Agenda item

To consider the report of the Head of Legal Services (attached).

It was reported that the Local Authorities (Standing Orders) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2015 had come into force on 11 May 2015.  The Regulations required local authorities to incorporate certain provisions in respect of disciplinary action relating to statutory officers into the Council’s Standing Orders at the first ordinary meeting falling after 11 May 2015.  

The Regulations set out changes to the statutory disciplinary and dismissal procedures applying to the Head of Paid Service, the Chief Finance Officer and the Monitoring Officer. Under the new process, the dismissal of a statutory officer must be approved by way of a vote at a meeting of the authority who would be able to dismiss, provided they had taken into account the advice, views or recommendations of a Panel which must include at least two independent persons as defined under Section 28 of the Localism Act 2011.  The Panel must also take into account the conclusions of any investigation and representations from the officer concerned.

Resolved that the Officer Employment Rules at Part 4 Section J paragraph 7 of the Constitution be amended in accordance with the Schedule to the Local Authorities (Standing Orders) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2015 as set out at Annex A to these minutes.