The Code applies to all employees of Wealden District Council, and to any volunteers, agency workers or others who work whether paid or unpaid, for or on behalf of Wealden District Council.
The Council has zero tolerance to bullying and harassment. Disciplinary action will be taken against inappropriate behaviour that shows lack of respect for others or causes people to feel threatened.
All employees are expected to uphold the highest standards of fairness, respect and professionalism in every interaction, whether with residents, colleagues, partners, or members of the public.
As well as exhibiting the behaviours under our WEALD values the following general standards are expected and should be observed along with the Seven Principles of Public Life (Paragraph 1.9_Officers Code of Conduct – Part 4.2 of the Constitution)
- Use language that is appropriate, professional and free from condescension or dismissive attitudes
- Ensure communication is honest and straightforward, avoiding ambiguity or misleading information
- Be open to questions, feedback and challenge, and responding constructively
- Be transparent in decision-making
- Handle information responsibly and in line with GDPR
- Report any wrongdoing or breaches of policy
- Treat colleagues, and all those that you come into contact with as part of your duties, with dignity, fairness and respect
- Work collaboratively with partners, customers and communities to achieve the best outcomes
- Uphold the principles of the Equality Act 2010
- Promote inclusive and non-discriminatory practices, recognising the diverse backgrounds, experiences and circumstances of others
- You must remain non-judgemental and avoid forming or expressing assumptions about individuals, their circumstances or their motivations
- Interactions should be grounded in empathy, understanding and an awareness of the impact that language, tone and behaviour can have on others.
- Maintain appropriate boundaries with external customers including tenants and service users
- Ensure decision making is impartial, applying principles and values with consistency, and challenge unethical practice in a fair and considered way.
- Use organisational resources responsibly
- Represent the organisation positively at all times contributing to a culture that promotes trust, openness and mutual respect
We are committed to fostering a culture where employees feel safe to speak up, report issues and recognise that when things go wrong it is a learning opportunity for improvement.
- Focus on learning, not blame – look at what happened and why
- Be open and constructive – share challenges and concerns honestly to identify issues and enable solutions
- Reflect and improve – reflect on incidents to improve and strengthen processes, and service delivery. These should prioritise safer, fairer and more positive experiences for customers and colleagues
- Inclusive – everyone should be involved in contributing to improve services and resilience
Unacceptable behaviour is defined as any form of conduct or behaviour of a physical, verbal or non-verbal kind which has some or all of the following elements.
- Unwanted, unsolicited, unreasonable and personally offensive to the recipient(s) (irrespective of the intentions) This can also include when such behaviour has been heard or witnessed, even if it was not directed at you personally
- Creating an intimidating, hostile or humiliating work environment for the recipient(s) affecting their dignity whilst at work
- Failing to both respect the rights and recognise the impact that such behaviour may have on others
- Threatens job security or disadvantages the recipient(s) in some way
- Rudeness and condescending behaviour will not be condoned in any interactions
Implying that residents, tenants, customers should feel “grateful” for services provided is unacceptable and contrary to our WEALD values
You can make a make a complaint through the Council’s complaints policy: Complaints Procedure – Wealden District Council
All of the contractors that work for the Housing Service are expected to have a Code of Conduct for their staff. We are currently collating and monitoring these.
If you have an issue with the behaviour of any of our contractors you can raise a complaint directly with them or you can raise a complaint through the council’s complaints policy.
All complaints relating to our homes or contractors even if responded to by the contractors are shared with the Council so we can monitor the services provided picking up any issues with the service provider and ensure learning and continuous improvements.