Councillor Trevor Alford’s attack on his own council’s recently approved anti-bullying policy would seem to indicate that he has misunderstood it (Letters, July 19). By his council’s own admission, 15% of council staff have stated in the latest staff survey that they have been bullied, harassed and discriminated against in the past year and the new policy has been drafted on the advice of the Audit Commission, after an inspection of the council identified workplace bullying as a key issue that needed to be addressed.

As the Conservative cabinet member responsible for this policy, Coun Alford should know that his colleagues hired an external consultant to advise on the framework for the revised policy that places an emphasis on supplying trusted support for staff via mediation, so that issues can be looked at early before they escalate.

A mediation process, by its very nature, has to be neutral and objective. This is a practice used in both public and private sectors. The scrutiny panel that looked at the proposals recommended council staff should also have the option of going straight to the formal complaints procedure if they wish and the policy includes this.

The network of trained “Dignity at work advisors” are to be recruited from across the council’s workforce, not hired in, and were approved by his own Conservative leadership at the recent Governance committee meeting, as was the whole policy.

Councillor Gill Mitchell
Leader of the Labour Group, Brighton and Hove City Council