Senedd Cymru
Y Pwyllgor Safonau Ymddygiad
DR02
Ymateb gan: Comisiynydd Safonau Moesegol yr Alban
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Welsh Parliament
Standards of Conduct Committee
DR02
Evidence from: Ethical Standards Commissioner Scotland
Dear Clerk to the Committee
Thank you for the opportunity to respond to your call for evidence and consultation on Dignity and Respect within the Senedd.
Having reviewed the consultation document, it appears that the majority of the questions posed by the Standards of Conduct Committee would require experience or knowledge of the culture and systems in operation in the Senedd estate in order to provide a substantive response.
As such, my response is, of necessity, quite general in nature.
I think that the proposal to have one overarching declaration that all parties are bound by is a sensible one.
I have only two suggestions that may prove helpful to the Committee’s deliberations. The first is to highlight the Committee on Standards in Public Life publication, “Leading in Practice”:
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/63cfb022e90e071bad20162d/CSPL_Leading_in_Practice.pdf
As well as containing comprehensive guidance on ethical leadership, the publication sets out 20 questions for leaders which are intended to assist in identifying whether an organisation is operating ethically. This may prove helpful to the Committee when considering which recommendations it wishes to make.
My second suggestion relates to the focus of the review on diversity. I have recently adopted a survey of complainers and respondents which provides them, at the end of the process of my having conducted an investigation, with an opportunity to provide – anonymously should they wish to – views on the extent to which our office operated in line with our published values. Survey responders are also invited to provide their demographic data.
Gathering and analysing this data will assist over time in identifying whether individuals who share certain protected characteristics, such as women, or people from a visible ethnic minority background, are complained about, or feel the need to complain, more frequently than those who do not share these protected characteristics. This in turn should highlight where, for example, additional training or guidance might be required.
I hope that some of the foregoing will be helpful to the Committee and wish it well with its consultation.
Please don’t hesitate me if you or the Members have questions or if I can assist further.
Kind regards, Ian
