Engaging members and leaders

Here are some examples of how local authority staff and standards committee members have proactively engaged members and leaders in championing high ethical standards.

Notable practice from the 2009 annual returns

Helping members to follow the Code of Conduct

The City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council circulate guidance notes to groups and parish councils. Contact details for the Monitoring Officer have been provided to the parish councils through the Parish Council liaison committee.

Leicester City Council recently produced a guide to declaring interests at ward community meetings that is being used by members.

Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council periodically print messages from the standards committee on the reverse side of members' Declaration of Interest forms.

Authorities whose monitoring officer and standards committee work closely with leaders

The Chief Executive Officer, Chair of the standards committee, and Monitoring Officer at Guildford Borough Council have a pre-meeting to discuss the agenda items before each standards committee meeting.

A similar activity takes place at Shropshire and Wrekin Fire Authority, where the Chair of the standards committee and the Chief Fire Officer, or his Deputy, meet before each standards committee meeting.

At the London Borough of Bexley, the Chief Executive Officer attends a standards committee meeting once a year to discuss ethical issues. They also welcome invitations to meet with the Chair of the standards committee if or when specific ethical issues are identified.

Examples from the 2010 LGC standards and ethics award shortlist

The London Borough of Bromley’s standards committee has developed stronger links with the rest of the council. They have done this by meeting regularly with leaders of the council’s political groups, key decisions makers and services to provide impartial advice on ethical governance issues and to explore their application across different services.

The chair and vice chair of West Somerset Council’s standards committee meet regularly with the monitoring officer, executive director and leader of the council. This has helped the committee to build a strong working relationship with the leadership of the council. This relationship has enabled them to deliver a number of projects, such as: assisting the scrutiny committee; enhancing the process for dealing with complaints referred to the Local Government Ombudsman; and advising and enhancing the induction process for councillors.

Leeds City Council’s standards committee produce an annual report that is reported to full council and published on the council website. They also meet quarterly with council leadership. Leaders of all political groups are represented on the committee and the council’s executive member for central and corporate functions has ethical governance as part of his portfolio. The committee has also developed a new member handbook which gives members helpful information about standards and ethics, including guidance on declaring and registering interests.

South Cambridgeshire District Council’s standards committee has made good progress in engaging elected members. The council has responded positively to the committee’s work, changing the constitution to give the independent chair speaking rights on relevant issues and receiving the Annual Report at full council. There has been a notable increase in members seeking advice from the monitoring officer in advance of council meetings and it is clear that Code issues are more firmly embedded as part of the decision-making process.

Kent County Council’s standards committee works closely with the Independent Remuneration Panel, senior members and officers to identify ways of improving ethical conduct across the organisation.

Examples from the 2009 Standards and Ethics Award shortlist

• Rossendale Borough Council has an engaged chief executive and council leader who champion standards at the authority. They have also worked closely with the Audit Commission to develop an experience based learning approach to ethical conduct.
• Newark and Sherwood District Council has a very proactive monitoring officer, Kirsty Cole, who regularly speaks at different events and has a national profile in the standards committee. This has enabled Kirsty to share her experience and knowledge at events both locally, regionally and nationally, in training IDeA peers on Code of Conduct and ethical governance issues and undertaking work as an IDeA peer undertaking ethical governance reviews.
• Rossendale Borough Council’s standards committee monitor current policies and proactively seek to influence and develop new policies, which helps to embed high ethical standards and good governance.
• Leeds City Council’s standards committee produce an annual report that is reported to the full council. The standards committee also has a forward work plan, which is kept under review by officers with reference to national developments.
• Rossendale Borough Council has appointed lead officers to act as ‘Governance Champions’ to promote high standards and advise on issues such as contract procedures, their gifts and hospitality policy and whistle-blowing.