Behavioural Standards Guidance (Revised core values) - October 2024
In this section
- 1. Introduction
- 2. Scope
- 3. Confidentiality
- 4. Roles and responsibilities
- 5. Acceptable behaviour
- 6. Unacceptable behaviour
- 7. Defining discrimination (direct or indirect), victimisation, bullying, sexual harassment and harassment
- 8. Cyber bullying
- 9. Determining whether unacceptable behaviour is taking place.
- 10. Capability, conduct and positive management
- 11. Learning and Development
- 12. Resolving concerns relating to unacceptable behaviour
- 13. Formal action
- 14. Third party harassment
- 15. Malicious complaints
- 16. Ensuring equality of opportunity
- Appendix 1 - Definitions
- Appendix 2 - Managing Performance
- Appendix 3 - Informal Ways of Resolving Conflict
- Appendix 4 - Managing Conflict
- Appendix 5 - Standards of behaviour key contacts
14. Third party harassment
A third-party refers to someone who a worker interacts with as part of their job but who is not employed by the Authority.
Some examples are:
- Resident – such as a visitor to a contact centre or Hwb.
- Service user – such as in a home to care for them.
- Business contact – such as in a meeting or at a conference.
- Any non-directly employed staff, such as contractors, consultants or agency workers.
- Parents interacting with staff employed by an Authority school.
Third party harassment may result in legal liability and will not be tolerated.
You are encouraged to report any incident of third party harassment to your line manager in the first instance and log formally using the Authority’s accident, incident and near miss reporting procedures.
Managers are advised to take proactive and reasonable preventative steps in anticipation of potential harassment by third parties. For example:
- External communication sharing the Authority’s policy on third party harassment corporately or in advance of engaging with third-party groups, e.g. public consultation meetings.
- Display highly visible signage that is easily noticed by third parties stating a zero-tolerance policy of any form of third-party harassment where appropriate.
- Use recorded messages at the beginning of telephone calls setting out the behaviour expected towards workers and what steps will be taken in the event of inappropriate behaviour.
- Review lone worker procedures and risk assessments for the team considering third party harassment as a distinct risk.
- Take appropriate follow up action in the event of a third-party harassment incident seeking advice from People Management Business Partners, (Human Resources, Learning & Development and/or Occupational Health, Safety & Wellbeing) as appropriate.