TYDD
ST MARY PARISH COUNCIL
Hedgeview, 231
Broadgate, Sutton St Edmund, Spalding, Lincs, PE120LT
E mail tyddstmarypc@gmail.com
Communications Policy
A. Parish Council Correspondence
(i)
The
point of contact for the parish council is the Clerk, and it is to the Clerk
that all correspondence for the parish council should be addressed.
(ii) The
Clerk should deal with all correspondence following a meeting.
(iii) No
individual Councillor or Officer should be the sole custodian of any correspondence
or information in the name of the parish council, a committee, sub-committee or
working party. In particular,
Councillors and Officers do not have a right to obtain confidential
information/documentation unless they can demonstrate a ‘need to know’.
(iv) All
official correspondence should be sent by the Clerk in the name of the council
using council letter headed paper.
(Other than emails)
(v) Where correspondence from the Clerk
to a Councillor is copied to another person, the addressee should be made aware
that a copy is being forwarded to that other person (e.g.
copy to XX).
B. Agenda Items for Council, Committees,
Sub-Committees and Working Parties
(i)
Agenda should be clear and concise. They should contain sufficient information to
enable Councillors to make an informed decision, and for the public to
understand what matters are being considered and what decisions are to be taken
at a meeting.
(ii) Items
for information should be kept to a minimum on an agenda.
(iii) Where
the Clerk or a Councillor wishes fellow Councillors to receive matters for
“information only”, this information will be circulated via the Clerk.
C. Communications with the Press and Public
(i)
The Clerk will clear all press reports, or
comments to the media, with the Chair of the council or the Chair of the
relevant committee.
(ii)
Press reports from the council, its
committees or working parties should be from the Clerk or an officer or via the
reporter’s own attendance at a meeting.
(iii)
Unless a Councillor has been authorised by
the council to speak to the media on a particular issue, Councillors who are
asked for comment by the press should make it clear that it is a personal view
and ask that it be clearly reported as their personal view.
(iv)
Unless a Councillor is absolutely certain
that he/she is reporting the view of the council, they must make it clear to
members of the public that they are expressing a personal view.
(v)
If Councillors receive a complaint from a
member of the public, this should be dealt with under the Council’s adopted
complaints procedure, or via a council agenda item.
D. Councillor
Correspondence to external parties
(i) As the Clerk should be sending most
of the council’s correspondence from a Councillor to other bodies, it needs to
be made clear that it is written in their official capacity and has been
authorised by the parish council.
(ii)
A copy of all outgoing correspondence
relating to the council or a Councillor’s role within it, should be sent to the
Clerk, and it be noted on the correspondence, e.g.
“copy to the Clerk” so that the recipient is aware that the Clerk has been
advised.
E. Communications with Parish Council Staff
(i)
Councillors must not give instructions to any
member of staff, unless authorised to do so (for example, three or more
Councillors sitting as a committee or sub-committee with appropriate delegated
powers from the council).
(ii)
No individual Councillor, regardless of
whether or not they are the Chair of the council, the Chair of a committee or
other meeting, or are styled “Leader” of the Council, may give instructions to
the Clerk or to another employee which are inconsistent or conflict with
council decisions or arrangements for delegated power.
(iii) Telephone calls
should be appropriate to the work of the parish council.
(iv) E-mails:
·
Instant replies
should not be expected from the Clerk; reasons for urgency should be stated;
·
Information to
Councillors should normally be directed via the Clerk;
·
E-mails from
Councillors to external parties should be copied to the Clerk;
·
Councillors
should acknowledge their e-mails when requested to do so.
(v) Meetings with the Clerk or other officers:
·
Wherever
possible an appointment should be made;
·
Meetings should
be relevant to the work of that particular officer;
·
Councillors
should be clear that the matter is legitimate council business and not matters
driven by personal or political agendas.
Version
number |
Date
Approved |
Amendments
Made |
Next
Review Date |
V1 |
March
2021 |
|
March
2023 |
|
March
2023 |
None |
March
2025 |
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