Making a complaint: Complaining about the behaviour of a member of Lambeth Council

If you wish to complain that a Lambeth Councillor (or voting co-opted member or member of the Health & Wellbeing Board) has failed to comply with Members Code of Conduct, you must submit your complaint to:

Mark Hynes
Monitoring Officer
London Borough of Lambeth
C/O Lambeth Town Hall
Brixton Hill
London SW2 1RW

Please provide as much information as possible, and your contact details ((first and second name, address, tel, nos. and email address).

What procedure will be followed?

The Council’s arrangements for the consideration of such complaints are set out here: 

Council Arrangements for Dealing with Standards Allegations

The Monitoring Officer will decide whether or not a complaint requires investigation, subject to consultation with the Independent Person.

Who is an Independent Person?

The functions of the Independent Person(s) are;

• They must be consulted by the authority before it makes a finding as to whether or not a member has failed to comply with the Code of Conduct or decides on action to be taken in respect of that member;

• They may be consulted by the authority in respect of a standards complaint at any other stage; and

• They may be consulted by a member or co-opted member of the Council against whom a complaint has been made.

What is the role of the Monitoring Officer?

The role of the Monitoring Officer is set out in Part 4 of the Constitution.

The Monitoring Officer may refer a complaint to the Standards Committee if he feels that it would be inappropriate for him to take a decision on it.

What is the Council's Standards Committee?

The Standards Committee comprises five elected members (three Labour, one Liberal Democrat and one Conservative) plus six non-voting co-opted members who are independent people. The committee promotes and maintains high standards of conduct by councillors, co-opted members and members of the Health and Wellbeing Board.

If the Monitoring Officer finds evidence of failure to comply with the Code of Conduct there may be an opportunity for a local resolution complaint but otherwise the Hearings Sub-Committee of the Standards Committee will hold a hearing at which the member against whom the complaint was made can respond to the investigation report. The Sub-Committee will decide what sanction, if any, should be imposed.

What sanctions are available?

If a failure to comply with the Code of Conduct is found the range of sanctions open to the Sub-Committee is limited to:

a) Censure or reprimand the member;
b) Recommend that full Council censure or reprimand the member;
c) Recommend to the member’s group leader that he/she be removed from any or all committees;
d) Recommend to the Leader of the Council that the member be removed from the Cabinet, or removed from particular Portfolio responsibilities;
e) Instruct the monitoring officer to arrange training for the member;
f) Recommend to Cabinet and/or full Council that the member be removed from all outside appointments to which he/she has been appointed or nominated by the authority;
g) Excluding the member from the Council’s offices or other premises, with the exception of meeting rooms as necessary for attending Council, Cabinet, Committee and Sub-Committee meetings.

Who do I contact if I need more help or information?

 

The Corporate Complaints Team
Lambeth Town Hall
Brixton Hill
London
SW2 1RW
Tel: 020 7926 9694
Fax: 020 926 0245
Email: complaints@lambeth.gov.uk

Mark Hynes
Monitoring Officer
London Borough of Lambeth