The Standards and Ethics Committee of Worcestershire Council was scheduled to meet on Wednesday, 21 January 2026, to review arrangements for handling complaints made against councillors and to discuss guidance on social media use and councillor safety. The meeting's agenda focused on proposed changes to the complaints process and the adoption of new protocols.

Review of Arrangements for Dealing with Complaints Against Councillors

The committee was scheduled to consider proposed changes to the arrangements for handling complaints made against councillors under the Members Code of Conduct. The Assistant Director for Legal and Governance, Hazel Best, was set to recommend that these changes be agreed and that the Monitoring Officer, in consultation with the Chair of the Committee, publish the final version on the Council's website by 1 February 2026.

The report outlined several proposed amendments to the existing arrangements. These included:

• Timescales for Complaint Handling: Introducing a timescale of five days for the Monitoring Officer to acknowledge a complaint and a further 28 days to conclude the filtering stage.
• Consultation with Independent Person: The Monitoring Officer would be required to consult an independent person, specifically one of the Independent Persons, at the filtering stage of a complaint.
• Criteria for Formal Investigation: A set of criteria was proposed to determine whether a complaint merits a formal investigation. These criteria, all of which must be met, include:
  • The complaint raising matters that would constitute a breach of the code.
  • The complaint being sufficiently serious to warrant investigation.
  • The complaint not being tit-for-tat or politically motivated.
  • The complaint being about an individual who is still a Member or co-opted member of the Council.
  • The complaint being received within three months of the alleged failure to comply with the Code, with provisions for extended time limits in cases of bullying, harassment, or intimidation, or where exceptional circumstances exist for the delay.
  • The same or a similar complaint not having already been investigated.
  • The complaint not being anonymous, unless it includes sufficient documentary evidence of a significant breach.
  • The Member complained about not having already apologised or admitted an error.
  • If the complaint reveals a criminal offence and a complaint has been made to the police, the police investigation and any proceedings having concluded, or the police confirming no proceedings will be issued.

The report also noted that the Monitoring Officer was updating the council's website to provide more information on complaint handling. Additionally, the committee was to consider whether to recommend any training for all members linked to the themes of complaints.

The report referenced the legal implications under section 27 of the Localism Act 2011, which requires councils to promote and maintain high standards of ethical behaviour, and section 28 of the same Act, which mandates that councils have arrangements in place for investigating allegations of Code of Conduct breaches. There were no direct finance implications arising from the report.

The committee was also scheduled to discuss two additional documents:

• Social Media Guidance for Councillors: This guidance aimed to provide councillors with advice on responsible social media use, outlining Dos and Don'ts and addressing legal considerations such as libel, copyright, data protection, bias, and obscene material. It emphasised that councillors are personally responsible for their online activity and should be mindful of how their posts might be perceived. The guidance also highlighted the importance of adhering to the Members Code of Conduct online, treating others with respect, and avoiding the disclosure of confidential information.
• Councillor Safety Protocol: This protocol was developed to support councillors in protecting themselves while conducting their duties. It provided information on useful contacts, including the Member Safety Champion, the Monitoring Officer, and West Mercia Police. The protocol also detailed the Council's Lone Working Policy, incident reporting procedures, and general personal safety guidance for car safety, dealing with emotional constituents, and councillor surgeries. It also offered advice on handling malicious telephone calls and recommended personal safety apps. The protocol stressed that councillors should be able to undertake their role without harassment, intimidation, or abuse.

The meeting was scheduled to be held in the Committee Room at Wychavon District Council, Civic Centre, Queen Elizabeth Drive, Pershore. WR10 1PT. The attendees included Councillor Sam Evans (Chairman), Councillor Adam Kent (Vice Chairman), Councillor Roger Bennett, Councillor Owen Cleary, Councillor Mark Dunkley, Councillor Matthew Jones, Councillor Natalie McVey (Chair of the Children and Families Overview and Scrutiny Panel), Councillor Nik Price (Cabinet Member with Responsibility for Strategic Delivery, Operations, Governance and Efficiency), Philip Whiteman (Independent Member), and Simon Lewis (Committee Officer). Hazel Best, Assistant Director for Legal and Governance, was also involved.