Local council groups launch “Civility and Respect Pledge” amid bullying and harassment concerns

They have also launched a new Dignity at Work policy.

On the pledge, the three organisations said they “believe it's time to put civility and respect at the top of the agenda and start a culture change for the local council sector. The pledge is easy for local (parish and town) councils to sign up for and will enable councils to demonstrate that they are committed to standing up to poor behaviour across the sector and driving through positive changes that support civil and respectful conduct.”

By signing the pledge, the relevant council “agrees that the council will treat councillors, clerks, employees, members of the public, and representatives of partner organisations and volunteers with civility and respect in their roles and that it:

• Has put in place a training programme for councillors and staff
• Has signed up to the Code of Conduct for councillors
• Has good governance arrangements in place, including staff contracts and a dignity at work policy
• Will seek professional help at the early stages should civility and respect issues arise.
• Will commit to calling out bullying and harassment if and when it happens
• Will continue to learn from best practices in the sector and aspire to be a role model/champion council through, for example, the local Local Council Award Scheme
• Supports the continued lobbying for change in legislation to support the Civility and Respect Pledge, including sanctions for elected members where appropriate”

NALC, SLCC and OVW said: “Throughout the sector, there are growing concerns about the impact of bullying, harassment, and intimidation on local councils, councillors, clerks and council staff and the effectiveness of local councils."

NALC, SLCC, OVW and county associations added that they had responded by setting up a Civility and Respect Working Group to oversee the Civility and Respect Project.”

Click here for how to take the pledge.

The new Dignity at Work policy will replace any previous bullying and harassment policy. “It encompasses behaviours beyond bullying and harassment and zero-tolerance to deal with concerns before they escalate,” NALC, SLCC and OW said.

The Dignity at Work Policy is the first of a series of new or revised governance documents. A focus group has reviewed the documents made up of clerks, councillors, monitoring officers, and county associations.

Find out more about the policy