JOB DESCRIPTION
Meetings
Attendance at monthly meetings held on 1st Thursday of each month normally at Itchen Abbas & Avington, Easton or Martyr Worthy Village Hall. Start time 7.00 p.m. to arrive by 6.45 p.m. for setting up.
Attendance at Annual Parish Meeting which usually takes place in April each year, this meeting starts at 7.30 p.m. arrival for setting up at 7.00 p.m.
To take and produce minutes, to be approved and amended if necessary by the Chairman.
Implement decisions made at the meeting before the next meeting where possible, and report to Chairman.
Minutes and Agendas
In liaison with the Chairman, prepare Agenda and Minutes and ensure that the Council makes legal decisions and holds effective meetings.
Circulate Agendas and Minutes to the Councillors, and to those on the Mailing List.
Agendas to be delivered to the same by the last Thursday of each month, and copies affixed to the Parish Notice Boards.
Minutes to be delivered as soon as they are ready and at least one week before the next meeting.
Correspondence
Receive and send all Parish Correspondence, file and keep securely.
Keep Chairman up to date with any correspondence received, in particular those with deadlines for reply.
Planning
Attend to Planning Applications. Inform Chairman of Planning Committee when applications are received, look up previous history as necessary and send the Council’s comments to Winchester City Council to arrive by the given deadline. File and keep securely.
General Administration
Be available to Parishioners during reasonable hours to receive information by telephone, fax or email, answer queries, etc, unless prior confirmation is required by the Council.
Liaise with WCC, HCC, HALC, the Parish Churches, and other bodies or individuals, in connection with Council business.
Correspond or liaise with contractors regarding the upkeep of King George V Playing Field, Old School Field, footpaths, bus shelters and any other work required in the Parish.
Maintain and update documents pertaining to legal legislation, such as Freedom of Information Act, Data Protection Act, Declaration and Register of Interests, Elections and formal notices of Audit Inspection.
Accounts
Maintain the Council records and accounts, in accordance with the recommendations of the Internal Auditor and Accounts and Audit Regulations of 1996, which were set up to enforce proper financial controls, prevent and detect fraud and tackle bad debts.
Prepare, receive and despatch payments, and give a resume of the financial position at each monthly Council meeting.
Prepare the Account Books, End of Year Return and associated documents with the Chairman regarding, the Internal and External Audit.
Receive visit once or twice a year by the Internal Auditor and provide all documents they may request.
Ensure that the Council has adequate Insurance and that Annual Risk Assessments are carried out.
With the Chairman and Vice Chairman prepare a budget on which the precept calculations will be decided.
Miscellaneous
Other duties when reasonably required, at the request of the Council.
Attendance at other meetings, occasionally called by the Council, when necessary.
Attendance at functions or training sessions held by District/County Council or training bodies under approval of the Council.
Maintain confidentiality of information in an independent, objective and professional manner.
PARISH COUNCIL EVENTS
Annual Events
The Parish Council financial year runs from 1st April to 31st March.
January Apply for Precept/Budget
February Decide on date for Annual Parish Meeting
Consider draft of Chairman’s report for Annual Parish Meeting
March Organise printing of Chairman’s report and distribution via Kings Worthy Post Office
April Annual Parish Meeting
June
July
August No meeting
September Produce list of dates and places for meetings in the following calendar year (Village Halls need to be booked for meetings)
October
November Produce draft budget for approval
December Approval of budget
Monthly Events
1. At least 3 clear days before monthly Parish Council meetings put the notices on notice boards in Avington, Itchen Abbas, Easton (on the wall of the Cricketers), in Martyr Worthy at the top of Church Lane and at Couch Green.
There are ready printed notices which we buy.
As meetings are open to the public they have to be told when and where meetings are held.
2. Meetings are held in the three village halls in clockwise rotation; all meetings starting at 7.00pm.
3. We aim to have the Minutes given to the Chairman by the Tuesday after the meeting.
4. Minutes are then distributed to the others on the list. Any resident is entitled to see the minutes if they wish.
Weekly Events
A list of planning applications (on yellow paper) will arrive from the planning office on Monday.
This should be checked for Itchen Valley items and any in Kings Worthy, Chilcomb or Itchen
Stoke and Ovington on our boundaries. Either the following Saturday or Monday full copies of applications in our area should arrive and should be given to the member of the planning sub-committee living nearest to the site. The only exception is where a Parish Councillor's own property would be affected by the application, in which case it should be given to someone else. They will then ascertain neighbours' views etc and report on the application at the next meeting.
Each application has two front sheets ore to go back to the planning office and one for our records.
If it is complicated write a letter rather than use the sheet.
If you do not receive a copy of the full application in a reasonable time then you should ring the planning office and ask for it.
All applications have a time limit for comments. If this expires before the next meeting and the application is likely to be contentious you should ring the planning office and ask for an extension until after the next meeting. If in doubt ask the chairman of the planning sub-committee.
All other post should be given to the Chairman to read through once a week. He/she will return it before the meeting. AII correspondence should be brought to the meeting.
A list of planning decisions {on orange paper} made by officers, i.e. without going to the meeting of the Planning Committee (composed of elected city councillors), is also published weekly.
Decisions relating to the ltchen Valley should be noted on the Agenda for the next meeting.
Decisions made by the planning committee will be reported monthly and should also be included on the Agenda as above.
All applications and decisions should be cut out and pasted into the planning record book. We often need to refer back to this for conditions etc.
DRAFT CONTRACT AND STATEMENT OF PARTICULARS OF EMPLOYMENT FOR PARISH CLERK
From: ITCHEN VALLEY PARISH COUNCIL (“the Council")
To [insert name] (“the Clerk”)
of [insert address]
Date: [insert date]
1. Introduction
1.1 This statement sets out particulars of your employment with the Council as at [insert date] which are required to be given to you under the Employment Protection (Consolidation) Act 1978 (as amended).
Your employment commenced on [inset date].
1.2 The National Agreement on Pay and Conditions of Service of the National Joint Council for Local Government Services covers your employment with the exception of the grievance and disciplinary rules and in their place the procedure outlined below in paragraph 13 of this Contract shall apply.
2. Previous Service
No employment with any other employer shall count as part of the Clerk's continuous period of employment with the Council.
3. Job Title
The title of the job which you are employed to do is: Clerk.
The duties ('the Duties") which this job entails are set out in the job description attached to this statement.
This may from time to time be amended by the Council and in addition to the Duties you may from time to time be required to undertake additional or other duties as necessary to meet the requirements of the Council.
4. Place of Work
The offices of the Council shall be deemed to be situate at the private dwelling house of the Clerk so that your usual place of work is at your address shown above or such other dwelling house as you may from time to time occupy. You will be required to attend the Meetings of the Council and the Annual Parish Meeting in the village halls of Easton, Itchen Abbas and Avington or Martyr Worthy.
5. Remuneration
5.1 Your remuneration is [insert amount] per annum payable in arrears by twelve equal payments on the first Thursday in each month
5.2 The Council will also make you:
an annual allowance of [insert amount] for the use of your computer/word processor and email equipment
an annual allowance of [insert amount] for the use of your private dwelling house (both such allowances to be paid in arrears by two equal payments on the first Thursdays in January and June.)
a petrol allowance of [insert amount] per mile or such other amount as may from time to time be agreed between the Council and the Clerk in respect of all travel undertaken by you on behalf of the Council (such allowance to be paid monthly in arrears on the first Thursday in each month).
6. Hours of Work
There are no provisions in this Contract of Employment in respect of hours of work but the Clerk is expected to attend meetings of the Council and any of its sub-committees and the Annual Parish Meeting and to carry out the Duties.
Except in exceptional circumstances the Council will expect minutes of its meetings to be prepared and submitted to the Chairman for approval within three working days of the relevant meeting.
7. Confidentiality
The Clerk shall not, except as required by law, directly or indirectly divulge or communicate any matters concerning the practice, business or affairs of the Council to any person whatsoever save and insofar as may be necessary for the due performance of the Duties and the business of the Council.
8. Other Employments
During the continuance of this Contract the Clerk shall not, without first obtaining the consent of the Council, commence any other work, whether paid or voluntary, which is likely to hinder or be inconsistent with the performance of the Duties.
9. Holidays
9.1 Holidays must be taken at times convenient to the Council.
9.2 Holiday arrangements which prevent the Clerk from attending any of the monthly meetings of the Council or the Annual Parish Meeting will not normally be regarded as being convenient to the Council.
10. Sickness Absence
If as a result of sickness you are unable to attend a meeting of the Council you or someone on your behalf should inform the Chairman as soon as possible.
11. Pension
The Council is not a party to the Local Government Pension Scheme and no pension will be paid by the Council in respect of this employment.
12. Notice of Termination of Employment
Your employment is for a fixed term and will terminate on the date of the Annual General Meeting of the Council. It may be terminated at any time before its expiry by either party giving to the other twelve weeks notice in writing of termination of employment.
13. Grievances and Discipline
13.1 Redress of grievance
The Clerk may apply in writing to the Chairman for the time being of the Council for redress of any grievance relating to her employment or if he/she is dissatisfied with any disciplinary decision relating to himself/herself and the Chairman shall report any such application to a duly convened meeting of the Council and the matter shall thereupon be discussed and resolved by the Council after giving the Clerk an opportunity, if she so wishes, to explain either personally or by a representative present with her, her application orally to the meeting. The Council shall consider any such application in the absence of the public and the press.
If the Clerk shall be dissatisfied with the Council's decision and if any part of the matter brought before the Council under this clause concerns the interpretation of any of the clauses herein, that part of the dispute shall be referred in writing jointly to the National Association of Local Councils and the Society of Local Council Clerks and their joint decision shall be binding upon the parties hereto.
13.2 Disciplinary Rules
Before any disciplinary action of any kind is taken by the Council, a notice in writing giving details of the matter signed by the Chairman and authorised by the Council shall be given to the Clerk and the Clerk, together with an adviser if this is so desired, shall be given a full opportunity to answer the complaint at a meeting of the Council held in the absence of the public and press.
Please acknowledge receipt of this statement by signing the additional copy of this Contract as indicated below and returning it to the Chairman.
Signed on behalf of the Council by the Chairman
I [insert name] acknowledge that I have received a statement of the particulars of my employment as required by the Employment Rights Act 1996 and I confirm that this constitutes my contract of employment with the Council.
Signed:
Dated: [insert date]
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