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Code of Conduct for Employees

1. Background

1.1 The first two reports of the Nolan Committee on Standards in Public Life set out a common ethical framework ` in line with current thinking and good practice'. They set out seven principles and recommended `that everybody providing public services should draw up codes of conduct for both managers and staff which incorporate these principles and should reinforce these through training.'

1.2 The seven principles are:

Selflessness: Holders of public office should only take decisions in terms of the public interest. They should not do so to gain financial or other material benefits for themselves, their family or their friends.

Integrity: Holders of public office should not have any financial or other obligation to outside individuals or organisations that might influence them in the performance of their official duties.

Objectivity: When carrying out public business, holders of public office should make choices on merit, including making public appointments, awarding contracts, or recommending individuals for rewards and benefits.

Accountability: Holders of public office are accountable to the public for their decisions and actions and must accept the scrutiny appropriate to their office.

Openness: Holders of public office should be as open as possible about all the decisions and actions they take. They should give reasons for their decisions and only restrict information when the wider public interest clearly demands it.

Honesty: Holders of public office have a duty to declare any private interests relating to their public duties and deal with any conflicts which result in a way that protects the public interest.

Leadership: Holders of public office should promote and support these principles by leadership and example.

1.3 This Code of Conduct has been prepared in response to the committee's recommendation and guidance from the Audit Commission.

2. Introduction

2.1 Canterbury City Council aims to provide excellent local government for the people of the Canterbury District. It has, therefore, agreed this Code of Conduct in order to:

(a) promote the highest standards in public life

(b) promote harmonious working relationships

(c) protect employees from misunderstanding or criticism

    1. Canterbury City Council, like every organisation, has rules. The vast majority of our staff respect them. However, if someone does not, it is best for everybody if it is discovered and corrected.

2.3 This code tells you the minimum standards expected. It is not a complete list of what you can and cannot do, but is to help you understand the ground rules.

2.4 Any examples used are for guidance. You must work out for yourself what impact your actions may have on your job. You need to think if you would feel comfortable in defending your actions if they became public knowledge.

    1. We expect high standards from our employees because:

(a) council services can affect the health, wealth and well being of local people

(b) we are accountable to the electorate

(c) local people fund our spending and take an interest in the way their money is spent

(d) we sometimes have a monopoly on the service we offer

2.6 All staff must follow this code.

3. Applying for a Job with the Council

3.1 We have a fair and open approach to staff recruitment. We make appointments without bias, on the basis of the candidate's ability and suitability for the job. Candidates must tell us about anything that might make the public suspicious as to why they want the job.

3.2 Please:

(a) be open and honest on any job application form and at any job interview:

(b) tell us about any criminal offence you have been convicted of **

(c) tell us about any formal criminal charges made against you

(d) tell us if you are a friend or relative or have other links with a councillor or an employee who may have influence on whether or not you get the job.

(e) don't ask any councillor or member of staff to influence the selection procedure in your favour

**unless it is 'spent' under the terms of the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1978.

More information about this is on the Council's application forms.

4. Working with the Public and with Other Staff

4.1 Our employees are responsible to elected councillors who represent the local community. As we want continuous improvement in our responsiveness to the people of the district we expect you to be courteous, efficient, helpful and impartial. We also expect you to be as open as possible about what you do and why, in line with your legal obligations under the Freedom of Information Act. You should not share confidential or sensitive information but your line manager, or in the case of Freedom of Information requests, the FOI officer/Legal Services, will make the final decision.

4.2 Please:

(a) meet agreed standards of service when dealing with people in person, by phone, by letter and in their own homes

(b) be clean, neat and appropriately dressed (in council work clothes, if issued)

(c) identify yourself when dealing with the public, unless your line manager has agreed that the sort of work you are doing makes this unwise

(d) don't do anything in the public areas of our offices that could cause offence or adversely affect people's perception of the council

(e) comply with the smoking policy

(f) disclose any matter it is your duty to report to your manager or another senior officer if you think anyone's actions are causing danger or offence.

  1. do not discriminate against or harass the people you meet in the course

of your work

  1. implement council policy impartially

(i) respect confidential information about members of the public, councillors and staff

(j) respect other people, their rights and property

  1. Working with Your Managers

You are expected to show loyalty to the council and support its managers. Mutual confidence, trust and respect between managers and staff is critical to achieving work targets and providing a high quality service.

5.1 Please:

(a) work hard and be reliable

(b) carry out any proper instruction your managers give you, including general instructions like customer care codes, Standing Orders, Financial Regulations, Contracts Code of Practice, legal requirements, safety or other codes of conduct and rules that apply in your work place

(c) complete documents, forms and records accurately and honestly. Never destroy, damage, alter or lie in documents or records.

6. Working with Your Staff

6.1 Employees make the difference between success and failure for the council. We expect managers to give staff clear direction, positive motivation and the opportunity to develop their skills.

6.2 Please:

(a) be fair and consistent with employees, and apply the council's personnel policies and procedures equally to all

(b) set standards of work, give feedback and advice to employees on how they can improve

(c) help employees to carry out their work properly, including help in dealing with customers or other employees

(d) train and develop employees to meet the current and future needs of the service (within budgetary limits)

7. Working Safely

    1. We promote good health, welfare and safe working among our employees.

You must take reasonable care for your own health and safety and for the safety of others who may be affected by what you do or do not do. If you don't the public or other employees may be put in danger.

7.2 Please:

(a) follow safety codes

(b) comply with hygiene requirements

(c) wear any safety clothing supplied to you

(d) report any accidents or near misses you have at work

(e) attend any medical examination the council asks you to

(f) never risk injury or danger to yourself or others

(g) never do anything that affects your performance or judgement at work including:

* taking illegal drugs

* drinking, where it may affect your safety or anyone else's

* drinking enough to affect your performance at work

* drinking enough to affect the public's perception of you or the council

8. Working Hours and Attendance

8.1 Poor attendance and bad timekeeping increase costs, reduce service levels and undermine your reputation and the council's.

8.2 Please:

(a) comply with the flexi scheme rules

(b) tell your supervisor if you are not going to be at work; for example because you are going to the doctor's.

(c) agree all leave with your manager before you take any time off

(d) never claim sick leave when you are not sick

(e) report sickness absence using the correct procedure

(f) don't do anything when you are off sick that might delay your recovery or make the problem worse

9. Working Honestly

    1. Employees must use public funds responsibly and legally. It is a criminal offence if you give or receive any gift, benefit, reward or advantage for work you do as part of your job. If you are accused of doing so you will have to prove that any such rewards have not made any difference to your decisions or actions. This may also include any indirect benefit such as gaining more favourable terms than would be offered to you as a private individual for private work or purchases because of your dealings with contractors or suppliers in your official capacity.

9.2 Please:

    1. do not act dishonestly or immorally or do anything that might make it look as if you have. For example: -

(b) comply with Financial Regulations and Standing Orders

(c) avoid fraud and report any evidence of it you find

Fraud happens when someone gets some benefit (usually money or property) through deception. For example an employee commits fraud if they lie on documents to claim pay, bonus or sick pay they are not entitled to

(d) respect council property and equipment. Take care not to waste, lose or damage it

(e) never steal council property or use it for personal tasks

(f) use the coin-operated phones provided for personal calls that cannot be made away from work

  1. Get agreement from your manager and pay for any phone calls, faxes or photocopying that cannot be done away from work.

  1. Inform your line manager if you intend using a contractor or supplier in a private capacity with whom you have a business relationship in your official capacity. Business relationship includes requisitioning of goods, materials or work, approval and certification of related payments, or certification of grant or similar payments or approvals for which you are directly responsible.

This is to protect yourself from unfounded allegations that you may have misused your position as a council employee to gain some personal advantage.

10. Accepting Hospitality, Gifts and Tips

10.1 We expect staff to be open and responsible in dealing with hospitality and gifts. Your conduct, and what the public believes about your conduct, will affect your reputation and the council's.

10.2 Do not accept offers of hospitality unless they are clearly to help get the job done, for example working lunches where discussions continue from a morning meeting into the afternoon.

10.3 Please:

  1. do not do anything if people might believe it could influence your work and decisions you make at work. For example

(b) register any gifts or hospitality you are offered (even if you refuse them) with your Head of Service

(c) ask your divisional or section head for permission to accept lunch or any other hospitality

  1. where lunch or hospitality is approved, don't accept expensive or extravagant options

11. Working with Integrity

    1. We expect staff to do whatever is needed to protect or build on their own reputation, public opinion and respect for the council. There should be no reason to suspect any employee of private gain. The relationships we have with partners, contractors, consultants, community groups, suppliers and others depends on there being no suspicion of corruption, or dishonesty with public money.

11.2 Please:

(a) do whatever is necessary to protect your reputation and the council's

(b) do nothing away from work that might damage public confidence in the council, or make you unsuitable for the work you do

(c) be fair and impartial with all customers, competitors, suppliers, contractors and sub-contractors

(d) do not give out confidential information useful to any of the council's competitors unless required to by law

(e) tell your director if anyone you have had dealings with in the course of your work leaves you anything in their will

(f) get written permission before you carry out any private work, even if it is unpaid. For example.

(g) get permission to use council equipment on council business at home

    1. You must tell your line manager about any non - financial interests you think might conflict with the council's interests.

    1. You must tell the Head of Personnel if you belong to any organisation that requires formal membership and a commitment of allegiance and which has secrecy about rules, membership or conduct.

    1. Employees should be aware of the risks in placing work with suppliers or contractors with whom they have a close personal relationship as family or friends as this may expose them to allegations of abusing their position. Where it is necessary to do so, this should only be undertaken for sound business reasons in competition with others. They must also inform their line manager and the procurement unit so that advice can be given on how best to proceed.

12. Reporting Improper Conduct

12.1 We have very high standards of openness and accountability and expect you to tell an appropriate manager about any reasonable suspicion of improper conduct, fraud or corruption you have.

12.2 We will protect anyone who reports others' misconduct or dishonesty. As far as possible, we offer:

12.3 You can raise any misconduct with your line manager or, if necessary, your director.

12.4 If you don't feel able to approach your line manager or director you can speak directly and in confidence to the Deputy Monitoring Officer, the Audit and Exchequer Manager or the Chief Executive.

12.5 The Chief Executive will take appropriate action if you make a frivolous or malicious allegation.

13. Working With Sensitive Information

13.1 We have to make some information available to members, auditors, government departments, service users and the public. We expect staff to use sensitive information properly and to respect confidentiality. Information gathered while working for the council must not be used for commercial or personal gain or misused in any other way.

13.2 Please:

(a) know what information we treat as confidential

(b) know who is entitled to have access to certain information

(c) never discuss or misuse confidential information

(d) be responsible and professional in using and allowing access to personal information on clients, councillors, staff and others

  1. use personal information held on computer as the Data Protection Act requires. Such information must be:

Please note: you must treat manual information the same way as information held on computer.

13.3 Officers are, by virtue of the nature of their duties and the responsibilities arising from them under a special obligation to further the interests of the Council. Ownership of any copyright, design right, database or invention made by an employee during the course of his/her normal duties or in the course of duties falling outside his/her normal duties but specifically assigned to him/her will be with the Council.

13.4 If you deal with consultants and contractors you should, where appropriate, make sure the council gets ownership of any database or intellectual property rights produced specifically in connection with the work done for us.

14. Working Within The Law

    1. We must carry out our business rationally, properly and fairly. We can't do anything without statutory authority and must follow the relevant procedures.

14.2 We expect staff to work within the law. Unlawful or criminal behaviour at (or even away from) work may mean we lose trust and confidence in you or public loss of trust and confidence in the council.

14.3 Please:

(a) carry out your job without breaking any laws

  1. understand any laws which applies to the work you do

(c) do not break or ignore a law when you are not at work which could damage public confidence in you or the council, or which makes you unsuitable for the work you do

15. Working with councillors

15.1 Our employees serve the authority as a whole. They serve all councillors and not just those of any controlling group.

15.2 We expect you to contribute to proper and effective working relationships with councillors. You must respect councillors' rights and maintain political neutrality. Over-friendly and informal behaviour between individual councillors and employees can damage this relationship and suggest improper conduct.

    1. Please:

(a) read the parts of the National Code of Local Government Conduct, which applies to councillors, which relate to:

(b) serve all councillors, not just those of the largest group

(c) do not allow personal or political opinions to interfere with your work and do or say nothing that makes it look as if you are not politically neutral

(d) do nothing that might embarrass others or damage your relationship with councillors

(e) deal with councillors' enquiries efficiently

(f) avoid being over-friendly or informal with councillors

(g) tell your director about any family, business or personal relationships with councillors if this might put you in a position to influence council business

(h) tell your director if a councillor asks or pressures you to deal with anything that is not covered by council procedure or policy

(i) do not try to influence councillors about who are appointed to any job

(j) do not raise any work problems or personal problems directly with councillors

(k) do not report any claims or allegations about other staff to an appropriate directly to councillors

(l) respect any confidential information a councillor tells you

16. Contact with the media

16.1 We expect staff to promote the council's policies and reputation. Each department will set guidelines to identify which staff are authorised to talk to the media. If you are not authorised you must refer any enquiries to your director, line manager or the Press Office.

16.2 Please:

(a) know what your departmental guidelines for dealing with the media are and refer enquiries to an appropriate person

(b) get permission from your director to speak, write or give interviews to the media about:

(c) never publicise material which is confidential or could damage the council's (or its employees') interests or reputation

  1. Use of ICT Network and Data

17.1 Given the risks associated with the use of ICT resources and the internet, staff should ensure that they are familiar with the council's ICT acceptable use policy and comply with its requirements.

  1. Working within this code

18.1 We will apply this code of conduct consistently and fairly. It is a public document and is distributed to all staff. We may take disciplinary action if you do anything this code tells you not to do, or do not do anything it tells you to do. If your action or inaction is serious enough to be classed as gross misconduct we would be justified in dismissing you for a first offence, and without notice.

18.2 Examples of Gross Misconduct are in your Contract of Employment