Social Media Policy
ADOPTED BY KEELBY PARISH COUNCIL on: 5th July 2022
The aim of this Policy is to set out a Code of Practice is to provide guidance to Keelby Parish Councillors and staff in the use of online communications, collectively referred to as social media. Social media is a collective term used to describe methods of publishing on the internet. The policy covers all forms of social media and social networking sites which include (but are not limited to):
• Facebook, Instagram and other social networking sites
• Twitter and other micro blogging sites
• LinkedIn
• Blogs and discussion forums
• Parish Council Emails
The principles of the Policy apply to Parish Councillors and Council staff. It is also intended to be guidance for others communicating with the Parish Council. The policy sits alongside relevant existing polices which need to be taken into consideration. The policy does not seek to regulate Councillors and staff in their private capacity.
The use of social media is not intended to replace existing forms of communication. The Keelby Parish Council Facebook Page and other forms of social media will be used to enhance communication.
1. Moderating:
The Parish Council Clerk will be the Administrator of all Parish Council Social media sites. The Council may appoint a nominated Councillor or Councillors as moderator(s). The Administrator/Moderator(s) will be responsible for posting and monitoring of the content ensuring it complies with the Social Media Policy. The Administrator may only add or remove Moderators or new administrators with the approval of the Parish Council.
The moderator(s) and Clerk (as Administrator) will have authority to remove any posts made by third parties from our social media pages which are deemed to be of a defamatory, libellous or offensive nature, or otherwise in breach of Social Media Policy. Before deletion, screenshots of the offending content will be saved as evidence for future reference.
The Parish Council Clerk is appointed a nominated “Webmaster” to maintain and update the Parish Council Website.
2. Use of Social Media
Our Social Media sites may be used for the following purposes:
• To post agendas, minutes and dates of meetings
• Advertise events and activities
• Engagement with the Village on any Parish Council business
• Good news stories
• Advertisement of Parish Council Vacancies
• Sharing information from partners i.e. Police, Library and Health etc.
• Announcing new information.
• Post or Share information from other Parish related community groups/clubs/associations/bodies e.g. Schools, sports clubs and community groups
Emails will be used to distribute information of Council business.
All social media sites in use will be checked and updated on a regular basis and we will ensure that appropriate security settings are in place at all times.
3. Code of Practice
Individual Parish Councillors are responsible for what they post. Councillors are personally responsible for any online activity conducted via their published e-mail address which is used for Council business. Councillors are strongly advised to have separate Council and personal email addresses.
Aspects of the Members’ Code of Conduct apply to online activity in the same way it does to other written or verbal communication. Online content should be objective, balanced, informative and accurate; what you write on the web is permanent. In the main, Councillors have the same legal duties online as anyone else, but failures to comply with the law may have more serious consequences.
3.1 Guidance for Councillors when using social media (including email):
When participating in any online communication Parish Councillors and staff must;
a) Be responsible and respectful; be direct, informative, brief and transparent.
b) Always disclose your identity and affiliation to the Parish Council.
c) Never make false or misleading statements.
d) Not present yourself in a way that might cause embarrassment. All Parish Councillors need to be mindful of the information they post on social media sites and ensure personal opinions are not published as being that of the Council.
e) Not bring the Council into disrepute; or publish material contrary to the Council’s Code of Conduct or any other Policies, Laws or Regulations.
f) Never reveal matters of a confidential nature, or disclose fees, payments or information relating to commercial arrangements or offers to tender.
g) Keep the tone of your comments respectful and informative, never condescending or berating. Use sentence-case format, not capital letters.
h) Always obtain permission to publish photographs or videos on social media sites from individuals or organisations, prior to the video or photograph being uploaded.
i) Respect the privacy of other Councillors, staff and residents.
j) Do not post any information or conduct any online activity that may violate laws or regulations
3.2 Guidance for Residents when using social media (including email):
When participating in any online communication with the Parish Council, residents should note:
a) Not all communication requires a response.
b) There may not be immediate responses to communications as they may be discussed by the Parish Council and all responses will be agreed by the Parish Council.
c) The Parish Clerk will be responsible for all final published responses.
d) If a matter needs further consideration it may be raised in the Public session or as a full agenda item for consideration by a quorum of Councillors at the next meeting. The resident raising the matter shall be informed via the page or direct message that this is the case.
e) Councillors, staff or parishioners who have any concerns regarding content placed on social media sites should report them to the Clerk of the Council.
f) At no time should information discussed in confidence be used or discussed on Social Media sites.
4. Policy Review
This Policy will be reviewed annually; the current version will be posted on the website, and in the profile of any social media account operated on behalf of the Parish Council.
Date First Adopted by the Parish Council:
5th July 2022
Guidance Notes Concerning Applicable Laws and Regulations:
Libel
If you publish an untrue statement about a person which is damaging to their reputation they may take a libel action against you. This will also apply if you allow someone else to publish something libellous on your website if you know about it and don’t take prompt action to remove it. A successful libel claim against you will result in an award of damages against you.
Copyright
Placing images or text on your site from a copyrighted source (for example extracts from publications or photos) without permission is likely to breach copyright. Avoid publishing anything you are unsure about, or seek permission in advance. Breach of copyright may result in an award of damages against you.
Data Protection
Avoid publishing the personal data of individuals unless you have their express written permission.
Bias and pre-determination
If you are involved in determining planning or licensing applications or other quasi-judicial decisions, avoid publishing anything that might suggest you don’t have an open mind about a matter you may be involved in determining. If not, the decision runs the risk of being challenged.
Obscene material
Publication of obscene material is a criminal offence.
Electoral periods
The Electoral Commission requires that candidates provide a return of expenditure on any form of advertising or campaign literature and that includes web advertising. And there are additional requirements, such as imprint standards for materials which can be downloaded from a website. Full guidance for candidates can be found at www.electoralcommission.org.uk www.electoralcommission.org.uk/guidance/those-we-regulate/ candidates-and-agents
The Council’s Legal Position
Material published by a local authority as an organisation is, for obvious reasons, restricted in terms of content. It must not contain party political material and, in relation to other material, should not persuade the public to a particular view, promote the personal image of a particular councillor, promote an individual councillor’s proposals, decisions or recommendations, or personalise issues. Nor should the council assist in the publication of any material that does any of the above.