Independent Person – Standards Committee - Castle Point Borough Council
Castle Point Borough Council
Fixed Term, Part Time
£582 per annum
Location: Castle Point
Closing Date: 26th March 2025
Please note this is a role of an Independent Person – Standards Committee, paying a fixed allowance of £582 per annum for each year of appointment, together with the reimbursement of travel expenses.
Why Castle Point? Castle Point Borough Council is a statutory body responsible for employing nearly 350 staff, and delivering over 150 council services, both statutory and for the community's well-being and benefit. Castle Point Borough Council aims to provide high-quality and financially sustainable services while prioritising outstanding customer service, transparency in decision-making, and promoting local democracy. Additionally, the council seeks to transform, modernize, and improve its performance, as well as support and enable the communities within its jurisdiction to be strong, healthy, and thriving.
Our values: Trust, Respect, Improving and Learning, and Customer Focus
The Opportunity
The Independent Person is a statutory role created under Section 28(7) of the Localism Act 2011. As a statutory role it may be changed by the UK Parliament at any time. The Independent Person’s role is to work with the Council’s Monitoring Officer and the Council’s Standards Committee to help to ensure high standards of conduct of its elected Councillors.
We wish to appoint two Independent Persons. An Independent Person may be consulted on an allegation that a Councillor has breached the Code of Conduct.
• When considering complaints received under the Councillor Code of Conduct the Monitoring Officer may consult an Independent Person if they are minded not to investigate
• If a complaint is investigated the Independent Person is asked to advise on the complaint and express an opinion when the investigation is completed.
• Councillors may seek advice from an Independent Person in certain circumstances.
In addition, the Council may not dismiss the Chief Executive, Chief Finance Officer or Monitoring Officer without first considering the view of an advisory committee which includes at least two Independent Persons as members. The Independent Persons would be expected to take part in this advisory committee, if it were to be convened.
Expenses and Time commitment
We will pay our independent persons a fixed allowance of £582 per annum, together with reasonable travel and subsistence expenses incurred as part of the role. You will therefore need to demonstrate your eligibility to work in the UK.
Independent Persons will be consulted as and when required. Cases may be sent at short notice, and we normally ask independent persons to be able to consider cases within a week. In addition, the Monitoring Officer may send details of individual cases and accompanying resolutions to them to Independent Persons for comment.
A case may normally take up to two hours, but if there is a lengthy investigation report there may be more. The time commitment is therefore likely to be low.
The work is usually done by email or telephone but may, very rarely, involve travel to Benfleet for a meeting.
Confidentiality
The Independent Person(s) will regularly consider sensitive personal data and will be expected to sign a confidentiality agreement to comply with data protection law.
Length of Appointment
The appointment will last for a period of four years with the Independent Persons being eligible to be reappointed or extended.
Selection
We will shortlist based on application and selection will be by an interview with a panel chaired by the chair of the Council’s Standards Committee.
The interview is likely to take place in the week commencing 7 April 2025 – if this causes you difficulty then please indicate that in your application.
Person Specification
· Ability to demonstrate a keen interest in promoting high ethical standards in local government, and to have a general understanding of the principles behind the Code of Conduct for Councillors.
· Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to communicate effectively at a high level with both elected Councillors and senior officers.
· Ability to demonstrate an understanding of the standards of accountability and objectivity demanded of public authorities, and the continuous scrutiny under which they are placed.
· Ability to demonstrate enhanced questioning skills; to be able to use logical reasoning; and bring qualities of open-mindedness and impartiality.
· Ability to deal with substantial documentation and to analyse, interpret and absorb information and evidence effectively and quickly.
· Understand and comply with confidentiality requirements.
· To be a person of good standing in whose impartiality, integrity and confidentiality elected members and the general public can have confidence.
· Ability to attend meetings and be available for telephone or email consultation with short notice.
· To be able to demonstrate political neutrality and not to be a member of any political party or have a public profile in relation to political activities.
· To be willing to disclose to the Council any matter which, if it became public, might cause the Council to reconsider the appointment.
· To have experience of dealing with complaints procedures or investigative panels or similar.
Under the Localism Act 2011, you are unable to apply to be an Independent Person if the following applies:
· You are a member, co-opted member or officer of Castle Point Borough Council or have been in the last 5 years.
· A relative, or close friend, of a person that is a member, co-opted member or officer of Castle Point Borough Council.
Castle Point Borough Council is proud to be a disability confident Leader. We’re committed to interview all disabled applicants if they meet the minimum requirements of the job. We’re also committed to interview all veterans and care leavers, who meet the minimum requirements of the role for which they are applying. Please speak to our Recruiters if you require any reasonable adjustments during the process.
Castle Point Borough Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults and expects all employees and volunteers to share this commitment.
If you have queries on this role or require anything further or to see the Terms of Reference for the CPBC Standards Committee, please email Democraticservices@castlepoint.gov.uk or sadie.orwell@essex.gov.uk