Wiltshire Council urged to change its staff complaints system

Wiltshire Council has been told it needs a “more appropriate forum” to ensure “early and sensitive resolution of employees/councillor complaints.”  The call came from Caroline Baynes who was the ‘Independent Person’ for the Standards Hearing earlier this month into complaints against the conduct of Councillor Chris Humphries, Conservative councillor for Aldbourne and Ramsbury and Chairman of the Marlborough Area Board.

Caroline Baynes hoped her views would be “noted and taken forward by the Council”.  Her statement came to light when the full minutes of the Standards Hearing Sub-Committee were published on the Council’s website.

However, Caroline Baynes also told the hearing that it was “disappointing that the [Councillor’s] behaviour was not dealt with earlier, particularly as the sub-committee heard Councillor Humphries’ behaviour and general demeanour was well known, but apparently not challenged formally prior to the complainant doing so.”

The complaints were made by Mrs Julia Densham who had, at the time of the incidents, recently started working full-time for the Marlborough Area Board. Caroline Baynes also regretted that Mrs Densham’s line manager “was not able to take the matter forward once it was brought to their attention.”

Councillor Humphries was found to have breached the code of conduct in five of the seven incidents alleged by Mrs Densham.  He refutes all the allegations.

Councillor Humphries was censured by the sub-committee.  They also recommended that Jane Scott, the Council’s Leader, should “request the Marlborough Area Board to consider the appropriateness of Councillor Humphries continuing as chairman of the Area Board in the light of these findings.”

The minutes of the hearing will be presented to the next meeting of the Standards Committee (24 October) and to the full meeting of the Council on 15 November. It is usual for the Standards Committee merely to note reports from its sub-committee.

A Council spokesperson told Marlborough News Online that if there were to be any further sanction taken against Councillor Humphries it was now a party matter – therefore in the hands of the leader of the Conservative group on Wiltshire Council who is also the Council Leader.