USE OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

GUIDANCE ON THE EALING LOCAL CODE OF CONDUCT FOR COUNCILLORS

SUMMARY

This guidance has been produced to give you more detailed advice and information on IT issues, as a supplement to your Local Code of Conduct.

It is recommended that local authorities have protocols dealing with the use of authority resources, including information technology such as computer equipment and use of associated software and the use of such equipment at home.

Advice is based on the current equipment available to you.

Key points for councillors:

  • Computer equipment kept in your home should be insured under your home contents insurance. The Council’s insurers do not cover equipment kept in Members’ homes. If you need a breakdown of the value of equipment please contact the council’s ICT team.
  • Computers are provided to you to assist you with your council duties and to make you accessible to officers and to your constituents. Friends and family members should not use your council equipment, and your password should never be shared with them or any council officer.
  • You must not use your council IT and other equipment for party political advantage. The Local Government Act 1986, defines party political purposes as the publication of material ‘ designed to affect public support for a political party’. The use of resources for political purposes covers not only the publication of campaigning materials but any other activity that is intended to promote party political advantage. Paragraph 5 of the Act acknowledges that party politics does have a proper role to play, both in the conduct of authority business and in the way Members carry out their duties, However, Members and the Monitoring officer are expected to exercise considerable vigilance to ensure that this provision is not abused.
  • You must never add unauthorised software to your computer. You should avoid unorthodox or unusual websites. Repairs required to your equipment as a result of viruses (common on unorthodox sites or where equipment has not been vetted by council IT support officers) can be very expensive and may be charged to you.
  • You must not access or store inappropriate or illegal material on your computer.
  • You must manage information that you store electronically, to ensure it’s accessible to you, confidential and correct. Your storage arrangements must meet requirements of the Data Protection and Freedom of Information Acts.
  • Always think about the content of the emails you send, to ensure that they do not breach any Council rule, or your own Code of Conduct.
  • Don’t worry: help is at hand! Officers are available to help your queries. Please let the Member Services Manager know if you have any training needs in relation to your IT equipment or look at the sessions set up for staff on the intranet. These cover specialist such as Excel and Power Point.
  1. INTRODUCTION AND DEFINITIONS:

1.1Ealing Council’s Local Code of Conduct provides that you must act in accordance with the Council’s requirements when using the Council’s resources (including IT resources). This guidance is supplementary to the Local Code of Conduct and to other council policies.

1.2It is important that you read and understand this guidance. If you are not sure about any part of it, please seek further advice from any one of the contacts listed in Section 8 – they are there to help. Failure to comply with the guidance, which applies when you are using Council equipment at home or any other location, may be a breach of your Code of Conduct, and result in you being reported to the Standards Committee.

1.3The continuing development of new technologies means that the guidance available to you as councillors must develop to keep pace. . .

1.4The security of the Council’s network, and of the systems and information held on it, is paramount. Any information security breach could have a very adverse impact on the Council, on you, on officers, and on your constituents. This guidance provides you with a framework within which to operate, in order to minimise such risks.

1.5The term 'IT', means computers and any systems used to create, store or exchange information electronically. 'Computer' means an electronic device used for storing and processing information, such as desktop and notebook computers (laptops).

1.6A computer network consists of a number of computers and other devices such as printers linked together to share information and resources. The Internet is a worldwide network of computer systems.

  1. MONITORING:

2.1The Council uses automated tools to monitor email and the Internet. These tools are used for ensuring compliance with legal requirements, policies and guidelines to protect the integrity of the Council and its IT systems against the risk of civil and criminal actions (including attacks from computer hackers). However, use of council IT facilities entrusted to you remains your responsibility. You will be deemed to be responsible for any use or misuse of your IT equipment or facilities.

2.2Email and Internet monitoring may be used to protect the legitimate interests of the Council, for example where abuse of its policies or breaches of the law are suspected.

2.3The Council has the right to inspect your Council IT equipment and look at any of your personal information (including emails and files) held on or accessed via your Council equipment. Such an inspection will only be carried out be senior IT officers after consulting the council’s Monitoring Officer. You may be required to return your Council IT equipment for checking, and its use and content may be reviewed, at any time. You must not add any additional software to your computer. Any unlicensed or unauthorised software or anything else that is deemed inappropriate will probably be removed from your computer. The cost of such removal may be recovered from you.

2.4You must provide authorised representatives of the Council, (for example, computer technicians) with access to Council equipment when you have been given reasonable notice. Such access may be required for the resolution of faults, the replacement, servicing or upgrading equipment, or the removal of equipment (if, for example you cease to be a councillor)

  1. USE OF IT FOR COUNCIL BUSINESS ONLY:

3.1IT facilities are one of a number of resources provided for you, along

with officer support, accommodation in the Town Hall and stationery.

3.2There is a cost attached to providing facilities for you and this cost can

only be justified on the grounds that the equipment is used by you for

official council business.

3.3Email and Internet access facilities are provided to you to support your

work on Council related activities.

3.4Your role as an Ealing councillor is high profile, and your conduct –

either in your official capacity or other circumstances – often reflects upon the Council. Is it important that you bear this principle in mind when considering what is appropriate use of the equipment and facilities provided for you by the Council.

3.5You must not use your council IT and other equipment for party political advantage. The Local Government Act 1986, defines party political purposes as the publication of material ‘ designed to affect public support for a political party’. The use of resources for political purposes covers not only the publication of campaigning materials but any other activity that is intended to promote purely party political interests. Paragraph 5 of the Act acknowledges that party politics does have a proper role to play, both in the conduct of authority business and in the way Members carry out their duties, However, Members and Monitoring officers are expected to exercise considerable vigilance to ensure that this provision is not abused. Further advice in relation to acceptable and unacceptable political use can be obtained from the Director of Legal and Democratic Services.

  1. WHO MAY USE YOUR IT EQUIPMENT?

4.1Computers and peripherals (such as printers and modems) are provided to assist you in your role as a councillor for Ealing. They also enable you to connect to the Council’s network and via this network to the Internet. There are a number of costs involved in providing these facilities for you. These costs can only be justified where the use is in connection with your official council business

4.2You are bound by the Council’s Code of Conduct for councillors, but others in your household (to whom you may be tempted to allow access to your equipment) will not be. In order to maintain security of the Council’s network and systems, when working at home or remotely you must:

  • Not allow anyone else, including family members, access to the Ealing network and through this to the Internet.
  • Not allow anyone including family members to use the computer or use your user name and password.

Where the Mayoral escort/ consortlives in the samehome as the Councillor it may be possible to arrange pass-worded access to IT facilities, provided that the escort/consort is prepared to sign a version of the Councillor Code of Conduct in relation to this access.

4.3Your right to access to the network discontinues the moment you cease to be a councillor and you will be required to return any council equipment at this point.

  1. CARING FOR COUNCIL EQUIPMENT:

5.1You should take all reasonable steps to make sure that any Council IT equipment is kept in a safe working condition.

5.2You must report any problem with your computer equipment to the council’s ICT team immediately.

5.3You must not attach any other hardware or communication equipment (such as a telephone or fax) to the computer without prior authorisation from IT officers.

5.4You must not connect non-Council supplied IT equipment to the Council’s network. Privately purchased equipment may not meet Council standards and may not be serviced by our technicians.

5.5You must return all equipment to the council promptly once you cease to be a councillor. Officers will contact you with details. If you wish to retain information from your computer, you should take steps to store it elsewhere before elections.

  1. ACCESS SECURITY:

6.1There are real risks of unauthorised individuals or groups gaining access to your personal user log-in and password details and then using this information to attack the Council’s network, add or remove files or send messages purporting to be from you from your email address, or to use the equipment for inappropriate purposes

6.2 When you create a password to use with a particular computer system or to gain access to part of the network, you must make sure that the password is held securely.

6.3Do not:

  • Tell anyone your password or write it down,
  • Try to gain access to areas of any computer systems or the network that you are not authorised to enter,
  • Give any information or help to any unauthorised person or group, that may help them to gain access which they are not entitled to,
  • Leave your machine logged into your network account unattended.

6.4The network will automatically require you to change your password on a regular basis.

  1. GENERAL USE OF EMAIL AND THE INTERNET:

7.1It is important that IT is used responsibly. The Internet is a very useful tool for research and business. However it is also full of risk. For example, you could copy information and contravene copyright law or (without realising) allow someone to use the Internet to attack your computer systems and the Council network. Other risks include:

  • The transmission or introduction of computer viruses.
  • Making defamatory or inappropriate remarks or negligent statements.
  • Unwittingly making a contract.
  • Sexual or racial discrimination.
  • Criminal offences.

7.2The following paragraphs 7.3 and 7.4 are therefore intended to minimise such risks to you and the Council.

7.3Generally any use of IT resources, including email and the Internet, that contravenes any legislation (such as the Data Protection Act 1998; the Computer Misuse Act 1990; the Copyrights, Designs and Patents Act 1988(amended 2002) and the Obscene Publications Act 1959 and 1964); or breaches the general obligations at point 2 of the Member Code of Conduct; or breaches Council policies on information security is considered to be unacceptable. In addition:

  • You must not use any form of web-based email service services
  • You must not download software (including screensavers) from the Internet. This is in order to protect the Council against the possible introduction of computer viruses, and to avoid possible licensing issues.
  • Some Members opt to have their emails forwarded to their home or work computers. You are reminded that you have a responsibility under the Data Protection Act to keep and destroy information in an ordered fashion. As you are responsible for your own registration the Council cannot take responsibility for your ‘housekeeping' arrangements. Please refer to the Information Commissioner’s web-site for further advice. (

7.4The Council's network has been set up to automatically prevent users from accessing certain types of website including pornographic, homophobic, racist, on-line gaming, terrorist and computer-hacking sites. However, you may occasionally find that you do encounter sites that contain this sort of material. If so, you must report this to the council’s ICT team immediately.

7.5You must avoid accessing unorthodox or unusual websites from your equipment. These types of sites often harbour computer viruses, which may necessitate expensive and disruptive repair to the Council’s equipment. Where viruses are acquired as a result of this type of use for private purposes you will be expected to pay for the cost of the repair

7.6Sometimes you will find a web page that you want to access is blocked, as it may have been incorrectly categorised. If you need to access the page to carry out your work as Member for the Council, it may be possible for the council’s ICT team to unblock it for you. However you will be required to provide a Council business reason first. Web pages required for personal use will not be unblocked.

7.7Any material containing child pornography found on any Council computer system must by law be reported to the police. Storage or access of any pornography via council IT facilities is not permitted. Where such material is discovered on, or has been accessed via, council equipment entrusted to you, you will be in breach of the Members’ code of conduct.

7.8You are responsible for the content of any email sent from your username and in certain circumstances the Council may also be found liable for the content of such email. In such circumstances, action may be taken to recover any resultant penalties from you.

7.9 You must take steps to make sure that you address your email correctly. If you find out an email has been received by someone other than the person you meant to send it to, you must take steps to make sure that this does not happen again.

7.10If you receive an email that breaches the general obligations of the Code of Conduct or which breaks the law, you must inform the Director of Legal and Democratic Services.

7.11Emails and other personal information should be retained only for the minimum period necessary, in accordance with the Data Protection Act 1998. Further details on the Data Protection Act in term of Council Members’ business use can be obtained via the Member Services Manager. The Information Commissioner also has a very user-friendly website at and a help-line number, 01625 545 745, for advice and guidance.

7.12You are required to make an annual Data Protection registration. For information on this particular responsibility please see the website mentioned above. The cost of registration should be met from your basic allowance. Failure to register could result in criminal proceedings against you.

7.13 It is important that you manage the information that you store to ensure its availability, confidentiality and integrity. Therefore regularly review all Council information (including files and Email messages) you hold and delete all redundant or irrelevant data or when necessary arrange for their secure archiving off-line (away from the computer) according to relevant legislation, protocols or standards. For more information on storage requirements of the Freedom of Information Act please contact the council’s FOI team or visit the website at

  1. YOU CAN GET MORE INFORMATION FROM:
  • Member Services team
  • ICT helpdesk (ext. 9000)
  • Director of Legal and Democratic Services
  • FOI team ( )
  • The Code of Conduct for Councillors – found within the Ealing Constitution

April 2014