Introduction
Hartlepool Borough Council (the ‘Council’) expects high standards of conduct from its Elected Members and Officers which are articulated throughout this document. This Protocol is designed to provide a guide to good working relations between Elected Members and Officers. The Protocol is part of the Council’s Constitution and is to be considered in conjunction with other Codes of Conduct included in Part 5 of the Constitution, particularly the Code of Conduct for Elected Members and Co-opted Members and the Code of Conduct for Employees.
All Councils are required to have an Officer/Elected Member protocol included in the written Constitution. The matters which the protocol must cover are set out in the statutory framework and are therefore not within the discretion of the Council. The relevant matters to be addressed are set out below.
- principles underlying Elected Member/Officer relations
- roles of Elected Members
- roles of Officers
- relationships between Chairs/Elected Members of the Policy and other Committees including Audit and Governance, Licensing and Planning Committees and Officers
- officer relationships with party groups
- elected Members in their ward role and Officers
- council access to documents and information
- other individuals who are members of Council bodies
- media relations and press releases
- correspondence
- internet and Social Networking Use
- breaches and protocol
- concluding comments
The protocol combines relevant topics covered in existing guidance for Elected Members and Officers and statutory advice on the production of new Constitutions. It recognises and is consistent with other procedures/ protocols included elsewhere in the Constitution, particularly the Articles in Part 2 and the Responsibility for Functions in Part 3 which define particular roles for Elected Members and Committees and the Rules of Procedure in Part 4, and provides a written statement of current practice and convention. Given the variety and complexity of Officer/Elected Member relations, it does not seek to be comprehensive, but gives specific advice on issues which may arise and is intended to provide guidance on the approach to dealing with other issues of a similar nature. This protocol also applies where relevant to co-opted members of the Council.