Keeping Conduct Alive All Year Round
Upholding the Civility & Respect Pledge means embedding respectful behaviour into the council’s routine working practices. Conduct should not be reviewed only when problems arise; it should form part of the annual governance cycle. Councils can sustain a positive culture by regularly revisiting the conduct tools created in Steps 1 and 2. These help highlight what is working well, where behaviour may be slipping, and what training or support might be needed.
Conduct reflections can be built into the Annual Council Meeting, committee reviews, councillor induction, and staff appraisals. Councils should also ensure that the Code of Conduct is reviewed alongside conduct-related policies (Dignity at Work, Social Media Protocol, Complaints Procedure) and remain active and visible. By maintaining regular reflection and accessible expectations, the council keeps the pledge alive throughout the year.
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Leadership & Managing Conflict
Strong conduct culture depends on confident, consistent leadership. The Chair plays a central role in maintaining civility at meetings: opening with a conduct reminder, encouraging balanced participation, enforcing speaking rules, discouraging personal remarks, and intervening early when behaviour deteriorates.
Councils must also manage disagreements constructively. Most conduct issues can be addressed informally when handled early and calmly. Councils should use the Chair–Clerk partnership to address concerns sensitively, use mediation or facilitated discussion where helpful, and escalate only when necessary through the Complaints Procedure or the Monitoring Officer. Handling conflict professionally reinforces the pledge and protects both councillors and staff.
Training underpins this: new and returning councillors should refresh Code of Conduct and roles training periodically, and Chairs should access chairing and meeting-skills training.
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