APPROVED Minutes of Appeals Committee 04 12 25
West Dunbartonshire Council · 4 December 2025
Back to Appeals Committee — 4 December 2025 and its agenda
Text extracted from the council's PDF. Layout and reading order may differ from the original.
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APPEALS COMMITTEE At a meeting of the Special Appeals Committee held in Brock Meeting Room, first floor Council Offices, 16 Church Street, Dumbarton G82 1QL on Thursday, 4 December 2025 at 9.30 a.m. Present: Councillors Ian Dickson, Fiona Hennebry (Chair), and Clare Steel. Attending: Victoria Rogers, Chief Officer – People and Technology; Michael McDougall, Manager of Legal Services; and Nicola Moorcroft, Committee Officer. Apologies: Councillor Hazel Sorrell. Councillor Fiona Hennebry in the Chair DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST It was noted that there were no declarations of interest. EXCLUSION OF PRESS AND PUBLIC The Committee agreed to approve the following resolution:- “That under Section 50A(4) of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973, the press and public be excluded from the meeting for the following item of business on the grounds that it may involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Paragraph 1 of Part I of Schedule 7A to the Act”. PROCEDURE The Committee agreed to note the Appeals Committee Hearings - Dismissal Appeals Process would be followed at this Hearing of Appeal. APPEAL AGAINST DISMISSAL (REF: APP/25/07) There were background papers relating to an appeal that had been submitted to the Council in relation to a dismissal. The Appellant was present and represented by a Trade Union Representative, Ms Gillian Bannatyne (UNISON).
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Ms Alison Bowers, Senior Education Officer, was in attendance to present the case on behalf of Management. Ms Leeanne Galasso, People and Change Partner, was in attendance as a Human Resources Adviser to Ms Bowers. Ms Bowers presented the case for Management and thereafter answered questions from Ms Bannatyne, the Appellant and Members of the Committee. Ms Bannatyne then presented the case for the Appellant. Ms Bannatyne and the Appellant then answered questions from Ms Bowers and Members of the Committee. ADJOURNMENT The Chair adjourned the meeting for a short recess. The meeting reconvened at 10.31 a.m. with all those listed above present. Ms Bowers and then Ms Bannatyne summed up their respective cases and thereafter both parties withdrew from the meeting. After the Committee had deliberated the matter in private, both parties were re- admitted to the meeting. The Committee agreed that, notwithstanding that the grounds of the appeal had not been substantiated, given a procedural irregularity, the appeal against dismissal is upheld. The Appellant to be reinstated with no break in service, on a third Advisory Note running from 23 June 2025 until 23 June 2026 and any back pay will be processed as soon as possible. The Manager of Legal Services advised that the decision would be issued in writing. The meeting closed at 12.58 p.m.