Tonbridge & Malling Borough Council (On-Site)
Casual, Flexible hours
No DBS check required
An allowance of £531 per annum is paid for undertaking these duties
This a role which will be required on occasions, there are no fixed or regular hours for this role
Appointment of Independent Person
Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council has a responsibility to promote and maintain high standards of conduct for elected and co-opted members. This includes dealing with complaints of misconduct made against councillors, both at Borough and Town/ Parish level.
Applications are invited from members of the public interested in becoming an independent person, whose views must be sought by the authority before it takes a decision on an allegation which it has decided shall be investigated, and whose views may be sought by the authority at any other stage. This is one of the key requirements of the ethical standards regime contained within the Localism Act 2011.
The Council already has one appointed independent person. It is intended that we appoint an additional independent person so that we have two independent persons to assist the Council in discharging its statutory obligations under the 2011 Act.
The role will be to become involved in the consideration of any complaints received about the conduct of councillors (both at Parish and Borough level). This may involve advising the Borough Council, or the councillor being complained about. The role will also be involved in the consideration of any proposed disciplinary action to be taken against any of the 3 statutory officers of the Council.
The promotion and maintenance of the highest possible standards of behaviour in the work of the Council is of the greatest importance. Bringing in independent people to be part of our regulatory process helps to build confidence within the community that the Council is doing its best in this area.
No particular professional background is specified, however, we are looking for someone who has an independent and analytical mind, is tactful and has good interpersonal skills, and can make clear and reasoned decisions. It is important that the independent person has the profile and experience that the community would respect as bringing an independent and informed perspective to the conduct and values of Members.
Once appointed, the independent person will be supported by the Council’s Monitoring Officer, who will arrange any necessary training and the provision of all information which may be necessary to enable the independent person to perform their role effectively.
You must be able to demonstrate a high degree of personal integrity and have an appreciation of the ethical standards required of people holding public office. You cannot be:-
- A current or former (within the last 5 years) Member, co-opted Member or Officer of the Borough Council or any Parish/ Town Council in Tonbridge & Malling; or
- A relative or close friend of any of the above
An annual allowance (currently £531) will be paid for the performance of duties under this role. The role will be for a 5-year period commencing from the date of appointment.
The Council may only appoint someone who makes a formal application and the appointment must be approved by a majority of the members of the Council.
For an informal discussion about the role please email adrian.stanfield@tmbc.gov.uk, or telephone Adrian Stanfield, Monitoring Officer on 01732 876346.
Applications should be submitted before 23:55pm on Thursday 31st October 2024. Please submit your application to personnel.services@tmbc.gov.uk
TONBRIDGE AND MALLING BOROUGH COUNCIL
The Borough of Tonbridge and Malling is currently served by 44 Councillors, representing 19 wards.
Local Councillors are elected by the community to decide how the council should carry out its various activities. Councillors are democratically accountable to the residents of their Borough Ward and have an overriding duty to the whole community, including those persons who did not vote for them at election time.
There are 34 Parish Council wards. Each of these has it's own Parish Council which consists of between two and thirteen parish councillors (this depends on the number of voters/electorate in the area).
The Tonbridge and Malling area also contains 2 Town Council wards (East Ward and West Ward of Snodland Town Council). The East Ward consists of 7 Town Councillors and the West Ward consists of 9 Town Councillors.
Standards_Application_Form_2024__002_.pdf
Role_of_the_Independent_Person_2024.pdf