Issue - meetings

Recommending:

That, on the recommendation of the Committee, the Council endorse the appointment of Mr. A. Brooks and Mrs. J. Clare to the current vacancies for Independent Persons on the Standards Committee.

(Chairman of Standards Committee) The Localism Act 2011 places a duty on the Council and the local councils in the district, to promote and maintain high standards of conduct for elected and co-opted members.  This includes the requirement to have a Code of Conduct with which members must comply. The Act also requires that authorities adopt arrangements for dealing with complaints about breaches of the Code of Conduct by members, including making provision for the appointment of at least one Independent Person to support arrangements for dealing with standards matters.

The Standards Committee has recently undertaken recruitment activity to fill current vacancies for Independent Persons and interviews for these positions were held on 5 November 2018. On the recommendation of the Committee, the Council is requested to endorse the appointment of Antony Brooks and June Clare as Independent Persons. The Committee considers that Mr. Brooks and Mrs. Clare will each bring relevant skills and experience to its role and responsibilities.

Mover: Councillor G. Chambers, Chairman of Standards Committee

Councillor G. Chambers advised that the Localism Act 2011 placed a duty on the Council and the local councils in the District, to promote and maintain high standards of conduct for elected and co-opted members.  The requirements included having a Code of Conduct with which members must comply. The Act also required that authorities adopt arrangements for dealing with complaints about breaches of the Code of Conduct by members, which included making provision for the appointment of at least one Independent Person to support arrangements for dealing with standards matters.

RESOLVED:

That, the Council endorsed the appointment of Mr. A. Brooks and Mrs. J. Clare to the current vacancies for Independent Persons on the Standards Committee.

Recommendations:

(1)  To discuss the ongoing requirement for Independent Persons and timing of any future recruitment;

(2)  That subject to (1) above, the Monitoring Officer be requested to undertake recruitment activity;

(3)  That the Chairman of the Committee, in consultation with the Monitoring Officer set up a selection panel of three members to shortlist and interview candidates and recommend their appointment to Council.

(Monitoring Officer) Following the recent passing of Peter Adams, Mr. David Cooper is now the sole Independent Person. Recruitment activity for the Standards Committee was last undertaken in 2012 and the Committee is asked to discuss the desirably of further recruitment to ensure continuity. If the Committee wishes to undertake further recruitment, members are also asked to consider the appropriate timing for such activity.

On the last occasion that recruitment activity was undertaken, an interview panel, formed from members of the Standards Committee shortlisted and interviewed for the relevant positions.

The appointment of the Independent Persons is a matter for the Council to approve.

The Monitoring Officer reported that, following the recent death of Mr. P. Adams, Mr. D. Cooper was now the sole Independent Person on the Standards Committee and requested members to consider whether further recruitment activity should be undertaken for the appointment of up to two additional Independent Persons to ensure support for the responsibilities of the Committee and continuity in its work.

Members were advised that the recruitment of Independent Persons had last been carried out in 2012 and that, at that time, a panel of members of the Standards Committee had been established to shortlist and interview candidates for the relevant positions. The Monitoring Officer reminded the Committee that the formal appointment of Independent Persons was a matter reserved to the Council and that an appropriate role profile had previously been developed to ensure that candidates were qualified to discharge the functions of the Standards Committee.

The Monitoring Officer requested that the Committee consider the appropriate timing of the recruitment of new Independent Persons. Members noted that the Remuneration Panel was also currently carrying a vacancy, following the resignation of an independent member earlier in the year and that it would be sensible to undertake joint recruitment activity after the Summer period, to ensure that the appointment process was representative of local communities, particularly as some restrictions applied to the position of Independent Person.

RESOLVED:

(1)       That the ongoing requirement for Independent Persons to support the responsibilities of the Committee, be endorsed;

(2)       That the Monitoring Officer undertake appropriate recruitment activity during September 2018, with a view to the appointment of two additional Independent Persons;

(3)       That the Chairman of the Committee, in consultation with the Monitoring Officer, establish a selection panel of three members of the Committee (pro-rata two members of the Conservative Group and one member of the Loughton Residents Association Group) to shortlist and interview candidates for the position of Independent Person and make recommendation for appointment to the Council, ideally at its meeting on 25 September 2018;

(4)       That the Monitoring Officer also form part of the selection panel of established to shortlist and interview candidates for the position of Independent Person, in a voting capacity; and

(5)       That, if possible, a further meeting of the Standards Committee be held prior to the appointment of Independent Persons by the Council, in order that candidates recommended for appointment by the selection panel have an opportunity to meet all members of the Committee.