeal to be made lapsed. 

 

AGREED to note the information provided on current complaints.      


Meeting: 11/12/2017 - Councillor Conduct Committee (Item 402)

402 Update on Complaints pdf icon PDF 205 KB

To receive an update from the Monitoring Officer on complaints currently being considered.

 

Rolling record attached. 

Minutes:

The Committee received the rolling record of complaints currently being considered by the Monitoring Officer. 

 

Jayne Middleton-Albooye (Head of Legal Services and Deputy Monitoring Officer) advised the Committee that it had been agreed with Jeremy Chambers, the new Monitoring Officer that she would complete the complaints which had started under her tenure and that Jeremy Chambers would take over any new complaints. 

 

Jayne Middleton-Albooye briefed members on the complaints currently under consideration as follows: 

 

·       Complain 001 – The complaint was now closed.  The decision had been taken that there had been no breach of the councillor code of conduct, members and complainant notified and no appeal received. 

 

·       Complaint 002 - The investigation was continuing as a further interview had still to be arranged.  If this could not be done by the end of the first week of January 2018, then the Jeremy Chambers, as the new Monitoring Officer, would make a decision on the case. 

 

·       Complaint 005 - Jayne Middleton-Albooye had re-interviewed the members.  She apologised for the delay in progressing this, due to pressure of work. 

 

·       Complaint 006 - The appeal against the monitoring officer’s decision had just been heard. 

 

·       Complaint 007 - The case was now closed. 

 

·       Complaint 008 - Interviews had taken place and Jayne Middleton-Albooye would be reporting her findings to Jeremy Chambers. 

 

NOTED that

 

1.               Jayne Middleton-Albooye apologised for not providing the costs of the Brown Jacobson investigations and promised to do so.  The information would be circulated to all members of the committee as soon as available.   

 

AGREED to note the information on current complaints.      


Meeting: 05/10/2017 - Councillor Conduct Committee (Item 229)

229 Update on Complaints pdf icon PDF 202 KB

To receive an update from the Monitoring Officer on complaints currently being considered.

 

Rolling record attached. 

Minutes:

The Committee received the rolling record of complaints currently being considered by the Monitoring Officer. 

 

Jayne Middleton-Albooye (Acting Monitoring Officer) briefed members on the current complaints as follows: 

 

·       She had five complaints which were due to be concluded soon.

 

·       The complaint report for complaint reference number 001 had been concluded and sent to the interested parties for comment.

 

·       A procedural breech had occurred in the investigation of complaint reference number 002 and one more interview had to take place before the report could be finalised.   This was being arranged and the report would be completed shortly.   

 

·       This complaint had been being investigated internally by Jayne Middleton-Albooye herself. The key people involved had been interviewed and further interviews arising from the initial investigation were being arranged.  It was hoped that it would be concluded next month. 

 

·       In reference to complaint 005, a comprehensive investigation had been carried out and the conclusions were due to be sent to those involved, within the next few days. 

 

·       The complaint reference number 007 had been resolved.  Councillor Celebi should have included the word shadow on her signature.  She had apologised for her mistake and rectified it.  Her apology had been accepted. 

 

NOTED that

 

1.               Councillor Vince requested information on the amount of the total cost of the investigation into complaint 001.

 

2.               Jayne Middleton-Albooye agreed to provide the information for the next meeting.   

 

AGREED to note the information on current complaints.