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
16 Particular care must be exercised in dealing with the media. Officers, including political assistants, must not criticise the policies of the County Council, any other Council body or a Member of the Council in the media in their capacity as employees of the Authority. Political assistants may prepare press releases on behalf of their groups that are critical of the County Council or any Council body or Member. All political group press releases must be issued in the name of the political group that produces the press release and include the name of the relevant County Councillor. The name and contact details of the political assistant may be included but only in order to obtain further information and it must be clear that the political assistant is not the author of the press release. If a press release is prepared by a political assistant, that Officer must ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, that the information it contains is factually correct.