Agenda item
To consider
the report of the Monitoring Officer
(attached).
Minutes:
Submitted - the
report of the Monitoring Officer asking the committee to hold a self-assessment
of the Committee's work and outputs during 2016-17 and to consider the draft
work programme for 2017-18.
Members were asked to
consider the functions listed in the first column of the self-assessment and to
note which assessment they believed was relevant to them using the following categories:
·
Category 1 – Evidence that the Committee
had made significant progress in achieving the functions or in the case of
specific tasks, that the need to act had not arisen.
·
Category 2 – Evidence that the Committee
had substantially implemented the function, maintaining the same standard as
last year.
·
Category 3 – Evidence that the Committee
had implemented the function but there was a need to give further attention.
·
Category 4 – There was no evidence that
the Committee had implemented the function and there was a basis for concluding
that the area needed attention.
It was also
explained:
·
It was necessary to note the evidence which supported the category which
the
Committee awarded.
·
By assigning a category to each function and noting the evidence, it was
possible for the Committee to come to a conclusion regarding which further
steps it needed to take (if any).
·
Any suggestions for further actions would be fed through to the Committee work
programme in the future.
It was noted that the
2016-2017 work programme (Appendix 2 to the report) should include the reason
for not holding a meeting of the committee on 27 March, 2017.
RESOLVED
(a)
To adopt the
following as the committee’s self-assessment of its work (additions to the
document in italic and underlined):
FUNCTION |
ASSESSMENT (1/2/3/4) |
EVIDENCE |
FURTHER
ACTIONS |
||
|
2 |
The number of
complaints brought before the committee is very low An induction
programme is provided for new members. |
Keep an eye on
complaints patterns. |
||
|
1 |
Nearly all members
have attended the brief sessions on the Code of Conduct on the induction days
that introduce the essentials to the members.
Approximately 20 members have attended further training and more
training is on the way in September. |
The committee to
consider the feedback data from the training sessions and use this as a basis
for effective targeting. The
quantitative report should also note the percentage of members who have
received the training. Consider methods of
increasing members’ interest in the subject. The committee to
receive a report on how community and county members are trained with the
intention of forming a plan that will use less conventional training
methods. |
||
|
2 |
|
Consider whether
there is a need for more local considerations on the Illustrative Code of
Conduct. |
||
|
2 |
|
Look at the method
of reporting on the registers of interests / hospitality and seek to obtain a
better understanding of the interests and hospitality environment. Is the
guidance clear on this? The committee to
receive a report on the draft interests / hospitality protocols. The report should include examples of the
types of gifts that are appropriate / inappropriate, also looking for any
patterns in terms of who has given gifts etc. |
||
|
2 |
That input is given
to the training. The induction
sessions and also the 2-3 course that have been run. It should also be noted
that it is an election year. |
New Training
Programme and follow this further. Look
at the entire training regime on the Code of Conduct |
||
Grant dispensations
to members |
1 |
|
|
||
|
N/A |
No hearings arose
during the year. |
|
||
Authorise the Monitoring
Officer to pay allowances to persons assisting with an investigation |
N/A |
No need arose for
such allowances to be paid |
|
||
Exercise the above functions
in relation to community councils |
|
The amendments to
the Model Code were communicated to the Community Councils and a joint
advertisement was prepared with a number of them. |
Look at ways of
raising awareness and developing the relationship with community councils. |
(b)
To approve
the following work programme for 2017-2018, with the suggestions for items that
have been fed through from the further steps noted above under (a):
10 July 2017
Annual Report
Self-Assessment and Work Programme
Allegations against members
One Voice Wales’ Local Resolution Procedure
2 October 2017
The Ombudsman’s Annual Report
Allegations against members
Protocols Review
22 January 2018
Gifts and Hospitality Register
Declaration of Interests Register
Adjudication Panel's Annual Report
Allegations against members
27 March 2018
Self-Assessment and Work Programme
Training
Supporting documents:
- Self Assessment and Work Programme, item 8. PDF 107 KB
- Appendices 1-3 - Self Assessment and Work Programme, item 8. PDF 125 KB