Agenda item - Chair's Communications

32.1      The Chair provided the following communications:

“Today is Helen Aston’s last Audit & Standards Committee meeting. So I would like to take the opportunity to acknowledge that and to thank her for her very considerable contribution to this Committee, and to the Council generally, over the last 4 years of her tenure.

The role of Independent Person is a challenging one, which requires a wide-ranging skillset. The Council’s Independent Person’s need to have a clear understanding of the member complaints regime and to be confident when giving a steer to the Monitoring Officer at key points in the process. That steer needs to be clear and pragmatic: sensitive to the nuances of the context and aware of the challenges cllrs are under while being sure to cut through to the key issues raised by complainants. I am informed that Helen’s contribution in relation to complaints has been consistently reliable and clear and that she has been very helpful in the project of reviewing complaints in a fair and even-handed way.

We are lucky here to consistently attract Independent Person’s who are of a very high calibre, notwithstanding the significant time commitment the role entails. The professional skillset Helen has brought to this role has been equally useful in enabling her to apply an educated perspective to the Council’s approach to discharging the core audit functions of this Committee. She has consistently used the understanding she’s acquired in her professional job to review and gently challenge established approaches in the areas reported to the Committee. Her comments have been consistently well-informed, clear and practical. I’m sure that I speak on behalf of all Groups when I wish her well and thank her for her contribution”.

32.2      Councillors Hugh-Jones, Yates Meadows and Atkinson added their thanks for Helene Aston’s contribution to the council in the role of Independent Person.