This page explains some of roles and responsibilities of the officers the Council employs:
The role of the Clerk is:
- To act as the Chief Executive or Proper Officer however the Proper Officer is not always the Clerk
- Is an advisor to the Council and should give clear guidance to the Council before a decision is reached.
- The Clerk has a clear role to advise the Council on procedural, governance, and ethical matters.
- The Clerk has delegated functions and always has to demonstrate impartiality and professionalism.
The Clerk’s responsibilities are:
- To ensure the Council acts legally
- Manage the Councils resources
- Manage and oversee Council employees
- To receive and respond to correspondence on behalf of the Council
- Updating content on the Parish Council website and noticeboards
- Drawing up agendas for meetings
- Taking the minutes of the meetings
- Supervision and management of other staff
- Follow up work from Committees and Sub-Committees
- The requisition of office equipment and supplies
- Handling queries regarding the Council
- Responsible for the internal management and organisation of the Council
The duties of the Clerk are:
- To convene a meeting of the Council if the Chairman resigns
- To sign and serve agendas upon Councillors
The role of the Responsible Financial Officer is:
- Is to support the Council with the internal control and audit of its accounts and the preparation of the Councils budgets and liaises with the Councils internal and external auditors.
The Responsible Financial Officers responsibilities are:
- To monitor and balance the Councils accounts and prepare records for audit purposes and VAT.
- Signing of the annual accounts
- To ensure the Councils obligations for financial risk management are properly met.
- 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 are paid.
- To monitor the implemented financial policies and to ensure they are achieving the desired result and where appropriate suggest modifications.
- To study financial reports and where appropriate bring them to the Councils attention
- Has a responsibility to co-operate with the internal and external auditor
The duty of the Responsible Financial Officer is:
- They must arrange all of the Councils financial affairs
- They must determine the form and content of the accounts and supporting records, also following the direction of the Council and complying regulations