Patchway Town Council have unanimously agreed to sign the Civility and Respect pledged, which is currently being championed by the Society of Local Council Clerks and the National Association of Local Councils.
Patchway Town Council is Council number 1205 to sign up for this pledge, joining those at the forefront for equal treatment for all.
There is no place for bullying, harassment, and intimidation within the local government sector and signing up to the Civility and Respect Pledge is one of the ways a council can demonstrate that it is committed to standing up to poor behaviour across our sector, and to demonstrating positive changes which support civil and respectful conduct.
By signing the Pledge, the council is agreeing that it will treat councillors, clerks, employees, members of the public, and representatives of partner organisations and volunteers with civility and respect in their roles, and that it:
Has put in place a training programme for councillors and staff
Has signed up to the Code of Conduct for councillors
Has good governance arrangements in place including staff contracts and a dignity at work policy
Will seek professional help at the early stages should civility and respect issues arise
Will commit to calling out bullying and harassment if and when it happens
Will continue to learn from best practices in the sector and aspire to be a role model/champion council through for example the Local Council Award Scheme
Supports the continued lobbying for change in legislation to support the Civility and Respect Pledge including sanctions for elected members where appropriate.
You can find out more information on the pledge at https://www.slcc.co.uk/news-publications/civility-respect-pledge/
