To present the Committee with the outcome of a review of the Social Media Guidance for Members conducted by Officers for the Committee’s comments and suggestions along with subsequent approval of the draft, following any associated adjustments.

Members heard that the current Social Media Guidance for Members (the Guidance) had been last considered by the Standards Committee at its meeting held on 2 February 2022 and was attached as Appendix A of the Officer report (A.3), detailing Officers’ comments after conducting their review.

The Committee was informed that, whilst the 2022 guidance was not incorrect, it was felt necessary to produce a new draft based on current use of social media platforms and terminology.

Members were also informed that the Council recognised the benefits of communication between Members and residents that social media platforms afforded and utilised by most Members with varying frequency. Social media could reach a demographic of society that might not always be reached by more traditional methods, along with the speed with which communication could take place, providing both potential benefit and pitfall, than traditional correspondence.

The Committee was told that, as part of their work programme, the Committee was requested to review the Guidance in association with Officers, to ensure that it was clear in order to assist elected Members in understanding social media and their use of it.

The Committee was made aware that Members had last received dedicated social media training on 27 January 2022 which had broadly covered the following topics:

• Identifying strengths and weaknesses of major social media channels
• Working within the majors ‘dos’ and ‘don’ts’ of social media
• Finding and targeting an audience
• Building a ‘brand’ across social media platforms
• Managing trolls and keyboard warriors
• Applying the Seven Principles of Public Life (Nolan Principles) and Members’ Code of Conduct to the use of social media
• Identifying Tendring District Council’s existing policies for social media use (and development of future policies)
• Identifying the point for reporting misuse of social media

Officers reported that, through the Members’ induction programme in 2023, Code of Conduct training (which had been refreshed in 2025) had referenced the Council’s Social Media Guidance and the Local Government Association’s published Social Media Guidance for Councillors.

Following the Committee’s consideration of the draft Social Media Guidance for Members, it was planned to develop an updated training session in association with the Council’s Communications Team, to deliver to Members to accompany the reviewed Guidance, taking into consideration the review and the Committee’s subsequent comments.

The Guidance and proposed training package would highlight that inappropriate use of social media could amount to a breach of the Members’ Code of Conduct, and that it was the individual responsibility of each Member to consider the Guidance when using social media.

It was proposed that the training be delivered to District Councillors on the draft Guidance, to seek feedback and comments on the draft Guidance, in particular whether anything else needed to be covered, and report to the Committee, to enable it to approve a final version.

The Committee and the Independent Persons present put forward the following comments/views/suggestions/requests et cetera:-

• The percentage of how many complaints related to social media;
• A few training sessions on the Social Media Guidance such as a morning session, evening and one on MS Teams;
• Would more training be provided after the Guidance came back to the Committee?; and
• Would there be Freedom of Expression training?

The Monitoring Officer responded to the points made as appropriate.

It was moved by Councillor Talbot, seconded by Councillor Casey and unanimously:-

RESOLVED that the Committee:-

1)    note the contents of the Officer report (A.3) and the new draft Social Media Guidance for Members, as set out in Appendix A of that report;

2)    following the comments as mentioned above, approves Appendix A of the report, as draft guidance for the purposes of training with District Councillors; and

3)    receives feedback following that training with Members, to approve a final version of the Social Media Guidance to ensure it is comprehensive and clearly understood.