Leader thanks residents for supporting Council staff

The Leader of Cheshire West and Chester Council, Councillor Louise Gittins, is thanking residents for their support and co-operation as challenging circumstances continue.

This comes as Council officers are currently working to clear a backlog of work resulting from the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. The Leader also urges residents to continue to treat the Council’s key workers with respect as they carry out their essential duties.

Councillor Louise Gittins said:

“From social care and call centre staff to waste collectors and highways crews, our teams have worked tireless through an exceptionally challenging pandemic. The efforts of all public sector key workers should be celebrated, and I thank our residents for their support and patience as these difficult times continue

“I know most of our residents appreciate the hard work our Council officers are delivering but I’ve sadly heard reports of a small number of people displaying unreasonable and abusive behaviour – physical, verbal and online – towards the people trying to help them. We must choose to be kind and treat everyone with dignity and respect. Council staff are no exception – they are real people, part of our communities and could be our neighbours, friends or family members. This behaviour prevents them from playing their part to build a greener, fairer and stronger place for us to live. This is our collective responsibility, and it is up to us all to be mindful of the way we treat each other.

“We always welcome feedback and reasonable complaints and gladly receive these as they help us improve. I want to make it clear, however, that abusive behaviour will not be tolerated.”

If residents would like to comment on anything the Council is doing, they can have their say by participating in one of the wide ranging public consultations available on the Council website. Residents can also visit the website to help the Council improve by providing feedback.

If members of the public witness anyone being subject to threatening behaviour, it should be reported to Cheshire Police by phoning 101. The Council, in partnership with Cheshire Police, can take action where threats or abuse reach a criminal behaviour threshold. This could include withdrawing Council services in extreme situations.