Agenda item

The Chief Executive updated members following on from the statement made by the Portfolio Holder for Council & Corporate Co-ordination at the Cabinet meeting of 9 June 2021, in which it was stated that a report would be brought forward to identify proposals to address Member and staff relationships. The report provided more background information together with a number of steps considered appropriate to take to deal with the identified issues. He emphasised that this was an ongoing conversation with a further staff survey being undertaken in the autumn to see if there were any improvements or new issues to address. Whilst there was a good understanding of the issues, progress would require consistent attention from all political parties. In response to a question the Chief Executive said he perceived some improvement but staff morale was fragile and that the issue was how committed councillors were to the code of conduct and sincere in what they said. He confirmed that he welcomed the statement issued by the Democratic Alliance as the current administration.

The Portfolio for Council & Corporate Co-ordination stated all councillors, political groups and each group leader were responsible for the high standards, behaviour and conduct expected and going forward wished for respect and dignity to be restored. He thanked the Chief Executive, Monitoring Officer and Chair of the Council for their input, advice and engagement in this matter as well as their support.

RESOLVED that Cabinet;

1. Invite all group leaders to reflect upon how they and their Members interact with staff and respond positively to the Chief Executive to reassure him that their Members had reiterated that they will treat all staff with respect and apologise for any instances where any of their Members have acted inappropriately towards staff.

2. Note that the Standards Working Group was reviewing the Council’s Members’ Code of Conduct and request that the Group give specific consideration to the content of the report when conducting their review.

3. Ask the Chief Executive / Monitoring Officer to draft a process to enable a group leader (or alternative representative) to be advised of any alleged inappropriate behaviour of any of their group’s Members’ to be incorporated into the Protocol for relationships between Members and Officers.

4. Request that the Standards Working Group also considered reviewing the Protocol for relationships between Members and Officers as part of its work with the intention of reporting revised arrangements to the Standards Committee to recommend to Council to adopt.

5. Agree that the Leader of the Council and / or Monitoring Officer should invite all group leaders to a meeting, together with the Monitoring Officer, to discuss and seek agreement on how all members can engage in more respectful conduct at Council and Council Committee meetings, as well as within their use of the Council’s email and social media.

6. Request that the Monitoring Officer provide and / or procure further training on the Council’s Members’ Code of Conduct and Protocol for relationships between Members and Officers and specifically on how members should engage with staff on matters related to their Ward and/or residents, as well as on how to engage with all staff, taking account of the need to recognise that they were part of the employing authority and working to, and within, the Council Constitution.

7. Ask the Chair of the Personnel Committee to keep staff morale and related staff surveys within that Committee’s ongoing work plan.

REASON:

To seek to address concerns over the relationships between Members and staff.