Issue - meetings

(a)       That the proposed changes to the explanatory guidance and forms in the Officers’ Code of Conduct be approved; and

(b)       That the revised Officers’ Code of Conduct be submitted for consultation to the next meeting of the Flintshire Joint Trade Union Committee and the outcome reported back to the Standards Committee.

The Monitoring Officer presented a report on the Officers’ Code of Conduct as part of the rolling review of the Council’s Constitution.  He provided explanation on proposed alterations to give clearer guidance and reflect changes to Council posts and services.

The following additional changes were agreed by the Committee:

·         To change the title to ‘Employees’ Code of Conduct’.

·         To change the word ‘should’ to ‘must’ throughout the document.

·         To re-word paragraph 10.2 to reflect that permission would not be given to undertake paid outside work that overlapped with the employee’s primary role and that further consideration would be needed if this was not the case.

·         Paragraph 10.3 to refer to ‘using’ Council facilities and outgoing as well as incoming correspondence.

·         The second sentence of paragraph 11.14 to refer to seeking advice from ‘their’ Manager.

·         To correct the typographical error in the last bullet-point of section 4 of the Officers’ Declaration of Interest form.

·         To add ‘Department’ to section 1 of the Officers’ Declaration of Offer or Receipt of a Gift/Hospitality and to include ‘delivered to workplace’ in the third section on how it was offered or received.

Following comments by Councillor Johnson, the Monitoring Officer agreed that the Flintshire Joint Trade Union Committee would be consulted on the revised document and the outcome reported back to the Standards Committee.

RESOLVED:

(a)       That the proposed changes to the explanatory guidance and forms in the Officers’ Code of Conduct be approved; and

(b)       That the revised Officers’ Code of Conduct be submitted for consultation to the next meeting of the Flintshire Joint Trade Union Committee and the outcome reported back to the Standards Committee.