About Us
The Standards Commission is an independent body whose purpose is to encourage high ethical standards in public life through the promotion and enforcement of Codes of Conduct for councillors and those appointed to the boards of devolved public bodies.
Revised Guidance on the Councillors’ Code and Advice Notes for Councillors
28th January 2026
Revised Guidance on the Councillors’ Code and Advice Notes for Councillors
Following feedback and in light of some enquiries received by email, telephone and at training events, we’ve reviewed and updated our Guidance on the Councillors’ Code of Conduct. We’ve also updated the following Advice Notes for councillors, in order to ensure they are as clear and helpful as possible:
- Advice Note on Distinguishing Between their Strategic Role and any Operational Work
- Advice Note on the Ethical Standards Framework for Independent Councillors
- Advice Note on the Role of a Monitoring Officer
- Advice Note on Social Media
The revised Guidance can be found here. The revised Advice Notes can be found here.
