Agenda item

To consider the Committee work programme for the remainder of the Municipal Year.

Members queried whether the meeting scheduled on 5 May 2021 could be moved due to the Mayoral Elections taking place on the following day.

The Vice Chair raised Members training needs in light of the report from Grant Thornton; especially in relation to finance training for Members who sat on committees which dealt with finance reports. In response, the Chair stated that financial training was an item on the Report in the Public Interest (RIPI) Action Plan which was due to be debated the following day but agreed that it was matter for the Ethics Committee to consider going forward

Further questions were raised in relation to staff bullying and the review by Joe Montgomery on equality within the workplace. The Monitoring Officer confirmed that there were recommendations within the report by Joe Montgomery and committed to circulating the report to Members. In response to concerns regarding staff bullying, the Monitoring Officer stated there were procedures, such as conduct and disciplinary procedures in place alongside a Whistleblowing Policy which staff could access if there were issues of harassment and bullying in the workplace.

In light of the position of the council, Councillor Hoar requested a report be brought to a future meeting on member code of conduct in the lead up to the issuing of the RIPI and the issuing of a Section 114 Notice. It was stated that there was a need to not only review officer conduct but Member conduct also.

Councillor Hoar further suggested that the Whistleblowing Policy should be made widely available to support officers to raise concerns should they have any. In response, the Chair confirmed his support that the Whistleblowing Policy should be circulated and be made available to staff to utilise at any point in time.

In response to the suggestion of an investigation into member conduct, the Chair noted the Interim Chief Executive (Katherine Kerswell) had committed to an independent investigation into how the council had reached the position it was in. It was suggested that this investigation should take place in first instance and then the Ethics Committee follow it with an investigation to enable Members to fully understand how financial and governance situation came about.

Councillor Creatura requested that a copy of the report on the investigation be brought to the next meeting of the Committee for consideration. It was noted by the councillor that in light of the investigations and RIPI that the meetings of the Ethics Committee be reviewed to ensure the Committee was fulfilling its role in ensuring good governance and that models of behaviour were being adhered to.

The Monitoring Officer thanked Members for their comments and noted that it was right and proper for reflection to take place. It was recognised that there had been issues of conduct in general and the role of the Committee was to uphold the highest standards but noted that it was important that the Committee did not duplicate work taking place elsewhere but supplemented that work as such the Monitoring Officer suggested that an item be brought to a future meeting which set out what the Committee could do to ensure that it supported the council’s governance.

In addition, the Monitoring Officer suggested the Committee could look at the Members’ Code of Conduct in light of the Local Government Association releasing an updated model code later that year to ensure the council’s code was following best practice. Furthermore, it was suggested that the guidance from the Committee for Standards in Public Life could be considered at the meeting in February 2021.

The Chair concluded that going forward it was important that the Committee looked at the issues that had been raised and ensured there was an ethical boundary between Members and officer and address where there had been issues.

RESOLVED:

1.     To note the Work Programme;

2.     For the Monitoring Officer to circulate the Joe Montgomery report and recommendations to Committee Member;

3.     That a report on Members’ Code of Conduct be taken to the meeting in February 2021;

4.     That a report on Committee for Standards in Public Life guidance be taken to the meeting in February 2021;

5.     That the Whistleblowing Policy be made widely available to facilitate in supporting officers to raise concerns; and

6.     That a report on the role of the Ethics Committee in light of ongoing investigations within the council be taken at the meeting in February 2021.