Standards Complaints - Guidance Notes

Please read these Guidance Notes before completing the Complaint Form.

Confidentiality

We believe that councillors who are complained about have a right to know who has made the complaint. We also believe they have a right to be provided with details of the complaint. We are unlikely to withhold your identity or the details of your complaint save in exceptional circumstances.

To help us to fully consider your request for confidentiality please explain on the form why you think your details should be kept confidential.

Requests for confidentiality will not automatically be granted. The Monitoring Officer will consider the request alongside the substance of your complaint. We will then contact you with the decision. If your request for confidentiality is not granted, we will usually allow you the option of withdrawing your complaint.

However, it is important to understand that in certain exceptional circumstances where the matter complained about is very serious, we can proceed with an investigation or other action and disclose your name even if you have expressly asked us not to.