Council Matters: Parish Clerk

Parish Clerk and Responsible Financial Officer

The Council is looking for a part time Parish Clerk and Responsible Finance Officer – typically 10-15 hours per month.

This role is primarily working from home, with attendance at one monthly meeting in Avonwick.

We are looking for a friendly, well-motivated person with attention to detail, ideally with a background in council work and or finance.

North Huish Parish Council is a small, friendly parish council in south Devon and you will be dealing with councillors, members of the public, and other organisations as part of the role.

You will be attending a monthly meeting, and producing agendas, taking minutes, circulation of emails and correspondence and dealing with some phone calls, and dealing with finance for the Council.

Salary is currently £13.06 per hour, and subject to NALC pay review annually at LC1(9).

For further information please contact the current Clerk:

Zoe O’Sullivan: clerk@northhuishparishcouncil.co.uk | (01364) 223 122

If you would like to apply for this position, please send your CV with a covering letter to the Clerk. If you prefer to apply by post, contact details are available here.

Applications must be received by Friday 3rd May 2024.

Job Description: Parish Council Clerk/Responsible Financial Officer for North Huish Parish Council

Overall Responsibilities:

The Clerk will be the Proper Officer of the Council and as such is under a statutory duty to carry out all the functions, and to serve or issue all the notifications required by law of a local authority’s Proper Officer. The Clerk will be 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 to produce all the information required for making effective decisions and to implement constructively all said decisions.

The Clerk is 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, responsible for all the financial records of the Council and the careful administration of its finances.

Specific Responsibilities:

  1. To ensure that statutory and other provisions governing or affecting the running of the Council are observed.
  2. To monitor and balance the Council’s accounts and prepare records for audit purposes and VAT.
  3. To ensure that the Council’s obligations for Risk Assessment are properly met.
  4. To prepare, in consultation with appropriate members, agendas for meetings of the Council. To attend such meetings and prepare minutes for approval.
  5. To receive correspondence and documents on behalf of the Council and to deal with the correspondence/documents bringing such items to the attention of the Council as necessary. To issue correspondence as a result of the instruction or the known policy of the Council.
  6. 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.
  7. To study reports and other data on activities pertinent to the Council. Where appropriate, to discuss such matters with administrators and specialists in particular fields and to produce reports for circulation and discussion by the Council.
  8. 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 practicability and likely effects of specific courses of action.
  9. To monitor the implemented policies of the Council to ensure they are achieving the desired result and update where appropriate. A list of strategic documents is available.
  10. To act as the representative of the Council as required.
  11. To issue notices and prepare agendas and minutes for the Parish Meeting: to attend the assemblies of the Parish Meeting and to implement the decisions made at the assemblies that are agreed by the Council.
  12. To attend training courses or seminars on the work and role of the Clerk as required by the Council.