SUA complaints : councillors & Monitoring Officer

The request was partially successful.

Greetings Slough Unitary Authority,

(1) Please explain the strange discrepancy of complaints about councillors. For example, the council's official report to its Audit & Corporate Governance Committee dated 29 September 2016 states at paragraph 5.2:-

The following table contains a summary of the complaints received from October
2015 (date from when current Monitoring Officer took post) to August 2016. A total
of 44 complaints were received, of which:

Rejected: Not Investigated- 11
Rejected: After Investigation – 13
Referred to Police for Further Investigation – 3
Upheld After Investigation - 4
Withdrawn - 2
Number Carried Forward – 11

However on this web site, What Do They Know dot Com,

Complaints against elected members
https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/c...

An unknown anonymous person published on behalf of the council these statements on 25 July 2016:-

* I can confirm there have been no formal investigation of Cllr complaints since June 2015.

|Year |Complaints received|Referred for |No further action|Breach| | | |investigations | | |

|15/16|0 |0 |0 |0 |
|16/17|0 |0 |0 |0 |

(2) Please reveal, in the interests of public accountability and alleged transparency (meaning no cover-ups) the names, the alleged offences and the results of the police referral mentioned above, which are:-

* Referred to Police for Further Investigation – 3

(3) What is the difference between a "formal investigation" and an "investigation" ?

(4) Since being appointed as deputy Monitoring Officer and Monitoring Officer, please itemised the status of all complaints received by solicitor Linda Walker.

(5) How many complaints have been made against solicitor Linda Walker and what are the status of those complaints (please include the grievances of elected councillors who received defamatory letters from Linda Walker) ?

(6) To whom should the public address their complaints against the current Monitoring Officer solicitor Linda Walker as normally complaints are made to the Monitoring Officer ?

Thank you.

Mr Janik

FOI, Slough Borough Council

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References

Visible links
1. http://www.slough.gov.uk/council/complai...
http://www.slough.gov.uk/council/complai...

_Freedom of Information, Slough Borough Council

This is to acknowledge receipt of your FoI request which is receiving attention

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Mustafa Khan left an annotation ()

This is shocking. If a monitoring officer cannot get facts right about one of the main function of their job, what does that say about the council. A solicitor really should know better and check the information they are sending out. Who manages this person?

Janik2 left an annotation ()

To the best of my current knowledge, I verily believe the for-a-very-long-time temporary Monitoring Officer is officially "managed" by the temporary Chief Executive Mr Roger Parkin. If I am mistaken, please will someone correct me.

Whether the temporary Chief Executive possesses the necessary intellect, skills and time to effectively manage non-junior council staff is debatable.

At present the council's acclaimed Head of Legal remains suspended for reasons unknown. http://sloughtimes.com/ns/ns17/ns17308.php

Slough Council is a confused jumble.

Mustafa Khan left an annotation ()

An interim monitoring officer, Linda Walker being managed by an interim chief executive, Roger Parkin. Two interim statutory officers out of 3 a council must have, is clear sign of poorly managed local council. A Council Leader manages the Chief Executive. I have seen the headlines from last year, it looks like there will be another chief executive payoff because of a poor line management. More public money wasted.

Slough Witch left an annotation ()

I believe the Section 151 officer is Stephen Fitzgerald who is also an interim...

Ms T Murphy left an annotation ()

Unbelievable.

3 out of 3 statutory officers are temps. No wonder the council is in a mess.

On Saturday 6 May 2017 at the annual, and secret, meeting of Labour councillors, there were two contenders for the Leader of the Labour Group - Cllr Sohail Munawar and Cllr James "Lets bulldozer everything down, especially if its been up longer than 5 years" Swindlehurst. Cllr Munawar received 21 of the 33 Labour councillor votes and thus won.

However Cllr Munawar is incapable of ensuring the proper and efficient organisation of the council. Rumours claim the chief exec's job advertisement will not be issued until JUNE despite the vacancy allegedly occurring, according to the useful Slough Times, in November last year.

There is obviously a willing tolerance, by councillors from all parties (Conservatives, UKIP and Labour), to ignored the disorganised criss hampering the council's operations. Last week someone said Nick Hannon has left for Milton Keynes. The council is haemorrhaging irreplaceable talent to the joint detriment of council and public.

Slough Swan left an annotation ()

This whole matter is too strange to be true. All the important posts are held by interims?

Surely someone should be complaining to central government, or at least the officials at DCLG about Slough malfunctioning.

Who actually is to blame for the status quo and why haven't the newspapers - Express and Observer - picked-up on this? Are they still letting the council's advertising revenue replace their journalistic duties and scruples?

Mustafa Khan left an annotation ()

It seems then that Labour Councillors are to blame for this mess as they are responsible and accountable. They have no experience and some find it difficult to speak clearly or make sense when they do. See utube of Leader speak on the new football ground. It is exbarrassing to have a leader who cannot speak with any confidence or make sense when he does.

The section 151 officer is now permanent. A Neil Wilcox, but another officer with no track record for working in a challenging authority. I could find no information on him being a chief financial officer before Slough. Like the interim Monitoring Officer, who also has no history of being an Monitoring Officer anywhere except Slough.

Slough Swan left an annotation ()

Neil Wilcox seems a likeable and friendly person.His heart appears to be in the right place for a better Slough but will he be supported ?

Dear Mrs Ward and various assistants,

I am willing to accept a partial reply as an interim response. It would be most helpful if you will describe the apparent difficulties causing the council to disobey the 2000 c.36 Act.

If you, or unknown others lurking behind the scenery, believe any of my questions are unreasonable kindly tell me. If you, or others, verily believe the requested information should be kept secret then please tell me. If you, or others, simply do not know how to answer those questions, please tell me.

I have always been a very reasonable person despite the massive injustices done to me by some of Slough Unitary Authority staff and councillors. Just because I am against council incompetence and council corruption there is no good reason to give me a bad service or even no service.

Yours sincerely,

Mr Janik.

Slough Witch left an annotation ()

Has SUA acknowledged that their response is late? Or, have they simply ignored their obligation to respond within the statutory time limit?

Slough Witch left an annotation ()

the original requester has been more than adequately patient and the authority has not had the good manners to excuse their tardiness.

The request is now a week overdue. Time to go to the ICO, I suggest: https://ico.org.uk/concerns/

Mustafa Khan left an annotation ()

So the council Monitoring Officer is not following the law! She is a solicitor. There are rules that govern conduct of solicitors some one should complain to the law society.

Ward Jane, Slough Borough Council

Dear Mr Janik

 

I am still awaiting the response to this one.

I will of course continue to chase.

 

Regards, SBC FOI Officer

 

 

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Mustafa Khan left an annotation ()

The requester should complain to the auditor, as there is a governance problem.

Robert Abdesselam left an annotation ()

You jest Mr Khan. The entire authority is riddled with sleazy, incompetence and parasites.

_Freedom of Information, Slough Borough Council

Dear Mr Janik

 

Please see below.

Please accept my apologies for the lateness of this response.

 

Regards, SBC FOI Officer

 

 

 

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Mustafa Khan left an annotation ()

Linda Walker paid over £100k for a few days a week for last year, and she cannot get a report right or is she trying to mislead the public to keep her well paid consultancy job?

Slough Witch left an annotation ()

Probably both...

Mustafa Khan left an annotation ()

I am told that the best place to report a council that does not comply with the law is to the department of communities and local government. The more complaints the more likely the council will be investigated.

Slough Witch left an annotation ()

It is shocking that a serious discrepancy of this sort, involving a former monitoring officer is of so little concern to the authority that they are unable (and it appears unwilling) to account for it.

Slough Frog left an annotation ()

On Slough Times Grapevine Gossip, 2 of the 3 missing councillors complaints were one sending porn from his council Iphone and a councillor on Housing Benefits trying to buy her council home.

Slough Witch left an annotation ()

I think we will have to take care in future.

I wouldn't want my familiars to see such things. I am sure you feel the same way about your tadpoles, Frog. The innocence of childhood could be shattered.