The Work of the Standards Committee

The County Council has created a Standards Committee which has an important role in the governance of the County Council. It must:

give the Council advice on adopting a Local Code of Conduct
monitor the effectiveness of the Code
train Members on the Code, or arrange for such training
promote and maintain high standards of conduct by Members
help Members to follow the Code of Conduct
hear and make decisions on allegations of misconduct made against County Councillors.

The work of the Standards Committee is communicated openly to a wider public. Where appropriate, the council has taken effective action, learning from issues arising from local investigations and determinations.

Staffordshire County Council has had no determinations but if you are unhappy about the way a County Councillor has behaved please visit the 'How to Complain' link. This gives details of what you should do if you wish to make a complaint.

The Standards Board for England works with authorities to help them provide support and guidance to members regarding ethical behaviour. Further information on the role of the Standards Board and the Code of Conduct can be found on their website.

Membership of the Standards Committee

The Committee is made up of four Councillor Members and two Independent Members. More details are available by following the Members link on the left.

From 1 April 2008 the Standards Committee Chairman has to be one of the Independent Members.

How the Conduct of Councillors' is Regulated

The County Council has a Code of Conduct that sets out the rules governing the behaviour of its Members.

Within two months of being elected, Members must sign up to the County Council's Code of Conduct. This includes all Elected Members, Co-opted and Independent Members.

Members must also sign a Declaration of Interest Form and declare interests where relevant at meetings.

The Standards Committee can monitor the effectiveness of the code. Where a compliant is made that it has been breached, it can decide whether to investigate the complaint. When a complaint has been investigated it must then decide whether the complaint is well founded, and set a sanction ranging from no further action to three months suspension.

Last Modified: 05/06/2008 15:50:40
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