Policies & Procedures

Code of Conduct

Expected behaviours

Cowbit Parish Council have adopted this Code setting out the expected behaviours required of its members or co-opted members, acknowledging that they each have a responsibility to represent the community and work constructively with our staff and partner organisations to secure better social, economic and environmental outcomes for all.

 In accordance with the Localism Act provisions, when acting in this capacity all Councillors must be committed to behaving in a manner that is consistent with the following principles to achieve best value for our residents and maintain public confidence in this authority.

SELFLESSNESS: Holders of public office should act solely in terms of the public interest. They should not do so in order to gain financial or other material benefits for themselves, their family, or their friends.

INTEGRITY: Holders of public office should not place themselves under any financial or other obligation to outside individuals or organisations that might seek to influence them in the performance of their official duties.

OBJECTIVITY: In carrying out public business, including making public appointments, awarding contracts, or recommending individuals for rewards and benefits, holders of public office should make choices on merit.

ACCOUNTABILITY: Holders of public office are accountable for their decisions and actions to the public and must submit themselves to whatever scrutiny is appropriate to their office.

OPENNESS: Holders of public office should be as open as possible about all the decisions and actions that they take. They should give reasons for their decisions and restrict information only when the wider public interest clearly demands.

HONESTY: Holders of public office have a duty to declare any private interests relating to their public duties and to take steps to resolve any conflicts arising in a way that protects the public interest.

LEADERSHIP: Holders of public office should promote and support these principles by leadership and example.

1.3  As a Member of Cowbit Parish Council, your conduct will in particular address the statutory principles of the code of conduct by:

i. Championing the needs of residents – the whole community and in a special way your constituents, including those who did not vote for you - and putting their interests first.

ii. Dealing with representations or enquiries from residents, members of our communities and visitors fairly, appropriately and impartially.

iii. Not allowing other pressures, including the financial interests of yourself or others connected to you, to deter you from pursuing constituents' casework, the interests of the Cowbit area or the good governance of the authority in a proper manner.

iv. Exercising independent judgement and not compromising your position by placing yourself under obligations to outside individuals or organisations who might seek to influence the way you perform your duties as a member/co-opted member of this authority.

v. Listening to the interests of all parties, including relevant advice from statutory and other professional officers, taking all relevant information into consideration, remaining objective and making decisions on merit.

vi. Being accountable for your decisions and co-operating when scrutinised internally and externally, including by local residents.

vii. Contributing to making this authority’s decision-making processes as open and transparent as possible to enable residents to understand the reasoning behind those decisions and to be informed when holding you and other members to account but restricting access to information when the wider public interest or the law requires it

viii. Behaving in accordance with all your legal obligations, alongside any requirements contained within this authority’s policies, protocols and procedures, including on the use of the Authority’s resources.

ix. Valuing your colleagues and staff and engaging with them in an appropriate manner and one that underpins the mutual respect between you that is essential to good local government.

x. Always treating people with respect, including the organisations and public you engage with and those you work alongside.

xi. Providing leadership through behaving in accordance with these principles when championing the interests of the community with other organisations as well as within this authority.

2. Declaration of Interests

2.1 The Localism Act 2011 provides for registration and disclosure of interests and in Cowbit Parish Council this will be done as follows:

• On taking up office a member or co-opted member must, within 28 days of becoming such, notify the Monitoring officer of South Holland District Council of any ‘disclosable pecuniary interests’, as prescribed by the Secretary of State.
• On re-election or re-appointments, a member or co-opted member must, within 28 days, notify the Monitoring officer of any ‘disclosable pecuniary interests not already included in his or her register of interests.
• If a member or co-opted member is aware that they have a ‘disclosable pecuniary interest’ in a matter they must not participate in any discussion or vote on the matter at a meeting.
• If a member or co-opted member is aware of a ‘disclosable pecuniary interest’ in a matter under consideration at a meeting but such interest is not already on the Council’s register of interests or in the process of entry onto the register having been notified to the Monitoring officer, the member or co-opted member must disclose the ‘disclosable pecuniary interest’ to the meeting and register it within 28 days of the meeting at which it is first disclosed.

2.2 Disclosable Pecuniary Interests

The duties to register, disclose and not to participate, in respect of any matter in which a member has a disclosable pecuniary interest are set out in Chapter 7 of the Localism Act 2011.Disclosable pecuniary interests are defined in the Relevant Authorities (Disclosable Personal Interests) Regulations 2012 No.1464 as follows:

2.3 Gifts and Hospitality

2.3.1 You must, within 28 days of receipt, notify the monitoring officer of South Holland District Council in writing of any gift, benefit or hospitality with a value in excess of £100 which you have accepted as a member from any person or body other than the authority.

2.3.2 The monitoring officer of South Holland District Council will place your notification on a public register of gifts and hospitality.

2.3.3 This duty to notify the monitoring officer does not apply where the gift, benefit or hospitality comes within any description approved by the authority for this purpose

To be added