The main purpose of the Adjudication and Review Committee is to
oversee the Council's Corporate Complaints procedure and provide
Hearings Panels for those complaints which reach Level 3 (Appeals
to elected Members). The Committee also monitors the activity of
the Council in dealing with investigations brought by the Ombudsman
(usually the Local Government Ombudsman, but also – recently
– the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman).
This Committee also has the responsibility of overseeing the
appointment and development of "Independent Persons"; these are
(usually) local people who volunteer to sit on various appeals
panels, most notably school appeals, but also Adult Social Services
and appeals under the Children Act Rules (both of which are
statutory processes and from which
Councillors are barred).