Job Descriptions

CLERK TO THE COUNCIL - JOB DESCRIPTION


Overall Responsibilities:
  • The Clerk of Chearsley Parish Council is 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 is 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 responsible for effective communications within the Council and the local community and for ensuring the aims and objectives of the Council are advanced.
  • The Clerk is accountable to the Council for the effective management of all its resources and reports to them, as and when required.
  • The Clerk is responsible for assisting the Financial Officer in maintaining the financial records of the Council and the careful administration of its finances. The Clerk will also present the financial information to the Parish Council to the extent required.
  • To monitor the implemented policies of the Council to ensure they are achieving the desired results and that the Council is performing its obligations and business properly and legally and to make recommendations where appropriate.
Specific Responsibilities:
  1. Meetings:
    In consultation with the Chairman, prepare Agendas for meetings of the Council (approx. 12/annum including the AGM and Annual Village Meeting.
    To issue notices for the meetings via the noticeboard, by uploading on to the Parish Council website and other media as directed and in accordance with statutory requirements and timescales.
    To attend the Parish Council meetings and subsequently produce Minutes, together with the agenda for the next meeting. Minutes to be produced and circulated via e-mail to all members of the Parish Council in a timely fashion (ideally within 7 days of the meeting taking place)
    To implement any decisions taken by the Parish Council.
  2. To receive planning applications on behalf of the Council and to circulate details appropriately and log comments as required.
  3. To receive correspondence and documents on behalf of the Council and to deal appropriately with such items. To issue correspondence in line with the known policy of the Council, or a result of instructions from the Council.
  4. To receive and report on invoices for goods and services to be paid for by the Council and to ensure such accounts are met on time and in accordance with CHEARSLEY PARISH COUNCIL the Council’s mandates and procedures. To issue invoices on behalf of the Council for goods and services and to ensure payment is received in accordance with the Council’s mandates and procedures.
  5. To develop, maintain and control effective security measures and systems for all council records (including computer systems) and assets (and upload on the Parish Council pages of the village website in line with the Transparency code) and to ensure that adequate back-up plans are in place. To ensure that the Council’s obligations for Risk Assessment are properly documented and met.
  6. To act as the representative of the Council, as required.
  7. To prepare, in consultation with the Chairman, press releases about the activities of, or decision of, the Council.
  8. To attend training courses or seminars, as required by the Council and to recommend appropriate training courses to attend.
In time:
  • To ensure that statutory and other provisions governing or affecting the running of the Council are observed and updated as necessary.
  • To monitor the activities of the Financial Officer in all aspects of financial accounting and reporting of Council business including drafting and monitoring budgets, producing monthly accounts, balancing the Council’s accounts and preparing records for audit purposes and VAT.
  • To maintain the necessary professional knowledge and skills required for the efficient management of the affairs of the Council.


Responsible Financial Officer - Job Description


Overall Responsibilities:

Under section 151 of the Local Government Act 1972 be the Council’s designated Responsible Financial Officer, and carry out the following duties.
The Role
The Responsible Financial Officer (RFO) will effectively manage and monitor the Council’s finances, advise the Council on a financial strategy that meets its finance and policy objectives and ensure that its accounts and administrative procedures comply with the requirements of Accounts and Audit and other relevant Regulations.

Specific Tasks:
  1. To maintain computerised, day to day and annual financial records, and monitoring of income and expenditure against the approved budget, working with the Parish Council’s Accountant as required. 
  2. To prepare financial reports in agreed format for regular meetings of the Parish Council.
  3. To prepare a schedule of payments due for submission to the Parish Council.
  4. To prepare a detailed draft annual budget and precept recommendation for the subsequent year for submission to the Parish Council at its annual budget setting meeting.
  5. To prepare and submit the annual f inancial return and supporting accounts for approval by the Parish Council and subsequently for formal audit, liaising as necessary with the Parish Council accountant and appointed external auditors.
  6. To manage the Council’s payroll, including PAYE, NI and superannuation and to keep records of mileage, sickness, annual leave and TOIL (will be outsourced to PC Accountant).
  7. To maintain statutory Value Added Tax and Pay-As-You-Earn records, liaising as necessary with HM Revenue & Customs (will be outsourced to PC Accountant).
  8. To maintain appropriate banking arrangements and carry out regular bank reconciliations as required.
  9. To receive and record payments made to the Parish Council and submit all income for banking.
  10. To explore possible sources of finance that might be available to the Parish Council to assist with meeting its policy objectives.
  11. To ensure adequate insurance arrangements are in place.
  12. To maintain the Parish Council Asset Register and ensure it is updated as required.
  13. To attend meetings of the Parish Council as an Officer, without voting rights and reporting to the Parish Council Chariman.