Fire bosses plan social media rules after scandal

Simon Hardiman (left) and Adam Matthews (right) were investigated by Shropshire and Wrekin Fire Authority in 2024

Shropshire and Wrekin Fire Authority has discussed updating its social media rule book in the wake of a WhatsApp scandal that engulfed two senior male officers.

Shropshire's chief fire officer Simon Hardiman and assistant chief fire officer Adam Matthews were put through an independent investigation in 2024 following claims that they sent sexist messages on WhatsApp.

Mr Matthews resigned, and Mr Hardiman returned to his post in September last year with a written warning and a mandatory training requirement following that investigation.

In light of the investigation, a meeting in Telford on Wednesday saw the fire authority propose a draft social media protocol.

Last year auditors told the fire authority that they had "been unable to find a social media policy" and if there was one "there is scope for it to be provided so that it is adhered to".

Elected members of the authority had asked to be included in a new protocol. The policy refers to social media and social networking sites, including WhatsApp.

The draft policy said: "It should be remembered that the use of WhatsApp by members of staff should be in line with the service's core values and workplace charter.

"Even on a personal device/account, may become disclosable evidence in legal hearings or public inquests."

It added that "WhatsApp is currently not a corporate tool and should not be used as a formal method of communication due to issues such as security, [General Data Protection Regulation] and [Freedom of Information] requests.

"We would encourage staff to use [Microsoft] Teams to communicate with their colleagues."

The new protocol applies to the use of social media for both business and personal purposes, whether during work hours or otherwise.

The draft protocol also added that "all employees are responsible for their own actions in the use of social media".

This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service, which covers councils and other public service organisations.