The Governance, Ethics and Standards Committee of Derbyshire County Council met on Thursday 17 September 2026 to review customer feedback and complaints, discuss changes to the council's constitution regarding planning decisions, and consider annual reports on whistleblowing, councillor conduct, meeting attendance, and gifts and hospitality.

Combined Report 2025/26: Customer Feedback, Compliments and Complaints Annual Review Letter of the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman

The committee was scheduled to review a combined report summarising customer feedback, compliments, and complaints for the 2025/26 period. This report included the annual review letter from the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman (LGSCO) for the year ending 31 March 2026. The report detailed complaint and compliment volumes, response times, and key themes across various council services, including Adult Social Care & Health, Children's Services, and Place. It also outlined the number of complaints and enquiries made to the LGSCO regarding Derbyshire County Council, the outcomes of investigations, and the financial remuneration provided in response to upheld complaints. The report highlighted that the LGSCO received 203 complaints and enquiries about Derbyshire County Council in 2025/26, with 52 of these being upheld. A significant portion of these upheld complaints related to Children's Services, particularly concerning delays in assessments and decision-making for Education, Health and Care (EHC) Plans.

Changes to Constitution to Comply with National Scheme of Delegation of Planning Decisions

A significant item on the agenda was the proposed changes to the County Council's Constitution to comply with the Town and Country Planning (Discharge of Local Planning Authority Functions) (England) Regulations 2026, which were due to come into force on 31 October 2026. These regulations introduce a national scheme of delegation that restricts the types of planning applications that can be determined by a committee, requiring many to be decided by officers. The report outlined the three categories of planning applications established by the regulations: Schedule 1 Applications (must be determined by officers), Schedule 2 Applications (presumption of officer determination, requiring agreement from a nominated officer and member for committee referral based on specific gateway criteria), and Own-Interest Applications (applications made by or on behalf of the Council, a member, or an officer, which may be referred to committee by agreement). The proposed constitutional amendments aimed to ensure the council's arrangements for nominating officers and members, and for the determination of these application types, would be legally compliant. The report also noted that the Council had previously expressed opposition to the loss of democratic oversight due to planning reforms and that the proposed changes sought to maintain meaningful member involvement and transparency within the new legislative framework.

Annual Whistleblowing Report 2025/26

The committee was scheduled to receive an overview of whistleblowing concerns reported to the Monitoring Officer between 1 April 2025 and 31 March 2026. The report detailed that 68 referrals were received, with 9 falling within the Council's Whistleblowing Policy and 59 falling outside. Of the concerns within the policy, the majority related to fraud and financial wrongdoing. The report indicated that the Council had strengthened its whistleblowing arrangements during the year, including the operation of a dedicated reporting process and centralised recording. The Monitoring Officer expressed satisfaction that concerns raised were appropriately considered and acted upon, and that the policy remained effective. A minor amendment to the Whistleblowing Policy was also noted, to explicitly include sexual harassment as a disclosure qualifying for protection under the Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998, following a legislative change.

Complaints Received Against Councillors Pursuant to the Code of Conduct for Elected Members

This report was scheduled to inform the committee of Code of Conduct complaints against councillors received between 13 February 2026 and 31 August 2026. The report provided historical data on the number of complaints received since 2021, showing an increase in the current reporting period. For the period in question, 13 complaints were received, with details provided in an appendix. The report outlined the outcomes of these complaints, including rejections, withdrawals, informal resolutions, and those still in progress. The procedure for handling such complaints, including the role of the Monitoring Officer and the Independent Person, was referenced.

Councillor Attendance at Meetings 2025-26

The committee was set to consider statistics on councillor attendance at meetings during the 2025-26 period. The report indicated that out of 1025 expected attendances, councillors attended 872 times, resulting in an average attendance of 85%. Individual attendance ranged from 38% to 100%. The report noted that no members had failed to attend meetings for six consecutive months, which would lead to disqualification under the Local Government Act 1972, and that no meetings had been cancelled due to a lack of quorum. The committee was asked to consider whether there was any further information that could assist in monitoring attendance and to confirm satisfaction that there was no cause for concern regarding member development or the effectiveness of the political structure.

Register of Gifts and Hospitality 1 April 2025 – 31 March 2026

This report provided information on gifts and hospitality offered and recorded by employees and elected members during the 2025-26 financial year. For employees, 415 offers were reported with an estimated value of £7,066.33, comprising 359 gifts and 56 instances of hospitality. For elected members, 16 offers (7 gifts and 9 hospitality) were reported, with an estimated value of £502. The report detailed departmental breakdowns of these offers and highlighted areas for improvement, including the need for separate reporting of multiple gifts from different individuals, clearer identification of donors, and adherence to policies regarding monetary gifts and gift vouchers. Process improvements to the reporting system, including a move to a new Granicus form, were also detailed, aiming to enhance clarity, robustness, and data quality.