The Constitution Committee of Gloucestershire Council met on Monday 15 June 2026. The meeting's agenda included discussions on the council's scrutiny structure, an update to the employee code of conduct regarding secondary employment, and the appointment of a member to the Independent Remuneration Panel.

Scrutiny Structure Discussion

The committee was scheduled to discuss the council's scrutiny structure.

Employee Code of Conduct - Secondary Employment

A report was presented concerning an update to the council's Employee Code of Conduct, specifically regarding secondary employment. The proposed amendment aims to ensure that both full-time and part-time staff require authorisation for any work undertaken outside of the council. Currently, only full-time employees are subject to this requirement. The report highlighted potential risks associated with this omission, including breaches of working time regulations and unmanaged conflicts of interest. The proposed new wording for paragraph 76 of the code of conduct states:

1. Full-time employees shall devote their whole time service to the work of the Council. No employee (either full time or part time) will engage in any other business, including self-employment, or take up any other additional appointment without the express written prior consent of their Directors, and in the case of Directors, the Chief Executive. The Director or the Chief Executive reserves the right to withdraw such consent at any time.

The recommendation was to approve this change to the wording of the employee code of conduct. Eleanor Hutchison, Head of HR, provided contact information for those seeking further details on the report.

Independent Remuneration Panel Member Appointment

The committee was also scheduled to consider the process for appointing a new member to the Independent Remuneration Panel (IRP). In line with constitutional requirements, a selection panel was proposed to review applications. This panel would comprise one member from the Liberal Democrat group, one from the Reform group, and one from the Green group, with the Head of Democratic Services in an advisory role. The Chair of the Independent Remuneration Panel would also have an advisory capacity. Authority was to be delegated to this panel to make the appointment of the new IRP member.

Review of Motion Arrangements

The report pack also included details from a previous meeting on 27 April 2026, where the committee had reviewed the arrangements for determining the order of motions presented to the council. The current system involves motions rotating between political groups, with each group bringing one motion at a time until all have been included. This review was initiated after six months of the new system being in place. Concerns were raised by one member that groups with fewer councillors might not have the same opportunity to submit motions as larger groups, and that the administration should not be submitting motions given their other avenues for influence. Another member suggested waiting for a full rotation cycle before considering changes, while acknowledging the potential for future reviews regarding proportionality. The discussion also touched upon the strict two-hour time limit for council meetings, with members indicating no desire to change this standing order. Ultimately, the recommendation was to continue with the current arrangements to allow for a full rotation of groups having the opportunity for their motion to be first on the list, with a further review to be held in October 2026.

Whistleblowing Policy Update

The committee was also scheduled to note a report detailing an amendment to the council's Whistleblowing Policy. This amendment involves the inclusion of a reference to sexual harassment, as outlined in paragraph 5 of the report.