How we will deal with your complaint
Our monitoring officer will assess your complaint and decide whether it should be investigated. They may:
- decide the complaint can be resolved through informal mediation or discussion
- ask you for further evidence or information to support your complaint
- ask for an initial response from the councillor you are complaining about
- ask an independent person for their opinion
- refer your complaint to the Members Advisory Panel
The monitoring officer will inform both you and the councillor you've made a complaint about of their decision, within 30 days of receiving the complaint. If they're not able to respond within this time, they will inform you of the date when a decision will be made.
Right to review the monitoring officer’s decision
If you are not satisfied with the monitoring officer’s decision not to investigate your complaint, you have 7 days to ask for a review.
You must write to the monitoring officer, clearly stating your reasons for asking for a review.
The chief executive will review your request and if they agree with your reasons, your complaint will be investigated.
Investigating complaints
If the decision is taken to investigate your complaint:
- the monitoring officer will ask an officer of the council or an independent investigator to investigate
- the monitoring officer may provide terms of reference for the investigation, focusing on the factual evidence in support or against the allegation
- the councillor you have complained about has a duty to co-operate with the investigation
- you and the councillor you have complained about will be able to provide further evidence
- the investigation should take no longer than 2 months, though the investigating officer may decide to allow longer
- the investigator will provide a written report to the monitoring officer
- the monitoring officer will report the matter to the Members Advisory Panel