Acceptable use policy

I understand that people may act out of character in times of trouble or distress. There may have been upsetting or distressing circumstances leading up to a constituent approaching my office.

However, I will not tolerate abusive behaviour nor actions that result in unacceptable or excessive demands on my staff in that it prevents them from carrying out their duties effectively.

It is these behaviours and actions that I aim to manage under this Policy. I will make a judgement on a case-by-case basis, but in a small minority of cases, it may be necessary to apply restrictions on engagement in order to protect staff and ensure the continued availability of constituency office services to other residents.

Aggressive or abusive behaviour

If anger or frustration escalates into aggression towards my staff, I consider that unacceptable. Any violence, threats, or abuse towards staff will not be tolerated.

Violence is not restricted to acts of aggression that may result in physical harm. It also includes behaviour or language that is threatening or abusive.

I will judge each situation individually based on the circumstances of each case.

Unacceptable language is that which:

• Is offensive, derogatory, or patronising; or
• Is discriminatory in any way;

I may decide that comments aimed not at my staff but at me or third parties are unacceptable because of the effect that listening to or reading them may have. Examples include rudeness, offensive comments, derogatory remarks, or making inflammatory statements. Such comments may be made on social media or other third-party platforms.

All threats against either my staff will be taken very seriously and if staff feel scared or threatened at any point during a conversation with a constituent, the interaction may be ended at any time.

Unreasonable demands

A demand becomes unacceptable when it starts to (or when complying with the demand would) impact substantially on the work my staff carry out on my behalf.

Examples of this behaviour include:

• Repeatedly demanding a response within an unreasonable timescale;
• Insisting on seeing or speaking to a particular member of staff, when that is not possible;
• Repeatedly changing the substance of a complaint or raising unrelated concerns;
• Making repeated and unnecessary contact during the course of us dealing with a complaint or carrying out an investigation;
• Refusing to accept a decision where explanations for the decision have been provided.

An example of such impact would be that the demand takes up an excessive amount of staff time and in doing so disadvantages other constituents and prevents their own complaint from being dealt with quickly.

Harassment

My staff have the right to carry out their duties free from harassment or threats of harassment. I ask everyone to respect that my staff are delivering a service on my behalf and therefore this may not reflect their own views or preferences.

Examples of behaviours I consider to be harassment against my office include:

• Recording telephone discussions and publishing the information online such as through YouTube, Facebook or X;
• Contacting staff using their personal details or social media profiles such as Facebook, X, or LinkedIn;
• Publishing personal, sensitive, or private information about staff online or other public domains such as noticeboards or newsletters.

Examples of unacceptable or persistent levels of contact can include:

• Continuous contact while my office is in the process of considering a matter,
• Repeated telephone calls over a short period, for example, a high number of calls in one day or week,
• Lengthy telephone calls repeating the same points of discussion,
• High volumes of information provided by email or post referencing the same issues,
• Unnecessarily or excessively copying us into emails to other parties.

Actions I may take

When my office experiences behaviour or demands which are unacceptable, I may consider taking more formal action. The actions I will consider can include the following:

• Warning the constituent about their behaviour and requesting that the constituent modifies their behaviour in future contact with us.
• Appointing a specific point of contact for the constituent.
• Communicating only in writing or via a representative.
• Deciding not to investigate a representation on the basis that it has been pursued in a way that is unacceptable.
• Restricting or limiting contact.

Where it is decided that formal action must be taken to manage someone’s behaviour, I or my office will inform them of the decision in writing.  A note will be placed on our records to this effect.