Kelvedon Parish Council
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Parish Clerk - job description
March 2008
Back to 'Could you be the next Parish Clerk?'
Kelvedon Parish Council is seeking a Clerk to the Council, preferably with
experience in local government. Local knowledge would also be advantageous.
The role is for 13 hours per week based in the Council Office, to include
attendance at evening meetings – on average, 4 or 5 per month.
The full Council meets on the first Tuesday of each month (usually excluding
August) at 7.45pm at the Council Chamber. The Council operates through three
main committees (Recreation, Environment and Finance), each meeting four times
per year on a three monthly rota. In addition, the council’s Planning
sub-committee currently meets fortnightly and its Footpath sub-committee meets
three times per year. More about council meetings.
The Clerk is expected to prepare agendas, attend each meeting and be responsible
for the preparation and distribution of minutes.
- Appendix 1: responsibilities of the Parish Council.
- Appendix 2: summary of the overall and specific responsibilities of parish clerks.
The salary range is based around the agreed National Joint Council Scale SCP 26, (in the range of £10.50+ per hour depending on qualifications/experience). The successful applicant will be required to have or be willing to work towards appropriate local government qualifications, for which training is available through the Essex Association of Local Councils.
How to apply
To apply for this position, please submit a CV, together with a covering letter outlining your suitability / reasons for applying, by Thursday, 27 March 2008 to
The Clerk
Kelvedon Parish Council Office
The Old Fire Station
102 High Street
Kelvedon
CO5 9AA
Or online to info@kelvedon.org.uk
Evening interviews will be held between 21 and 29 April.
APPENDIX 1: RESPONSIBILITIES OF KELVEDON PARISH COUNCIL
Kelvedon Parish Council provides and maintains:
- allotments at Stoney Flint, Church Hill (just over the level crossing) where anyone can join the waiting list for a plot large enough to keep a family in vegetables for the whole year for around £12 – plus hard work in a beautiful open air setting (water and car parking provided).
- play equipment at Kelvedon Playing Field, including a fully-fenced toddlers’ play area, renovated floodlit multi games area and an extensive range of challenging equipment for teenagers.
- the playing field – 3.5 acres providing a football pitch, floodlit training area as well as all the facilities listed above.
- Brockwell Meadows Local Nature Reserve – 11.5 acres of water meadow managed to maintain a diversity of habitat – probably the first parish council-owned LNR in the country, open to all throughout the year with fishing available in season to residents. The council is supported by the Brockwell Group – volunteers who arrange events on the meadows.
- seats, bus shelters, waste bins and dog bins – throughout the village
Kelvedon Parish Council works in partnership with volunteers and other bodies to:
- carry out litter clearance and road sweeping. Mr Andrews, our Parish Amenity and Maintenance Warden, keeps the village as clean and tidy as possible. Kelvedon was amongst the first villages to employ a full-time local worker.
- provide waste skips – from time to time, the council provides collection facilities for larger items at well advertised locations around the village. For those who have adequate transport, please remember that waste from our skips goes to landfill, whereas most waste can be recycled at the nearby Witham Amenity Centre – open almost every day of the year.
- provide Christmas Lights – a hard working team of volunteers installs and takes down the lights each year. The council is responsible for some power costs and all replacement bulbs. Extra volunteers are always welcome.
Kelvedon Parish Council gives grants to support:
- churchyards – mowing and other costs at the Parish Church and Kelvedon URC.
- the War Memorial – erected by public subscription organised by the council immediately after WW1, the Memorial is looked after by volunteers but most costs including major works (such as adding more recent names) are usually met by the parish council.
- the Local History Museum – costs continue to soar and the council is happy to help this unique local effort.
- Kelvedon in Bloom – for many years, Kelvedon has enjoyed summer flower troughs installed by the council. Our Kelvedon In Bloom Committee, funded by volunteer effort and a grant from the council, has succeeded each year in one or more categories of the Anglia in Bloom Competition.
- the Contact Youth Bus – free of charge during term time, the bus also visits Kelvedon at the expense of the council during holiday periods.
- various sports clubs – junior and senior football clubs and also the Cricket Club.
- the Village Hall – every year, monies are available for Village Hall uses and grants have been given to the Institute for specific works, the Kelvedon Community Association and to the URC for work on rooms available to the public.
In addition, the council makes representations on highways and traffic matters, flooding, mineral extraction, planning spplications, all types of government (and other bodies) consultations. In January 2007, the council purchased the access to land which it already owned to the rear of the Conservative Club and Institute. During 2008, it will have completed the construction of a 37 space village car park, which will serve the local community. More about the car park project.
APPENDIX 2: RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE CLERK TO THE COUNCIL
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
the Responsible Financial Officer and responsible for all financial records of
the Council and the careful administration of its finances.
Specific Responsibilities
- To ensure that statutory and other provisions governing or affecting the running of the Council are observed.
- To monitor and balance the Council’s accounts and prepare records for audit purposes and VAT.
- To ensure that the Council’s obligations for Risk Assessment are properly met.
- To prepare, in consultation with appropriate member, agendas for meetings of the Council and Committees. To attend such meetings and be responsible for minutes for approval.
- To attend all meetings of the Council and all meetings of its committees and sub-committees, other than where such duties have been delegated to another Officer.
- To receive correspondence and documents on behalf of the Council and to deal with or bring such items to the attention of the Council. To issue correspondence as a result of instructions of, or the known policy of, the Council.
- 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 and to ensure payment is received.
- 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 and to produce reports for circulation and discussion by the Council.
- To draw up, both on his/her own initiative and as a result of suggestions by Councillors, proposals for consideration by the Council and to advise on the practicability and likely effects of specific courses of action.
- To supervise any other members of staff, currently 2, as their line manager in keeping with the policies of the Council and to undertake all necessary activities in connection with the management of salaries, conditions of employment and work of other staff.
- To monitor the implemented policies of the Council to ensure they are achieving the desired result and where appropriate suggest modifications.
- To complete any other tasks the Council may reasonably require and to act as the representative of the Council as required.
- To issue notices and prepare agendas and minutes for the Annual Parish Assembly; to attend the Assembly and to implement the decisions made at the Assembly as agreed by the Council.
- To prepare, in consultation with the Chairman, press releases about the activities of, or decisions of, the Council.
- To attend training courses or seminars on the work and role of the Clerk as required by the Council.
- To work towards the achievement of the status of Qualified Clerk as a minimum requirement for effectiveness in the position of Clerk to the Council.
- To continue to acquire the necessary professional knowledge required for the efficient management of the affairs of the Council. Membership of the professional body, The Society of Local Council Clerks, is suggested.
- To attend the Conference of the National Association of Local Councils, the Society of Local Council Clerks, and other relevant bodies, as a representative of the Council as required.