To consider any questions which may have been received from Elected Members and which are asked pursuant to Standing Order No. 10.
Minutes:
The Director of Legal and Governance, on behalf of the Chief Executive reported on a question received from Councillor Davies in accordance with Standing Order No 11.
Allegations of Bullying
‘If the Authority does not record allegations of bullying amongst staff as stated by the Director of Legal and Governance, how can it claim that ‘bullying does not take place’ have any credibility?’
Councillor Sir Steve Houghton CBE (Leader of the Council) responded by stating that the well being of all employees was of paramount importance to all Elected Members. There were formal procedures to address concerns raised with regard to bullying which may be raised by employees of the Council and addressed through the Authority’s grievance procedure and the Dignity at Work policies. Through these procedures any concerns with regard to such behaviour, which everyone recognised was unacceptable, could be properly investigated and appropriate action taken. The existence of robust and transparent procedures of this nature should provide reassurance to Elected Members and employees alike that such concerns, should they arise, could and would be properly addressed. Employees should have no concerns in using these procedures but for additional reassurance the existence of the Council’s Whistleblowing Policy offered protection as under the Public Disclosure Act 2013 any concerns raised through this procedure would qualify as protected disclosures. Employees would be protected against any adverse action taken as a result of having raised concerns with their employer.
The Leader urged that any employee who had concerns about inappropriate behaviour or bullying to raise these concerns through the proper procedures. They could be assured that these would be properly investigated. Likewise, if any Elected Member had evidence of such concerns it was both their responsibility and indeed their duty to provide this evidence to Senior Management so that appropriate could again be taken.
Councillor Davies asked, as a supplementary question, whether or not the Leader of the Council could confirm whether more than £100,000 been paid in regard to grievance procedures to staff who had left the service of the Authority.
Councillor Sir Steve Houghton CBE, in responding, stated that he was not in a position to confirm that so he would ask officers to investigate this matter and provide Councillor Davies with a direct response in due course.