Meetings
Dignity and respect policy
This page gives details of any meetings held which will, or did, discuss the matter, and includes links to the relevant Papers, Agendas and Minutes.
Note: Meeting Agenda can change at short notice. Particularly where future meeting dates are indicated more than a week in advance. Please check before planning to attend a Committee Meeting that the item you are interested in has not been moved.
Meeting: 11/12/2023 - Senedd Commission (Item 5)
Dignity & Respect Update and Survey Results
Supporting documents:
- Restricted enclosure 2
- Restricted enclosure 3
- Restricted enclosure 4
- Restricted enclosure 5
- Restricted enclosure 6
- Restricted enclosure 7
- Restricted enclosure 8
Minutes:
Commissioners
received an update on the work that has since taken place since the Commission
considered a review of the Dignity and Respect framework in June 2023, and agreed
a number of recommendations, and the findings of the Dignity and Respect
surveys recently undertaken of Members, Member support staff and Commission
staff.
Commissioners
noted the progress update on activity undertaken since June 2023 and the 2023
Senedd Dignity and Respect survey results report. They requested some
benchmarking be undertaken and thought that an understanding of good practice
from other parliamentary environments would be useful.
Commissioners agreed that the findings of the Dignity and Respect survey be shared with Independent Remuneration Board and the Standards of Conduct Committee, and that the report should be published accompanied by appropriate internal and external communications.
Meeting: 19/06/2023 - Senedd Commission (Item 6)
Dignity and Respect Review Report
Supporting documents:
- Restricted enclosure 11
Minutes:
Commissioners
considered the findings and recommendations of the report on the outcome of the
dignity and respect review.
Commissioners
heard about the plans of some groups to mandate participation in dignity and
respect training and agreed the value of advocating that the training offered
by the Commission be taken up by all Members and their staff without exception.
They
suggested that consideration be given to dignity and respect related
interaction at employment entry and exit points for staff. They also discussed
the significance of providing information about support services available to
all those impacted by dignity and respect related issues, and highlighted that
it had been useful when information was physically displayed on the estate.
Commissioners
agreed the report, its eight recommendations and next steps; in particular:
·
to
restate its commitment to supporting and developing a culture of dignity and
respect across the Senedd;
·
to
invite the Senedd Standards of Conduct Committee to consider the review
findings, including that the Senedd should replace the current tri-partite
policy with a joint overarching ‘Declaration on Dignity and Respect’;
·
agreeing
a draft joint over-arching declaration for consideration by Standards
Committee;
·
steps
to be undertaken within the Commission with clear responsibilities for
leadership and activities; and
·
to
advocate to their groups, and independent Members, that the dignity and respect
training offered by the Commission is taken up by all Members and their staff
without exception.
Commissioners agreed the report would be shared with the Standards of Conduct Committee, who would publish the report as part of their work on this matter, the Standards Commissioner, the Remuneration Board and the Political Contact Group.
Meeting: 08/11/2021 - Senedd Commission (Item 5)
Dignity and Respect policy - three year review
Supporting documents:
- Restricted enclosure 14
Minutes:
Commissioners
were provided with information on work started to undertake the year three
review of the Senedd Dignity and Respect Policy, in line with the commitment in
the policy.
Commissioners
agreed that a wider consultation exercise be undertaken early in 2022, seeking
views on the current policy and process from Members, Support Staff and
Commission Staff.
They also agreed to defer the annual Dignity and Respect survey by 12 months to May/June 2022 once a refreshed policy is agreed.
Meeting: 28/09/2020 - Senedd Commission (Item 5)
Dignity and Respect - survey report
Supporting documents:
- Restricted enclosure 17
- Restricted enclosure 18
Minutes:
Commissioners
considered the content of the third Senedd Dignity and Respect performance
review report, following an online survey undertaken in June 2020. In doing so
Commissioners agreed that it would be timely to review the policy as a whole,
particularly in readiness for the Sixth Senedd, and alongside the Standards
Committee’s work reviewing the Code of Conduct. Commissioners also confirmed
their support for the future areas of work contained within the report.
The finalised report will be published.
Meeting: 15/07/2019 - Senedd Commission (Item 7)
Dignity and Respect update
Minutes:
Commissioners were provided with a update on the recently published Dignity and Respect survey results. They discussed the positive direction of travel and were supportive of the plans to launch a ‘call it out’ campaign, signing up to pledge their personal support. They discussed the importance of giving people at all levels confidence to understand where behaviours are inappropriate.
Meeting: 01/04/2019 - Senedd Commission (Item 2)
Dignity and Respect update
Supporting documents:
- Restricted enclosure 23
Minutes:
Commissioners
were updated on the progress implementing the recommendations of the Standards
of Conduct Committee’s report ‘Creating the Right Culture’.
Commissioners also noted that the next annual Dignity and Respect
Survey will be issued to AMs, their staff and Commission staff after the Easter
recess.
Commissioners
deliberated how they wished to reply to the Standards Committee on its
recommendation for anonymous reporting. They agreed that they wished to return
to the matter following the upcoming Dignity and Respect survey.
They also
considered the outcome of the mystery shopper exercise conducted at the end of
2018 and noted the information.
Commissioners
agreed to respond to the Committee to identify the decision to return to the
issue of anonymous reporting, and share the update table and mystery shopper
report, with an expectation that this response will be published.
Meeting: 24/09/2018 - Senedd Commission (Item 4)
Standards Committee Report - Creating the Right Culture
Supporting documents:
- Restricted enclosure 26
- Restricted enclosure 27
- Restricted enclosure 28
- Restricted enclosure 29
Minutes:
The
Standards Committee have published their report relating to issues around
dignity and respect. The report makes a number of recommendations to the
Commission.
The
Commission’s working group on Dignity and Respect had considered the
Committee’s recommendations, to inform the Commission’s considerations of them.
Commissioners agreed that the recommendations dovetail with the Commission’s
intentions to improve accessibility to a range of complaint processes, raise
awareness, provide support, monitor incidents and to create a more inclusive
culture free from harassment.
Commissioners agreed a response to the Committee about the recommendations that had been made.
Meeting: 16/05/2018 - Plenary - Fifth Senedd (Item 6)
Debate on the Assembly's Dignity and Respect Policy
NDM6724 Jayne
Bryant (Newport West)
To
propose that the National Assembly for Wales:
1.
Approves the National Assembly for Wales's Dignity and Respect Policy.
2.
Notes the guidance of the National Assembly for Wales's Dignity and Respect
Policy.
Minutes:
The item started at 15.34
In
accordance with Standing Order 11.15(ii), voting on the motion under this item
was taken at Voting Time.
NDM6724 Jayne
Bryant (Newport West)
To
propose that the National Assembly for Wales:
1.
Approves the National Assembly for Wales's Dignity and Respect Policy.
2.
Notes the guidance of the National Assembly for Wales's Dignity and Respect
Policy.
The
result was as follows:
For |
Abstain |
Against |
Total |
52 |
2 |
0 |
54 |
The
motion was agreed.
Meeting: 04/12/2017 - Senedd Commission (Item 2)
Dignity and respect action plan
Oral item
Minutes:
At
the November meeting, Commissioners agreed that this serious issue should be
addressed, and received an update on progress to date as well as plans for
further work.
Since
the Llywydd, party leaders and Chair of Standards Committee made their
statement on 15 November, work has been underway on a Dignity and Respect policy,
which will be shared with ‘owners’ shortly in draft form.
The
purpose of the draft is to set out the standards of conduct expected from
everyone and improve the clarity and accessibility of the reporting routes for
complaints against anyone (including contractors). Following discussion with the Llywydd and
Chair of Standards Committee, information on the support available to
individuals making a complaint and those who have an allegation against them
will be included in the policy.
Complaints
pages on the website will also be refreshed so that access to these
arrangements is clear to anyone who wishes to use them. A new dedicated
freephone number will be available from this week, talking to people and
referring them to the relevant complaints route.
The
Standards of Conduct Committee is undertaking a review of the Code of Conduct
for Assembly Members. The Remuneration Board is reviewing the AMSS Code of
Conduct and considering whether other policies need to be reviewed. The Llywydd
had also written to the Standards Commissioner to ask him to review party
procedures. Commission staff are working with ACAS (external and non-profit) to
provide awareness training for party groups.
The timeline being working to is for significant progress to be made by Christmas, aiming for a Plenary debate in Spring, which would seek the Assembly’s agreement to build the Respect and Dignity policy into the Code of Conduct for Members. Commissioners agreed to consider the draft policy before the next Commission meeting.