Valleys council to review complaints procedure (From South Wales Argus)

Valleys council to review complaints procedure

9:20pm Wednesday 29th July 2009

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BLAENAU Gwent council is to carry out a review of its protocol for dealing with complaints by members of staff.

The decision is to help ensure that complaints by members of staff are immediately considered by senior managers and the chief executive, and it follows the suspension of a councillor in May.

Councillors agreed to accept the recommendations made by the standards committee, in respect of the breach of code of conduct by Abertillery councillor Nigel Daniels, at a meeting of the special council in the Civic Centre yesterday.

Cllr Daniels was suspended for nine months after the Adjudication Panel for Wales upheld complaints by council officer Tracey Jukes.

The panel ruled Cllr Daniels had acted inappropriately towards council officer Mrs Jukes on the phone on April 17, 2007, and at a portfolio meeting the next day.

He was found to have breached the code of conduct by failing to show respect to an officer and to have brought his position as an elected member into disrepute.

Speaking after the decision he said he respected the decision made by the Adjudication Panel for Wales, but maintained he does not feel he acted inappropriately.

However, he said he regretted any offence he caused and wanted to say sorry for it.

Cllr Daniels said he was disappointed he was not made aware of the offence he had caused at the time and would have apologised had he been given the opportunity.

He was suspended from the Labour Party in September 2007 because of the allegations and has been an independent councillor since.

At the time of the hearing Blaenau Gwent council said it "remains strongly committed to ensuring that effective working relationships exist so that all our efforts are clearly focussed on delivering services.

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