Issue - meetings

An annual review of the Council’s Declaration of Interests, Gifts and Hospitality Policy (for officers) was undertaken in February 2026, and the revised Policy was approved by the Audit & Governance Committee on 26 February 2026. The key changes introduced were:

·         Strengthened requirements for declaring other employment, including additional guidance, a formal definition, updates to forms, the flowchart and FAQs.

·         Clarified line manager responsibilities for assessing declarations and documenting decisions. Added requirement to submit completed forms to Service Directors.

·         Enhanced Service Director oversight, including review of declarations, validation of line manager decisions, communication of outcomes and completion of a dedicated review section.

During 2025/26, awareness of the Declaration of Interests, Gifts and Hospitality Policy was promoted through corporate and targeted communications, induction and mandatory training for new employees, and bespoke training sessions delivered across Council services by the Head of Audit & Management Assurance.

The Head of Audit & Management Assurance considers the Declaration of Interests, Gifts and Hospitality Policy to be fit for purpose, with generally good levels of awareness and compliance across the workforce. This assessment reflects the fact that only a small number of reminders were required by Internal Audit to obtain declarations from newly appointed senior officers.