Part 5 - Appendix 2 - Protocol on the relationship between Officers and Members of Gloucestershire County Council
Appendix 2 - protocol on the relationship between Officers and Members of Gloucestershire County Council of the Code of Conduct for Employees.
- Introduction
- The role of elected Members - The role of County Councillors as Members of full Council and Council bodies
- The standing of County Councillors as individual Members of the Council
- Other roles of County Councillors
- The role of Officers - The role of Officers in the course of their employment
- Contact between Officers and Members other than in the course of Officers’ employment
- Sources of difficulty
- Political neutrality - Supporting the work of the Council
- Lobbying Members
- Giving advice and providing information
- Confidentiality
- Dealing with the Press
- Member pressure on Officers
- Blurring of Officers and Members public and private roles
- The role of Group Leaders and senior Officers
- Conclusion
- Some Officers have specialist professional, technical or other qualifications or skills. Their contract of employment, however, usually forbids any other paid employment save that carried out for and on behalf of the Authority. Moreover, if Officers are to be and appear to behave politically neutral, they should avoid doing anything that might appear to indicate too close a relationship with the Member of any political group. A Member should not, therefore, ask or encourage an Officer and an Officer should not offer or agree to provide any service to that Member, whether or not for reward, for any purpose that is unconnected with the business of the Council.
- The need to maintain Officers’ political neutrality means that it will normally be inappropriate for them to maintain close social or private business relationships with a Member.
- Members whose business interests bring them into contact with Officers in the latter’s capacity as employees of the County Council must take care to ensure that they comply with the Council’s Code of Conduct for Members and the law. For their part, Officers must ensure they comply with the Council’s Contract Procedure Rules.
- More generally, Officers and Members must not use any relationship they have formed with each other by virtue of their office to secure any kind of personal advantage. They must also take care not to give the impression or appearance that their formal relationship is or might be used for personal gain.
Page updated:
12/10/2020