The Standards Committee of Newham Council met on Wednesday 2 September 2026 to discuss the Member Induction and Development Programme, the committee's work programme, and an update on complaints. The meeting also included a review of the council's Code of Conduct and the procedure for handling complaints.

Member Induction and Development Programme Attendance Update

A significant portion of the meeting was dedicated to reviewing the attendance records for the 2026/27 Member Induction and Development Programme. The report detailed attendance figures for various training sessions across different political groups: the Labour Group, the Newham Independents Group, and the Green Group. Overall attendance for the programme was reported at 75%, with a target of 90% for mandatory sessions. The report highlighted varying levels of engagement across the groups, with the Newham Independents Group showing the highest average attendance at 83.3%, followed by the Green Group at 74.0%, and the Labour Group at 67.3%. The committee was asked to consider methods to drive attendance across all groups to meet the 90% target. Recommendations included offering mop-up sessions and one-to-one training, liaising with groups to encourage higher attendance, and potentially inviting senior group leaders to a future meeting to discuss promotion of attendance. The report also noted that for committees requiring mandatory training, non-attendance could prevent councillors from serving on those committees.

Standards Committee Proposed Work Programme

The committee considered a proposed work plan for the 2026/2027 municipal year, which included five scheduled meetings. Key items proposed for inclusion in the work programme were a review of the Complaints Policy, and a stand-alone item on equalities and inclusion. The committee also discussed exploring interrelationships with the Audit and Governance Committee. The report indicated that the Code of Conduct would be replaced by a review of the Complaints Policy on the work programme. Updates on learning that impacted the ethical framework were also suggested, with a potential invitation to the Head of Workforce Equity, Diversity & Inclusion to a future meeting. The consideration of council culture, particularly around the Nolan Principles, was deferred as the council was reviewing its Corporate Plan.

Update on Complaints

An update on complaints was scheduled to be discussed. The report pack indicated that a report on complaints received was usually a standing item, and one was to be presented to this meeting and future meetings. It was noted that Newham received a relatively low number of complaints, but themes of complaints could be examined. The report pack also mentioned that the Monitoring Officer stated it was highly recommended that members of the public completed a complaints form and included any evidence to assist in investigations. The committee could also consider promoting the Code of Conduct and the complaints procedure to make the public more aware.

Code of Conduct and Declarations of Interest

The meeting agenda included a review of the Code of Conduct, which sets out the expected behaviours for councillors and independent members. The report pack referenced the seven Nolan Principles in public life: Selflessness, Integrity, Objectivity, Accountability, Openness, Honesty, and Leadership. The Code of Conduct applies when acting in a councillor's capacity and covers issues such as respect, bullying, harassment, discrimination, and the use of position and resources. The agenda also provided time for declarations of interest, where members were asked to declare any disclosable pecuniary interests or non-pecuniary interests they may have in any matter being considered. Guidance on bias and pre-determination was also provided, emphasizing that decisions must be based on evidence and not pre-determined views, and that a fair-minded observer should not conclude that a decision-maker was biased.

Equalities and Inclusion

A verbal update on equalities and inclusion was scheduled to be given at the meeting.

Minutes of the Last Meeting and Action Log

The committee was asked to confirm the minutes of the last meeting held on 17th June 2026 as a correct record and to note the current Action Log, with actions to be closed at this meeting. The action log indicated that the review of the Complaints Policy and Equalities and Inclusion were to be added as items for discussion at future meetings.

Annual Report

The Standards Committee received a report setting out the revised Annual Report, which provided an overview of the committee's work in the previous municipal year and looked ahead to the new municipal year. The Chair indicated they would deliver the Annual Report to Full Council.