Minutes for Standards Committee meeting, Nov 3 2008, 6.30PM official page

This report provides the Standards Committee with a progress report on the delivery of Member training and development since the last report in October 2007. It also updates Committee Members on proposed areas of training for the future. 

The Local Government Ombudsman’s Annual Letter provides a summary of the complaints received by the Local Government Ombudsman against Hackney Council in the financial year 2007/8. The aim of the Letter is to allow the Council to understand how people experience or perceive its services and for this information to be fed back into service improvement.

This report provides Members with comments on the Letter.

This report provides an update on changes to the role of the Local Government Ombudsman (LGO).

This report summarises the details of all whistle-blowing cases received by Audit & Anti-Fraud since the last report submitted to this Committee on 23/4/08.

This report appends the Annual Review 2007/8 of the Standards Board for England (SBE) for noting by Members.

The Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) is consulting on proposals for revising the Local Authorities (Model Code of Conduct) Order 2007 and the relevant Authorities (General Principles) Order 2001. The department is also consulting on the proposed introduction of a model code of conduct for local government employees.  The deadline for responses from consultees is 24^th December 2008.

This report presents a response to the consultation questions subject to any comments or amendments that the Committee wishes to make.

At its meeting on 30^th June 2008, the Committee considered a report on the implementation of local assessment of complaints and established two Sub-Committees (Standards Assessment Sub-Committee and Standards Review Sub-Committee).  Although the terms of reference of the Standards Hearing Sub-Committee were also agreed, no appointments to that Sub-Committee were made owing to the number of Independent Members on the Committee as at the date of the meeting.

The Committee appointed Members to serve on the Standards Assessment Sub-Committee and Standards Review Sub-Committee subject to review after full complement of Independent Members. 

Members will be aware that the Committee now has full complement of Independent Members.  This report therefore advises the Committee to review the membership of the Standards Assessment Sub-Committee and Standards Review Sub-Committee as appropriate.  In addition, the Committee is being asked to appoint a Standards Hearing Sub-Committee.

The Committee received a report at its last meeting on how it could raise its profile both inside and outside the Council. It agreed to pursue a number of initiatives and this report provides an update.