Social media house rules

Creating a positive online space

Our social media channels are here to keep you informed with our latest updates, advice and news. We encourage open conversation and welcome your questions, thoughts and feedback.

We aim to make our platforms a welcoming and respectful space for everyone. While we understand that people may have different opinions, we do not tolerate any form of abuse, harassment or hate speech – on our pages or anywhere online.

We actively monitor our accounts, but if you spot something inappropriate, please send us a direct message so we can look into it.

When we're online

Our social media accounts are monitored Monday to Friday, from 9am to 5pm.

We try to respond to enquiries within 24 hours, where possible. For urgent matters, please visit our contact us page.

We do monitor our channels during emergencies, severe weather, or major incidents to help keep you informed.

Our community guidelines

To help keep our pages safe and respectful, we ask that you follow these simple rules:

• Follow the law – illegal content or activity will not be tolerated.
• Be respectful – disagreements are fine, but personal attacks, harsh and offensive language, discrimination, or harassment are not. Humour is subjective – what may seem humorous to you may not be for others.
• Stay relevant – Keep your comments on-topic. Off-topic posts, spam, promotional content, or unrelated links may be removed.
• Be genuine – we only allow posts from people using real profiles. Content may be deleted and fake or anonymous accounts may be blocked.

We reserve the right to remove any content that breaches these guidelines.

What we will remove

We may hide or delete any content (including text, images, videos, links, emojis, etc.) that:

• Is defamatory, false or misleading.
• Makes unsubstantiated or malicious accusations.
• Contains abusive, threatening, or offensive language (including disguised profanity).
• Targets or harasses council staff, councillors, or other users.
• Encourages hate or hate-related behaviour.
• Is obscene, sexually explicit, or discriminatory.
• Promotes illegal activity or political agendas.
• Advertises products or services.
• Is irrelevant or disruptive (e.g. spam or trolling).

We use automated filters to block certain keywords. If your comment includes one, it may be hidden automatically.

In serious cases, we may take further action, including reporting content to the police or seeking legal advice.

Commenting and complaints

We usually keep comments open on our posts, but we may disable them if necessary to protect users or staff.

If you have a complaint or need to report an issue (like missed bin collections or fly-tipping), please use our online self-serve form.

Hate crime and harassment

Hate crime is any act motivated by hostility or prejudice based on someone’s identity, including:

• Disability
• Gender identity
• Race, ethnicity, or nationality
• Religion or belief
• Sexual orientation

This includes offensive content shared online. Learn more about hate crime and how to report it on our website.

Allegations and safeguarding

If you wish to make an allegation of fraud, corruption, or misconduct involving council staff or councillors, please use our have your say page. Allegations made without evidence may be referred to the police.

If your complaint relates specifically to councillor conduct, you can refer to our code of members’ conduct.

Any safeguarding concerns raised on our social media will be passed to the appropriate authorities.

During elections

In the lead-up to elections, we will remove any posts that could be seen as supporting or opposing a political party or candidate.