Clerk to the Council/Responsible Financial Officer

Woodmancote Parish Council 

The Council is looking for someone with business management expertise or background in a similar local authority role.  As Proper Officer of the Council you will advise the Council to enable strategic planning and adherence to governance. You will have strong financial skills, be able to arrange and accurately record meetings, disseminate information and communicate via social media and website platforms. You may find yourself managing a new project or problem solving.  In short, a wide ranging and interesting role in which you will have to prioritize your own workload and support a team. This is a career not just a job.

Some evening meeting attendance is required.

Based working from home you will receive an expenses package, holiday pay and starting salary of £31,537 pa pro/rata 12 hours per week based on  FTE 37 hrs. (pay scale range SCP 18-SCP23 depending on experience)

A working from home allowance of £26 per month will be paid in addition to office expenses and mileage.

Holiday allowance equivalent to 25 days per annum FTE pro rata

JOB DESCRIPTION:

Job Title Responsible to Responsible for Clerk to the Council and Responsible Financial
Officer

Job Purpose
As Head of the Paid Service to develop and manage policy, strategy and operations
across the Council’s services by working with Councillors, external bodies and staff
and to carry out functions required by law as the Council’s Proper Officer whilst
providing inspirational leadership to all Council staff and seeking opportunities to
develop the Council’s services and facilities to meet the needs of the community.

Key Duties and Responsibilities:
In compliance with all statutory obligations or other laws, provisions and notices governing or
affecting the running of the Council:-

1. To carry out all the functions required by law as the Proper Officer of the Council, and in particular to serve or issue all the statutory notifications required of a Local Authority’s Proper Officer in a timely manner, including:-

• a) ensuring that all meetings of the Council and of its Committees, Sub-Committees and Working Parties are clerked and minutes approved, attending personally other than where such duties have been delegated to another Officer, and maintaining Councillors’ attendance records;
• b) understanding planning and development issues as they affect the Council, and ensuring the Council’s planning application obligations are met;
• c) ensuring the confidentiality of those Council matters which are not in the public domain to comply with all relevant law;
• d) preparing and publishing the Council’s Annual Report;
• e) taking appropriate action to ensure that all Council elections are arranged and held successfully; ensuring that all health and safety obligations required by the Health and Safety at Work Act and other related legislation are met and all necessary risk assessments are undertaken.

2. To advise the Council on, and assist in the formation of, all necessary procedures
and policies to be followed in respect of the Council’s activities, and in particular to
produce all the information required for the Council to make effective decisions,
including:

• a) being the Council’s principal adviser on all policy issues, including keeping up to date with current and forthcoming changes in legislation, advising the Council accordingly, and ensuring that all Council policies and procedures meet statutory requirements.
• b) receiving, issuing and drawing to the attention of the Council all correspondence and documents relevant to the activities, instructions or policies of the Council;
• c) evaluating reports and other data relating to the activities of the Council, drawing up proposals and preparing reports for consideration by the Council (where appropriate drawing on external expertise), and advising on both the practicability and likely effects of the proposed courses of action;
• d) ensuring that, in consultation with appropriate Councillors, agendas for meetings of the Council and Committees are prepared and published;
• e) being the principal adviser to the Council on matters of ceremony and civic protocol, making appropriate arrangements for civic and/or ceremonial functions and occasions, and attending such occasions to support the Chair of Council.

3. To record and ensure the implementation of the instructions of the Council in
connection with its function as a Local Council, in accordance with its policies,
including:-

• a) monitoring the implementation of the policies of the Council to ensure they are achieving the desired result and where appropriate suggesting modifications;
• b) undertaking all necessary actions required by the Neighbourhood Plan and similar exercises affecting the Council, including all necessary consultations;
• c) organising and managing complex Parish Council projects, including arranging all necessary actions including consultations, communications, and legal and technical requirements to achieve the objectives required by the Council;
• d) applying the principles of equality and equal opportunities as embodied in the Council’s policies, in order to promote equality of opportunity and treatment, the appropriate attitude and behaviour of its employees.

4. To be accountable to the Council for the effective management of all its resources
and staff, and to ensure that the Council’s civic and administrative functions and
services are performed professionally, reporting to the Council as and when required,
including:

• a) managing the Council’s business planning process effectively including workforce planning;
• b) keeping services and activities under continuous review, and identifying, planning and implementing improvements in quality, efficiency and effectiveness;
• c) heading the Council’s paid service, and supervising all staff to ensure they perform to expected standards in keeping with the policies of the Council and within employment law and the Equality Act 2010;
• d) Undertaking all necessary activities in connection with the conditions of employment and work of the staff, including undertaking all staff annual performance appraisals to develop them into an effective and cohesive team.
• e) being responsible for the management, maintenance, cleanliness, use and security of all the Council’s properties and facilities, whether through direct management or through contracts, agreements or partnerships with other parties or providers;
• f) instigate and manage disciplinary, redundancy, capability and grievance policy and procedures reporting to the relevant Committee/Sub-committee as required;
• g) ensuring that the Council’s IT systems and hardware is sufficient, up-to-date and secure, and kept under review for operational effectiveness;
• h) ensuring that the requirements of the Data Protection Act 2018 and the General Data Protection Act 2018 are complied with; maintaining such records and systems as are necessary for the effective administration of the affairs of the Council;
• i) producing and maintaining all deeds, leases, contracts, conveyances, licenses and other legal or confidential documents, and ensuring that they are kept in a safe and secure manner.

5. To represent the Council on and to appropriate external bodies, and to ensure
effective and mutually beneficial relations with Parishioners and others, including:

• a) acting as the official representative of the Council at relevant meetings of other relevant organisations as required;
• b) attending meetings as required and developing effective working partnerships with other relevant Local Authorities, other public, statutory and voluntary bodies, and other agencies, and ensuring that the Council plays an informed and effective role in local issues;
• c) developing relevant cultural, community and commercial links;
• d) promoting the Council through its website and ensuring that the information is regularly and accurately updated, and producing and issuing the Council’s periodic newsletter or other communications to the agreed deadlines;
• e) issuing notices and preparing agendas and minutes for the Annual Parish Meeting and attending such assemblies; Maintaining effective and positive press and public relations and preparing and issuing press releases and other communications (mindful of potential liability and litigation, and in consultation with the Chair of the Council) about the Council’s activities and/or decisions.

Key Duties and Responsibilities: Responsible Financial Officer

1. As the Council’s Responsible Financial Officer to be responsible for all financial
procedures and records, and the careful administration of its finances, in compliance
with all statutory obligations or other laws, provisions and notices governing or
affecting the running of the Council including:

• a) being responsible as and carry out all the functions required by law of the Council’s Responsible Financial Officer under S151 of the Local Government Act 1972 for all financial matters and records of the Council;
• b) acting as the Council’s principal adviser on financial matters, and to be responsible for the careful administration of the Council’s finances, and the proper application and maintenance of the Council’s Standing Orders and Financial Regulations;
• c) ensuring that the Council’s finances are effectively managed and monitored, and to advise the Council on its financial forward plan, strategy and policies;
• d) advising the Council and its Committees on and prepare the annual budget estimates of income and expenditure for revenue services, the capital budget programme and annual Precept requirements;
• e) monitoring and managing the Council’s budget expenditure and income, and to provide the Council and Committees with a regular statement of income and expenditure under each heading in the approved annual revenue and capital budgets; ensuring that all Management Reports are reported to the Council, and the statutory internal and external audit requirements are undertaken and completed each year, and any consequential action taken;
• f) issuing and reporting on invoices for goods and services to be paid for by the Council, and to ensure such accounts are met and that: -
• g) all necessary activities in connection with the management and payment of salaries and expenses are administered accurately and legally
• h) all payments made to the Council are recorded, any necessary receipts issued, all cash and cheques received banked, all associated records kept and any queries are investigated invoices are prepared and issued on behalf of the Council for goods and services to ensure payment is received
• i) all necessary records in connection with the above are maintained
• j) all necessary administration and banking procedures are arranged to ensure that all full- and part-time staff wages and salaries are paid
• k) petty cash accounts are operated properly, and all associated records of purchases are maintained
• l) all relevant rents or charges are collected for relevant Council services and facilities o) all necessary Revenue and Customs, VAT, SSP and pension financial returns and/or payments are completed and dispatched on time
• m) records, returns and public notices for the annual audit are prepared and the necessary public notices displayed
• n) appropriate financial IT systems are in place and operated securely; monitoring and ensuring that the Council’s accounts are controlled, and the Council informed of the ongoing financial situation;
• o) ensuring all necessary records are prepared for audit and VAT purposes;
• p) ensuring that the Council’s obligations for financial risk management, including risk assessments, are properly met and where necessary risks are properly insured;
• q) ensuring that adequate financial security, and internal financial and accounting controls, are in place and periodically reviewed, and the accounting records of the Council are maintained and kept up to date in accordance with proper practices;
• r) ensuring that an annual equipment inventory and asset register are in place;
• s) advising the Council on and assist in the raising of funds by way of grants and sponsorship etc. by following the necessary consultations and processes.
• t) ensuring that all surplus Council funds are invested securely, and income maximized;
• u) ensuring that the requirements of the Bribery Act are complied with.

General Duties

1. To continue to acquire the necessary professional knowledge required for the efficient
management of the affairs of the Council and to attend training courses or seminars on the work and role of the Clerk & Responsible Financial Officer and the Council’s activities as required by the Council.

2. To attend the Conference of the National Association of Local Councils, Society of Local
Council Clerks, and other relevant bodies, as a representative of the Council as required.

Person Specification:

To Apply, please click Apply now!