When does a Policy become a council Policy?

Question

At  recent Full Council meeting, a Harassment Policy was voted through unanimously. However, at that meeting a councillor was told that 'she was OCD in her actions" breaking said Policy . She has been told that each councillor has to acknowledge that they had read and understood the policy before it becomes valid. this sounds unreasonable as all the councillors voted the Policy through. Is there a definitive ruling on this?

Answer 1

The policy takes immediate effect from when the vote was cast. Councillors do not have to state anything of the sort regarding the fact that they have read it. By having a copy sent to them and them casting a vote implies they had read and understood them.

The following month when the minutes are received even then it couldn't be changed unless there was a beaming error with how the vote was cast.

Regarding your Cllr's comments, it is discriminatory language and is a breach of the code of conduct which can be reported to the MO.

Comments

Thank you so much for such a clear and speedy reply.

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Are there any ramifications for not correctly adopting policies at a publicly convened meeting, i.e. no agenda item or vote took place?

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Following this, the complainee has forwarded his resignation and the complainer's original letter of complaint against him to all parish Councillors.  There seem to be so many failures here ......

Answer 2

Accepting what has already been said a policy becomes a policy when it is proposed and voted on as adopted as such by full council.It is incumbent on each councillor to object to or have put in abeyance a vote to be taken if they feel that they have not received full information or required clarification on the terms of the policy. It is unfortunate that many councillors still have a classroom mentality. "the teacher asks after the lesson are there any questions? Is there anything you didn't understand? Silence. Outside in the corridor much discussion and admission that you and your classmates didn't understand anything". This is unfortunately inbred into many people not to stand up and be counted even if it might be slightly embarrassing.

As a councillor it is your duty.

The ramifications for not following the correct procedure is that the policy has no standing for implementation.

Comments

if the harassment policy was on the agenda for the meeting, and members had had the statutory three clear days to consider it, then the policy stands whether members had read it or not.   Even if there had been members voting against it and it was carried by a slim majority, all members would be required to adhere to the policy from the point of its adoption.

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"The ramifications for not following the correct procedure is that the policy has no standing for implementation."
Many thanks for your advice.