How long will it take to deal with a complaint?

6.1. The Monitoring Officer will aim to complete their initial assessment of any complaint within 20 working days, with the copy of the complaint and a summary of the Monitoring Officer's Assessment being sent to the Councillor and to the complainant within 5 working days.

6.2. Where a complaint is to be investigated, the Monitoring Officer will agree a reasonable and realistic target date by which the investigation should aim to be completed with the Audit and Governance (Assessment) Panel. Most investigations will be capable of being carried out, and a report on the investigation completed, within a maximum of six months of the original complaint being referred for an investigation.