Issue - meetings

To consider issues in relation to the appointment of Independent Members of the Standards Committee.

The Committee was asked to consider a report on issues affecting the appointment of independent members to the Standards Committee, including how vacancies for independent members should be advertised, the information which should be provided to prospective candidates and the selection criteria to be applied, with recommendations to be made to the Council in this regard.    

Members did not wish for any recruitment pack to be too onerous and felt that an application form might not be necessary.  Details regarding the role and function of the Committee were deemed to be useful, as was the selection criteria.  In addition to advertising in the local press, the Committee felt that it would be useful, should timings permit, for an article to be included in the Together Bromsgrove publication, which was issued to all households in the District.  

RECOMMENDED:

(a)       that authority be delegated to the Monitoring Officer, in consultation with the Chairman of the Standards Committee, to compile a suitable recruitment pack for prospective independent members of the Standards Committee;

(b)       that authority be delegated to the Monitoring Officer, in consultation with the Chairman or Vice-Chairman of the Standards Committee, to undertake shortlisting of candidates for vacancies for independent members of the Standards Committee;

(c)        that in cases where, following shortlising, there is only one suitable candidate, authority be delegated to the Monitoring Officer, in consultation with the Chairman or Vice-Chairman of the Standards Committee, to make a recommendation to the Council; and

(d)       that in cases where there are two or more shortlisted candidates, authority be delegated to the Appointments Panel to interview shortlisted candidates, with the assistance of the Chairman or Vice-Chairman of the Standards Committee who shall act in an advisory (but non-voting) capacity, and to make a recommendation to the Council.