The Nolan principles of public life – honesty, integrity, objectivity, selflessness, openness, accountability and leadership – are the benchmark for ethical behaviour, underpinning codes of conduct across the public sector, including in local government.
Sticking to these principles is a personal responsibility whether you are elected, appointed, or employed by a company delivering public services on behalf of the taxpayer.
Of the seven principles, leadership was seen by Lord Nolan as the most important, critical to all the others.
Our latest report, ‘Leading in practice’, looks at how organisations in different sectors have sought to build and maintain ethical leadership.
In some cases, the good practice emerged from a deeper focus on standards following a crisis and, in others, from a realisation within the organisation that new systems and processes were needed to support their employees.
The clear message from the evidence is that ethical leadership isn’t just a ‘nice to have’. Business and public sector leaders told us that having shared values and helping staff live up to them is critical to the wider success of every organisation.
Codes and rules can only go so far. People don’t operate in a vacuum; organisations can hinder or facilitate ethical behaviour, which is why organisational culture is so important.
An approach that focuses only on compliance is a missed opportunity; the best leaders galvanise and empower the people in their organisations to aim high, tapping into the public service ethos that attracts many to a career in the public sector.
There is no single right way to embed an ethical culture in organisations, but a range of possible approaches and measures. So, instead of making recommendations, our report shares case studies and examples to inspire further discussion and action, recognising that each organisation and every local authority is different.
The examples are highlighted not as a gold standard to reach, but to show how others have tried to integrate ethical values into their policies, practices and ways of working – from the way leaders communicate with employees, to the priority given to developing good decision-making, to the approach taken to recruitment and performance management.
Building an ethical culture does not happen by accident, it requires proactive attention to make ethics part of the day-to-day conversation.
Central government has welcomed this work and I hope it will help stimulate those discussions and action in local authorities too.
Exchange of ethical dilemmas
Avon and Somerset Police and Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust have partnered to share skills and experience on ethical decision-making.
Senior staff from the trust chair the police ethics committee and ethical cases are shared in both organisations’ ethics committees.
Exchanging dilemmas has been valuable where there is an overlap between the police and the medical profession.
For example, how best to protect girls born in the UK to women who have undergone female genital mutilation?
Key officers presented a specific case to the medical committee. It was a complex scenario, raising issues such as the protection of individuals, confidentiality, family dynamics, community issues, and appropriateness of intervention.
The issues were debated thoroughly by both ethics committees and, subsequently, a multi-agency risk-assessment tool was created, considering a host of likely risk factors, which has helped relieve tensions resulting from some communities feeling unfairly and disproportionately targeted.
Sharing dilemmas has also been used successfully in unconnected areas – for example, dilemmas relating to organ transplants and undercover policing. This sharing has helped to develop the thinking of both committees, and it has provided the referring officers with a broader range of considerations on which to reflect.