Changes to the Complaints Procedure

Previously, anyone wishing to complain about the conduct of elected members had to report their allegations to the Standards Board for England, who would decide whether or not to investigate. This responsibility has now been taken over by authorities, with the Standards Board's role moving towards one of advice and support.

All councillors have to keep to a Code of Conduct to ensure that they maintain the high ethical standards the public expect from them. If a complainant reveals that a potential breach of this Code has taken place, Swale Borough Council may refer the allegations for investigation or decide to take other action.

Investigations themselves will also be managed by Swale Borough Council, except in cases where a conflict of interest or other unusual circumstances mean that it would be more appropriate for the Standards Board to handle.

Once cases have been investigated, the authority's independently-chaired standards committee will decide what action, if any, should be taken against the member. On rare occasions this responsibility will be given to the Adjudication Panel for England, an independent judicial tribunal.

Want to complain about a Councillor?

Step 1) Please read the following two documents:

Complaining about a councillor's behaviour - Guidance notes and Assessment Criteria.

These documents tell you:

• how to make a complaint
• who you can complain about
• what you can complain about
• what cannot be investigated
• what you should be aware of before you complain
• what happens to your complaint once it has been received
• who establishes if a complaint will merit investigation
• what happens at the end of an investigation

Step 2) If you wish to proceed with a complaint, print off a complaint form and complete the details.

Step 3) Return the form and any supporting paperwork (evidence) in any of the following ways:

By post:

By Email: monitoringofficer@swale.gov.uk

By Fax: (01795) 417327

Please remember that we can only:

• Consider complaints that are about individual councillors or members, not the authority as a whole or authority employees.
• Investigate matters where you believe a member has breached their authority's Code of Conduct.