This information provides guidance around how we interact with our communities across social media, as well as what will and won't be tolerated on our platforms. The purpose is to preserve and protect the reputation of Cambridgeshire County Council across all social media platforms.
How we use social media
As a council, we use a number of social media platforms to communicate with our communities in a friendly manner. We want these to be positive and engaging spaces
We use our social media accounts to:
- Inform residents about the priority work of the council through relevant local news stories and events
- Engage with residents about key campaigns based on their priority concerns
- Promote the county of Cambridgeshire to a local and wider audience
- Re-share relevant information from local partners and sources (this does not imply endorsement or that any views expressed are the views of Cambridgeshire County Council).
Our current main corporate accounts include:
These accounts are monitored Monday to Friday, during office hours (generally 9am to 5pm, exact times may vary), except Bank Holidays and public holidays. If you contact us during these hours, we will try to reply as soon as possible.
If you follow or subscribe to one of our social media accounts, we will not automatically do the same back. We do not endorse any individual or organisation merely by virtue of creating a social media connection with them (for example following on X or liking on Facebook).
Contacting us on social media
We will always try to help with queries received via our social media channels, but we may not be able to formally act on or respond to all of them.
Where possible we will provide general information or signpost you to the appropriate information on our website.
If you are a member of the media or a politician who wants to get in touch, please use communications@cambridgeshire.gov.uk instead of contacting us on social media.
Our Council complaints procedures can be viewed here.
Acceptable use and conduct guidance for interaction
Please remember that the people that are looking after and monitoring our social media channels are human (and we do sometimes make mistakes). We ask that if you are interacting with us on social media (which we encourage) that you are respectful.
Social media platforms will each have their own official rules and guidelines, which we will always ensure that we follow. It is the users’ responsibility to comply with each social media platform’s terms of use.
It’s important to us that our social media channels are a place for open discussion.
The following content and/or behaviour on our social media channels can be defined as inappropriate and we reserve the right to hide, remove and/or report:
- Rude and/or offensive language or content
- Disruptive or abusive behaviour
- Sexual content or links to sexual content
- Discriminatory language or the bullying or harassment of any individual, for example by making offensive or derogatory comments relating to protected characteristics as defined by the Equality Act 2010, or by posting (or linking to) images that are discriminatory and offensive.
- Commercial transactions that do not relate to Cambridgeshire County Council (including advertising products, services or events not relevant to the page on which the advert is posted)
- Copyright materials
- Defamatory or a personal attack of Councillors, County Council employees or people volunteering for the council
- Impersonation
- Misinformation
- Anything which is illegal, threatening, or promotes illegal activities
- Material that could comprise the safety of Cambridgeshire County Council and its employees or its technical services
- Content that discloses the personal details or sensitive information of the user or another user
- Spam and viruses.
Threats or details of illegal activities or behaviour will be reported to the police.
We welcome conversation and feedback on our social media channels, however we take the wellbeing of our employees very seriously. Cambridgeshire County Council reserves the right to delete negative comments that refer directly to council employees or teams, or that name individual employees. Users that consistently refer to council employees in a negative or threatening way will be blocked.
We want our social media platforms to be a safe and inviting place for everyone to engage with our services and we will not tolerate users that go against the guidance above.
We may mute or block users who continue to make comments that go against our guidelines. Anyone who feels they have been unfairly blocked has a right to appeal through our council complaints procedures. More information can be viewed here on our website Council complaints procedure.
