Doncaster Council

Introduction

The Standards Board's Ethical Standards Officer can, following the completion of an investigation, refer investigation reports to Monitoring Officers for Standards Committees to decide whether or not a Member has failed to follow the Code of Conduct and, if so, what penalty should be applied, if any.

Standards Committees are familiar with the regulations and have effective procedures in place to make sure they can determine cases fairly and consistently.

The process for dealing with matters at local level is the same for all members, no matter what political party they represent or what level of local government they represent. If the Standards Committee finds that there has been a breach of the Code of Conduct, it may do any one or a combination of the following:

• Censure the Member
• Restrict the Member's access to the resources of the Authority for up to 3 months, which could include limiting his/her access to the premises of the Authority.
• Suspend or partly suspend the member for up to 3 months
• Suspend or partly suspend the member for up to 3 months on condition that the suspension or partial suspension will end if the Member apologises in writing, receives any training, or takes part in any conciliation that the Standards Committee orders them to.          

Standards Committee only have the power to determine whether or not a member has failed to follow the Code of Conduct following a referral from an Ethical Standards Officer. If someone wishes to make an allegation about a member's conduct, it should be directed to The Standards Board for England for consideration. If it is made directly to the authority, the respective authority will refer the matter to the Standards Board for England for their consideration.

If the Standards Board for England does not refer an allegation to an Ethical Standards Officer for investigation, the Standards Committee of the respective authority may still wish to consider whether general lessons can be learned from the incident highlighted.

• Pre-hearing Procedure for Local Standards Hearings
• Hearings Procedure
• Determination Form A - Members response

• Determination Form B - Other evidence

• Determination Form C - Representation

• Determination Form D - Arrangements

• Determination form E - proposed witnesses

• Categories of Exempt Information

• Admission of Press and Public to Standards Committee Hearings