The Standards Committee of Kent County Council met on Tuesday 29 September 2026. The meeting was scheduled to include an update on the standards regime and member complaints, and to discuss recommendations for reducing the number of such complaints.

Standards Regime and Member Complaints Update

The committee was scheduled to receive an update on the formal complaints received under the Kent Code of Member Conduct. The report indicated that between 6 May 2025 and 31 August 2026, a total of 122 member complaints had been received, averaging approximately 8 per month. Of these, 116 (95%) had been closed or resolved informally, with 6 (5%) remaining under review.

The main areas leading to complaints were identified as:

• Comments made by Members on social media.
• Behaviour in, and comments made during, formal council meetings.
• Use of council resources.

The report also highlighted that guidance had been prepared on Social Media and Your Role as Members and Declaring Gifts & Hospitality. Member development sessions had been offered to all Members, covering topics such as the Nolan Principles¹, confidentiality, and the Code of Conduct Complaints process. The recruitment of a second Independent Person was also under review.

The committee was asked to discuss the report and make recommendations on further actions that could be taken to reduce the number of member complaints.