The Standards and Ethics Committee was scheduled to consider a report detailing member complaints received between May 2025 and April 2026, and to discuss proposals for a comprehensive standards and ethics training programme for all elected members. The training programme was intended to focus on the Council's Code of Conduct and the appropriate use of social media and digital communications.

Member Complaints

The Committee was scheduled to review a breakdown of complaints made about the conduct of Members during the period of 1 May 2025 to 30 April 2026. The report indicated that a total of 64 complaints were received. Of these, eleven complaints concerned District Councillors, but these were outside the jurisdiction of the County Council's Monitoring Officer and were referred to the relevant District Council Monitoring Officers.

A significant number of complaints, twenty-two in total, related to social media activity. One complaint involved an individual who was not a serving Councillor at the time of the post and therefore fell outside the scope of the Code of Conduct. Of the remaining twenty-one social media complaints, nine were made against one Councillor and eight against another. In some instances, posts were amended or withdrawn, and the Monitoring Officer met with the Councillors involved to offer advice on social media use. None of these posts were deemed serious enough to warrant a formal investigation.

Twenty complaints were made by County Councillors against another County Councillor. These were referred to the relevant Group Leaders for consideration. One of these progressed to a formal filtering stage but did not lead to a formal investigation; instead, online training was recommended for both parties. Seven of these twenty complaints related to comments made during public meetings, and these were withdrawn following discussions between Group Leaders, who also committed to reminding Members of expected conduct during meetings.

A further 33 complaints were made by members of the public, some of whom were also District Councillors. Six of these public complaints concerned comments made by Councillors during public meetings.

The report also highlighted that a significant proportion of complaints related to social media activity, leading to the drafting of a Social Media Guide for Councillors. The Monitoring Officer was scheduled to recommend that social media training be provided to all Councillors. Thirteen complaints related to comments made by Councillors during meetings, with the report noting that elected representatives have enhanced protection for political expression under Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights, allowing for robust debate provided it concerns matters of public interest and is not a gratuitous personal attack. Guidance from the Local Government Association on healthy debate was also proposed for circulation.

Standards and Ethics Training

The Committee was scheduled to consider a report recommending the endorsement of a programme of training for all elected Members on the Council's Code of Conduct, with a specific emphasis on social media and digital communications. The report proposed that all Members should attend refresher training at least annually, or when significant legislative or policy changes occur. It also recommended the inclusion of a dedicated social media and digital communications module, with attendance and completion rates to be reported annually. For newly elected Members, it was recommended that Code of Conduct training be completed within six months of taking office.

The report outlined that maintaining high standards of conduct is crucial for public trust and that Councillors are required to uphold the Nolan Principles of Public Life¹. It noted an increase in complaints concerning councillor conduct on social media, with issues such as inappropriate comments, sharing inaccurate information, bringing the office into disrepute, and failing to distinguish between personal and official communications being significant sources of complaints.

The rationale for further training highlighted that while induction training is provided, periodic refresher training is necessary due to evolving communication methods, particularly the expanding use of social media. The report detailed potential risks associated with social media, including reputational damage, escalation of disagreements, disclosure of confidential information, perceived bias, and bullying or harassment.

The proposed training content was scheduled to include a Code of Conduct refresher covering the purpose and scope of the Code, the Nolan Principles, respect and civility, registration of interests, predetermination, relationships with officers, confidentiality, and the complaint process. A dedicated social media module was planned to cover appropriate online behaviour, managing difficult interactions, and legal and governance considerations such as defamation, data protection, and equality. The expected benefits of the training included promoting high standards, increasing Member awareness, reducing complaints, improving public confidence, and supporting positive engagement with residents.