Agenda, Penderfyniadau a Chofnodion drafft

Derbyn datganiadau o fuddiannau personol gan Aelodau, yn unol â'r Cod Ymddygiad.

Nodwch:

1.     Mae gofyn i Aelodau ddatgan rhif a phwnc yr agendwm y mae eu buddiant yn ymwneud ag ef a mynegi natur y buddiant personol hwnnw; a

2.   Lle bo Aelodau'n ymneilltuo o'r cyfarfod o ganlyniad i ddatgelu buddiant sy'n rhagfarnu, rhaid iddyn nhw roi gwybod i'r Cadeirydd pan fyddan nhw'n gadael.

In accordance with the Council’s Code of Conduct, there were no declarations made pertaining to the agenda.

An apology for absence was received from County Borough Councillor A Ellis.

The Committee expressed their best wishes to Councillor Ellis, following recent surgery.

Cadarnhau cofnodion y cyfarfod a gynhaliwyd ar 13 Tachwedd 2023 yn rhai cywir.

It was RESOLVED to approve the minutes of the XXXX as an accurate reflection of the meeting.

Rhoi crynodeb i’r Aelodau o’r cwynion a wnaed yn erbyn Aelodau ac a gyflwynwyd i Ombwdsmon Gwasanaethau Cyhoeddus Cymru (yr ‘Ombwdsmon’) am y cyfnod rhwng 30 Awst 2023 a 22 Ionawr 2024.

The Monitoring Officer provided the Standards Committee with a summary of complaints made against Members and submitted to the Public Services Ombudsman for Wales (the ‘Ombudsman’) for the period 30^th August 2023 – 22^nd January 2024.

As part of the report, a summary of the results of three investigations completed by the Ombudsman in relation to alleged breaches of the Code of Conduct at Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council were also provided. Members were informed that based on the circumstances of each complaint and Ombudsman findings it was determined not to be in the public interest for any further action to be taken in relation to the complaints.

Members sought clarification in respect of one of the investigations, to which the Monitoring Officer responded.

It was RESOLVED:

       i.          To consider the contents of the report and provide any comments/feedback on the complaints received by the Ombudsman during the period 30th August 2023 – 22nd January 2024.

Trafod crynodeb o ganlyniadau ymchwiliadau ynghylch achosion honedig o dorri Cod Ymddygiad yr Aelodau, fel y'i cyhoeddwyd gan Ombwdsmon Gwasanaethau Cyhoeddus Cymru o dan y pennawd 'ein canfyddiadau' ar ei wefan. Roedd y rhain ar gyfer y cyfnod rhwng 1 Awst 2023 a 22 Ionawr 2024.  

The Monitoring Officer provided Members with the summary of investigation outcomes concerning alleged breaches of the Members’ Code of Conduct as published by the Public Services Ombudsman for Wales (PSOW) on the ‘our findings’ section of her website for the period 1st August 2023 – 22^nd January 2024.

Members were reminded of the actions available to the PSOW following such breaches, before the Monitoring Officer provided detail of the investigation outcomes as outlined in Appendix 1 of the report.

RESOLVED:

        I.          To note and consider the contents of the summary of investigation outcomes concerning alleged breaches of the Members’ Code of Conduct, originally published by the Public Services Ombudsman for Wales on the ‘our findings’ section of her website and attached as Appendix 1 to the report (for the period 1st August 2023 – 22nd January 2024.

Adolygu Protocol y Cyngor ar Gyswllt rhwng Aelodau a Swyddogion, fel y nodir yn Atodiad 1 yr adroddiad yma, a thrafod a ddylid cyflwyno unrhyw ddiwygiadau i'r protocol hwnnw.

The Monitoring Officer presented his report which sought to review the Council’s Member-Officer Relations Protocol, as annexed at Appendix 1 to the report and consider whether any amendments should be made to that protocol.

Members were reminded that at its November Committee meeting, Members reviewed the existing Member-Officer Relations Protocol and requested the Monitoring Officer to draft a revised protocol with potential amendments for review and consideration. Members were also provided with a suite of examples of other Member-Officer Relations Protocols from other local authorities. 

The Monitoring Officer referred the Committee to Appendix 1A and 1B, which provided a proposed revised Member-Officer Relations Protocol for Members consideration. Members were advised of the intention to present the revised protocol to the Council’s Democratic Services Committee for comment, before it being presented back to Standards Committee to endorse to full Council.

Members commented on the sharing of good practice and that once the protocol was adopted by Full Council, the protocol be shared across the Town and Community Councils.

Committee RESOLVED:

       i.          To review the amended version of the Council’s existing Member - Officer Relations Protocol, attached at Appendix 1 to the report;

      ii.          To provide comments or proposed changes to the amended version of the Council’s existing Member-Officer Relations Protocol; and

    iii.          To refer the revised Member-Officer Relations Protocol to the Council’s Democratic Services Committee for review and comment and agree to receive any feedback from that Committee at the next Standards Committee meeting in April 2024.

Er gwybodaeth.

For information, the Monitoring Officer provided details of the summary of responses to the consultation on the recommendations of the Independent Review of the Ethical Standards Framework (Richard Penn report).

A Member commented on the general resource pressures by different organisations and referenced such pressure in respect of the Ombudsman. The Monitoring Officer referenced the use of the Local Resolution Protocol to reduce the escalation of complaints to the Ombudsman in the first instance and spoke of the importance of the standards committee and its role in helping to reduce the number of complaints taken to the Ombudsman.

It was RESOLVED to note the information contained within.