My team and I are committed to treating everyone with courtesy, respect and professionalism. We ask that constituents extend the same courtesy to us. We understand that people often contact us when facing difficult, frustrating or stressful situations. We are here to listen and help wherever we can. However, we will not tolerate behaviour that makes it difficult for our staff to work safely and effectively.
Acceptable behaviour
- Respectful and constructive communication.
- Honest feedback, even where you disagree with our views or decisions.
- Patience and understanding while enquiries are investigated.
- Clear and relevant information relating to your case.
- Communication through appropriate channels, including email, telephone, letter and scheduled appointments.
Unacceptable behaviour
- Abusive, threatening, intimidating or aggressive language.
- Personal insults, discriminatory remarks or harassment.
- Repeated contact about the same issue where no new information is provided.
- Excessive, vexatious or unreasonable demands on staff and the member’s time and resources.
- Publishing personal information about staff and the member online.
- Any behaviour that causes staff and the member to feel unsafe, including threats of violence or damage to property.
Our response
Where unacceptable behaviour occurs, we may take proportionate action to protect staff and the member and ensure we can continue to provide an effective service.
- Ask the individual to modify their behaviour.
- Restrict the methods or frequency of contact.
- End telephone calls, meetings or correspondence.
- Require future communication to be made in writing.
- Report serious incidents to the relevant authorities, including the police where appropriate.
Commitment to respectful engagement
We are committed to serving all constituents fairly and respectfully, regardless of their political views, background or circumstances. By working together in a spirit of mutual respect, concerns can be handled as effectively as possible.
