Agenda item

9.1

The Director of Legal and Governance introduced a report providing a summary of the outcome of the complaints considered under the Procedure for Dealing with Standards Complaints regarding City, Parish and Town Councillors and Co-opted Members that was adopted by Full Council at its meeting on 25 March 2015.

9.2

The Director rehearsed the requirements, under the Localism Act 2011, for local authorities to promote high standards of Member conduct, adopt a Code of Conduct, and put in place a process for investigating complaints.  She outlined the Council’s Procedure for Dealing with Standards Complaints, highlighting the three courses of action that were available following initial assessment of the complaint by herself in consultation with one of the Independent Persons, and which were to take no action, take other action through informal resolution, or refer the matter for investigation.

9.3

The Director highlighted the fact that 18 complaints had been considered under the current Procedure and the outcomes were to take no action on 13 complaints, not accept 2 complaints due to a significant amount of time having passed since the alleged incidents took place, and the remaining 3 complaints were resolved through informal resolution.  One further complaint would be assessed shortly.

9.4

The Director commented that this relatively low number of complaints and high proportion of outcomes where no action was taken, was evidence that high standards of conduct existed in Sheffield, but that efforts to maintain those standards would continue, including through the provision of advice, and training and development activities.

9.5

In response to questions from Members of the Committee, the Director reported that (a) she had attended a couple of Parish/Town Council meetings to provide training on the Members’ Code of Conduct and the Standards Complaints Procedure, and intended to further develop the relationships with all three of the City’s Parish and Town Councils in relation to Member conduct and (b) in terms of ascertaining the degree to which complainants were satisfied with the complaints procedure, actions to be taken under the informal resolution outcome required the consent of the complainant, and all complainants are informed of decisions to take no action and no complainant had responded by raising an objection with the Director.

9.6

RESOLVED: That the contents of the report now submitted, and the information now reported, be noted.