Overall Responsibilities
The Clerk to the Council will be the Proper Officer of the Council and as such is under a statutory duty to carry out all the functions, and in particular to serve or issue all the notifications required by law of a local authority's Proper Officer. The Clerk will be totally responsible for ensuring that the instructions of the Council in connection with its function as a Local Authority are carried out. The Clerk is expected to advise the Council on, and assist in the formation of, overall policies to be followed in respect of the Authority's activities and in particular to produce all the information required for making effective decisions and to implement constructively all decisions. The person appointed will be accountable to the Council for the effective management of all its resources and will report to them as and when required. The Clerk will be responsible for all the financial records of the Council and the careful administration of its finances.
This position would particularly suit someone living locally, with some knowledge of the local area.
Specific Responsibilities
1. To ensure that legal, statutory and other provisions governing or affecting the running of the council are observed.
2. To monitor and balance the Council's accounts and prepare records for audit purposes, and VAT.
3. To ensure that the Council's obligations to insure are properly met.
4. To prepare, in consultation with appropriate members, agendas for meetings of the Council; to attend such meetings and prepare minutes for approval.
5. To receive correspondence and documents on behalf of the Council and to deal with the correspondence or documents or bring such items to the attention of the Council. To issue correspondence as a result of the instructions of, or the known policy of, the Council.
6. To receive and report on invoices for goods and services to be paid for by the Council and to ensure such accounts are met. To issue invoices on behalf of the Council for goods and services to ensure payment received.
7. To study reports and other data on activities of the Council and on matters bearing on those activities. Where appropriate, to discuss such matters with administrators and specialists in particular fields.
8. To draw up both on the Clerk's own initiative and as a result of suggestions by councillors proposals for consideration by the Council and to advise on practicability and the likely effects of specific courses of action.
9. To undertake all necessary activities in connection with the management of the salaries, conditions of employment and work.
10. To monitor the implemented policies of the Council to ensure they are achieving the desired result and where appropriate suggest modifications.
11. To act as a representative of the Council as required.
12. To issue notices and prepare agendas and minutes for the parish meeting: to attend the assemblies of the parish meeting and to implement the decisions made at the assemblies.
13. To attend all meetings of the council.
14. To prepare, in consultation with the Chairman, press releases about the activities of, or decisions of, the Council.
15. To attend training courses on the work and role of the Clerk as required by the Council.
16. To attend the Conferences of the Association of Local Councils, Society of Local Council Clerks, and other relevant bodies, as a representative of the Council as required.
The full Job description and person specification can be found at
Please note: This is a working from home role, with the exception of the Council meeting held on the 2nd Monday of the month and any other necessary visits to Feniton, as required.