Louth Town Council
IT Policy
Last reviewed September 2025
Louth Town Council recognises the importance of effective and secure information technology and email usage in supporting its business, operations and communications. The use of the Internet is now an essential and commonplace tool for most Employees. Those who use the internet have a responsibility to do so in a professional manner. To assist with this, we are issuing the following guidelines and responsibilities for the appropriate use of IT resources and email by council members, employees, volunteers and contractors, which you must read and comply with.
This policy applies to all individuals who use Louth Town Council’s IT resources, including computers, networks, software, devices, data and email accounts. All staff and councillors are responsible for the safety and security of Louth Town Council’s IT and email systems. By adhering to this policy, Louth Town Council aims to create a secure and efficient IT environment that supports its missions and goals.
The Council reserves the right to access and monitor any or all areas of any computer and computer software systems which it owns (including email boxes and messages and telephone calls) from time to time for business reasons and training purposes. You should not therefore assume that any information held on the computer is private and confidential to you.
Email
Whilst your council email address can receive emails from anyone connected to the Internet, email accounts provided by Louth Town Council are for official communication only. Used correctly it is a facility that is of assistance. Inappropriate use however may cause many problems including distractions, distress to others, time wasting and legal claims.
Staff and Councillors should ensure that your correspondents know that they should not send you “humorous” or illegal attachments such as pictures or executable programs. Personal emails should not be received to your Council email address. Anyone found with offensive or pornographic material on his or her Council email account or computer will be subject to investigation, which for employees could result in disciplinary action and dismissal for gross misconduct. Councillors will be reported to the monitoring officer.
If you receive a suspicious email, from an unknown source, “junk” email or “scam” email you should forward it to report@phishing.gov.uk to the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) for investigation. Do not click on any links or open any attachments in suspicious emails, as they may lead to phishing attempts. Once reported, please delete from your system immediately without opening it as it may contain a virus.
Emails may contain file attachments. These should not be opened unless they are received from a trusted source, i.e. from another known Council, employee or representative. If in doubt, ask your line manager.
Emails to customers, suppliers and other business contacts should be restricted to Council business. Confidential information about or relating to the business of the Council, its customers, suppliers or contacts should not be transmitted outside the Council via email unless done so in the course of business. You should ensure there is no infringement of copyright when adding attachments to emails. Confidential information should not be left on display on an unattended device.
Emails should be retained and archived in accordance with legal and regulatory requirements. Regularly review and delete unnecessary emails to maintain an organised inbox. You should be aware that deleted emails will remain held on the system for some time and will be accessible from back up if required for investigation of complaints of systems abuse.
You must not distribute sensitive commercial data concerning the Council to competitive sources. Doing so may result in investigation and for employees disciplinary action leading to dismissal without notice for gross misconduct.
Louth Town Council reserves the right to monitor email communications to ensure compliance with this policy and relevant laws. Monitoring will be conducted in accordance with the Data Protection Act and GDPR.
Guidance for appropriate use
Louth Town Council IT resources and email accounts are to be used for official council-related activities and tasks. No personal use is permitted. All users must adhere to ethical standards, respect copyright and intellectual property rights, and avoid accessing inappropriate or offensive content.
Email is a non-secure medium, and care should be taken when composing, sending and storing messages.
Email should be regarded in the same way as any other business communication and should be treated as a Council record. You should adopt a style and content for email, particularly those sent to external recipients that presents a professional image. It is recommended that you adopt the same standards for email as for letters and memos, although the style may be more informal.
Confidential information about or relating to the business of the Council, its customers, prospects, suppliers or contacts should not be transmitted outside the Council via email unless done so in the course of business, with permission and sufficient steps are taken to safeguard security.
Everyone must take reasonable steps to guard against unauthorised access to, alteration, accidental loss, disclosure or destruction of data.
Inappropriate use
You must not send internally or externally or obtain material (whether in the form of text or images) which is libellous or defamatory, illegal, obscene, sexually explicit, bullying, discriminatory or disparaging of others particularly in respect of their race, national origins, sex, sexual orientation, age, disability, religious or political beliefs.
You are reminded that material that you find acceptable might be offensive to others. It is recommended that you take care and give sufficient thought to what you send. Messages can be misconstrued and should not become a substitute for “one to one” conversations. You should not send humorous material to anyone. It can frequently be misunderstood or cause offence.
Examples of inappropriate use include, but are not limited to:
1. Sending, receiving, downloading or displaying or disseminating material that insults, causes offence or harasses others.
2. Accessing pornographic, racist or other inappropriate or unlawful material.
3. Engaging in on-line chat rooms, on-line gambling sites, social networking sites or blogging.
4. Forwarding electronic chain letters or similar material.
5. Downloading or disseminating copyright materials.
6. Transmitting confidential information about the Council or its customers externally and not in the course of the Council’s business.
7. Downloading or playing computer games.
8. Copying or downloading software.
Serious instances of inappropriate use may be considered gross misconduct and lead to investigation or in the case of employees, dismissal.
Internet access
Louth Town Council’s network and internet connections should be used responsibly and efficiently for official purposes. Internet access is granted for business reasons only during working hours. The availability and variety of information on the Internet has meant that it can be used to obtain material considered to be offensive. Anyone found to have used the Internet to access and/or distribute any kind of offensive material, or non-related employment issues, are liable to disciplinary action which could lead to dismissal.
Under no circumstances must users download files without the consent of your Line Manager. Downloading and sharing copyrighted material without proper authorisation is prohibited.
If you wish to use the Internet out of office hours for personal purposes, please contact your Line Manager who will be able to grant you access and explain how to use this facility, if appropriate.
Anyone believed to have been visiting pornographic sites, downloading or circulating pornographic material will be subject to disciplinary action. Offences of this nature may be considered gross misconduct and lead to your dismissal, and if necessary, the police will be informed.
Please note that the main servers maintain a record of Internet access by user and these will be monitored as necessary and results forwarded to line managers and the police, if appropriate.
Device and software usage
Where possible, authorised devices, software and applications will be provided by Louth Town Council for work-related tasks. Unauthorised installation of software on authorised devices, including personal software, is strictly prohibited due to security reasons.
Data management, protection and security
This policy will be enforced in conjunction and in accordance with Louth Town Council’s Data Protection Policy. All sensitive and confidential council data should be stored and transmitted securely using approved methods. Regular data backups should be performed to prevent data loss, and secure data destruction methods should be used when necessary.
Passwords and account security
Louth Town Council users are responsible for maintaining the security of their accounts and passwords. Passwords should be strong and not shared with others. Employees should ensure that they log out of their computer account when leaving their desk to ensure security is maintained.
Mobile devices and remote work
Mobile devices provided by Louth Town Council should be secured with passcodes and/or biometric authentication. When working remotely, users should follow the same security practices as if they were in the office.
Reporting security incidents
All suspected breaches or incidents should be reported immediately to the appointed Data Control Officer (Town Clerk) for investigation and resolution, as per the Information Security Incident Policy. Also, report any email related security incidents or breaches to the Town Clerk immediately.
Training and awareness
Louth Town Council will provide the opportunity for regular training and resources to educate users about IT security best practices, privacy concerns, technology updates and best practices.
Compliance and consequences
Breach of this IT Policy may result in the suspension of IT privileges and further consequences if deemed appropriate.
Policy review
This policy will be reviewed annually to ensure its relevance and effectiveness. Updates may be made to address emerging technology trends and security measures.
Contacts
For IT related enquiries or assistance, users should contact the Town Clerk.