Lessons
Our Code” has been developed by employees, not management (although Senior management continue to support it). All Councillors and unions have signed up to it.
- Employees were invited to find their own solution to establishing consistent behaviour within the Council. This has created real ownership.
- Employees were able to reveal information about behaviours within our organisation that might not otherwise have surfaced. “Our Code” was therefore developed in a way that addressed real problems and not a rosy version of reality.
- Councillors, managers, employees and unions worked in partnership at each step of the way.
- “Our Code” goes beyond traditional management guides in that it covers more than the employee/manager relationship. It encourages communication, feedback and offers the right to challenge anyone within the organisation, for example if Councillors use their position to make unreasonable demands of an employee.
- “Our Code” offers its users rights, but not unconditionally. For every right there is at least one and often more, responsibilities. It aims to ensure consistent standards of behaviour across the Council.
- It applies to everyone who works in the organisation. There are no exceptions.
- “Our Code” is easy to use
- The Code of Conduct was created in-house for under £3,000. The key resource has been employee time and creativity in developing “Our Code”
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