Agenda item

(Finance, Performance Management and Corporate Support Services Portfolio Holder) To consider the attached report (C/002/2007-08).

(1)        That the nature and scope of disciplinary activity during 2006/07 be noted;

(2)        That the information relating to staff conduct drawn from the Complaints Procedure during 2006/07 be noted;

(3)        That the information generated by the Code of Conduct notification process be noted;

(4)        That the new arrangements for continuing criminal background checks of designated staff be noted;

(5)        That the signing of declarations relating to the newly agreed telephone, internet and email policies by staff be noted; and

(6)        That, in order to raise awareness, incidents of staff fraud and corruption resulting in dismissal on grounds of gross misconduct be publicised to staff in an anonymised format, unless:

(a)        there are clear reasons of sensitivity for not publicising the case; or

(b)        the Staff Appeals Panel resolve that the case should not be publicised.

The Portfolio Holder for Finance, Performance Management and Corporate Support Services presented a monitoring report regarding the Personal Conduct of Staff. The report provided the Cabinet with an overview of data related to staff conduct for the period 2006/07 so that an overall analysis of staff conduct could take place. It was also a requirement of the Key Line of Enquiry (KLOE) 4.3 of the Use of Resources assessment that the Council had in place processes for assessing officer standards of conduct. The report was to be produced annually for the Cabinet to monitor staff conduct.

There had been six cases proceeded with under the disciplinary procedure during 2006/07, four of these had involved bringing the Council’s name into disrepute and two were concerning poor performance. Five cases had led to dismissal and two cases had come about as a result of “whistle blowing” by staff or other parties. In respect of formal complaints to the Council, none at stage 2 had required the application of the disciplinary procedure as a result of an investigation under the complaints procedure. Of the complaints dealt with at stage 3, none had raised personal conduct issues to the level where action under the disciplinary procedure was required. In all cases, issues of staff conduct had been dealt with informally by means of the managerial process.

At its meeting on 4 September 2006 the Cabinet had agreed a new Code of Conduct for all Council staff, which had expanded upon matters such as secondary employment, declaration of gifts and hospitality and interests. All staff were required to sign a declaration that they had received the code; staff in politically restricted posts were required to complete a declaration of interests, whilst all newly appointed staff were required to complete a declaration form as a condition of their contract of employment. It had also been agreed that staff in posts with substantial unsupervised access to children or vulnerable adults were to be subject to three yearly disclosures from the Criminal Records Bureau. Existing staff were invited to participate voluntarily whilst new staff also had this incorporated in their contract of employment.

The Cabinet had also agreed new policies on the use of the Internet, Email and Telephones for staff. These had set out standards of conduct, which staff had to follow, and all employees were required to sign a statement to this effect. The Cabinet considered publicising instances of staff fraud/corruption on an anonymised basis to all staff, in order to raise awareness. It was felt this should be the case unless there were clear reasons of sensitivity for not doing so, or the Staff Appeals Panel had resolved that the case should not be publicised.

            Decisions:

(1)    That the nature and scope of disciplinary activity during 2006/07 be noted;

(2)            That the information relating to staff conduct drawn from the Complaints Procedure during 2006/07 be noted;

(3)            That the information generated by the Code of Conduct notification process be noted;

(4)            That the new arrangements for continuing criminal background checks of designated staff be noted;

(5)            That the signing of declarations relating to the newly agreed telephone, internet and email policies by staff be noted; and

(6)            That, in order to raise awareness, incidents of staff fraud and corruption resulting in dismissal on grounds of gross misconduct be publicised to staff in an anonymised format, unless:

(a)            there are clear reasons of sensitivity for not publicising the case; or

(b)            the Staff Appeals Panel resolve that the case should not be publicised.

Reasons for Decision:

The publication of cases of staff fraud or corruption to the workforce could be an additional action in the Council’s aim of ensuring that staff meet the highest standards of conduct as public servants.

Other Options Considered and Rejected:

To not publicise cases of staff fraud or corruption to the workforce.