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Chapter 52: Member / Officer Relations Protocol
5.2 Bullying behaviour may happen only once or it may be part of a pattern of behaviour directed at a weaker person or person whom the Member or the officer has some actual or perceived influence over. Such behaviour may include attacking a specific officer’s conduct in public when Officers are instructed not to ‘answer back’ in public. This can be contrasted with the legitimate challenges which a Member or officer can make in challenging policy or scrutinising performance.
C - Impartiality and accountability of officers of the Council
Members should raise constituents’ queries or concerns through the proper channels and not go direct to junior officers. Members should not seek to ‘jump the queue’, but should be aware of and implement the Council’s procedures. This approach ensures that resources are able to be appropriately prioritised and resourced.
Officers should seek to explain why a course of action is being recommended. Reports should lay out all relevant factors for the decision maker, and examine all alternatives in an even handed way.
When an Officer provides a report it should contain clear, evidence-based advice as to why a course of action is being recommended. From time to time corporate advice is given to officers on report writing and they should take care to follow it. The report should lay out all relevant factors for the decision maker, and examine all alternatives in an even handed way. Officers should take care to include even unpopular options if they feel they are relevant.
Members have the right to criticise reports or the actions taken by officers, but they should:
not make personal attacks on officers; and
Members have the ability to agree or reject proposals placed before them by officers, irrespective of the advice or recommendations made by officers so long as they generally act in good faith and exercise reasonableness in decision-making and specifically:
Officers must therefore, be able to report to Members in accordance with their professional expertise.
The Council operates a Member’s Enquiries system which is for the Mayor and Members to use for routine requests for information and advice. A copy of the procedure is found at
Member Enquiries Policy and Process (towerhamlets.gov.uk) (Internal only link) The maximum turn round time expected for such enquiries is 10 working days and officers will chase outstanding enquiries exceeding this period. Matters which are not routine or involve policy should be directed initially to the relevant Corporate Director or Director or any officer nominated by them.