Policies & Procedures

Communications and Engagement Policy

Background

Thimbleby Parish Council, on 18th June 2019, resolved to create a Communications and Engagement Policy; this document is the deliverable outcome of that resolution.

Objectives

This policy describes how the council will engage with parish residents and others, such that the

following objectives are achieved:

- A Parish Council that is aware of the direction in which the residents wish to guide the Parish; is aware of local risks and issues; can communicate with residents in an efficient, accurate and timely manner, and that by being accessible to all, local democracy is enhanced. To achieve this the Council must:

- Encourage residents to engage with the Council openly, simply and efficiently.

- Inform residents of the powers and duties of the Parish Council

- A Parish Council that has a clear and consistent approach to communicating with other bodies as required, for instance (but not limited to) ELDC, LCC, Businesses, Press.

- Raise the profile of Thimbleby Parish Council

Enacting this Policy

Thimbleby Parish Council has very little in the way of decision-making power, however it does have the ability to act as a conduit to those bodies that do have the power to effect change. When issues are properly raised to the council, it shall, via the clerk;

A) inform the raiser whether the council does or does not have the power to address the issue;

B) Inform the raiser which body (if known) does have the power to address the issue (to include contact details as appropriate);

C) Make further enquiries if a) or b) above are not known, thence inform the raiser;

D) Propose a future agenda item to consider the item raised in instances where the issue is within council scope.

In all cases the raiser of the issue shall receive a response from the council, via the Clerk; that response may not be what they wish to hear, but the issue shall not be allowed to disappear without response. Initial responses should be made within 10 working days of receipt.

All issues raised and corresponding responses shall be logged by the clerk.

All issues shall be subject to proper council consideration; no Councillor shall act alone. Issues raised may be considered by email circulation, ex-committee, with a reply-by date, whilst other issues may demand more formal debate at the next meeting.

Information Content

Communication of ordinary council activities shall be through the making available of meeting agenda and meeting notes (and minutes once formally approved), which the Clerk is responsible for producing.

These documents are essential in the conduct of council business and are therefore already produced - thus the use of these means no additional expenditure is required.

The layout of agenda and minutes, and the narrative detail included, shall follow LALC good practice (see appendices for examples). Most importantly there shall be sufficient narrative included such that a reader not present at the meeting, including future councils, is able to understand the subject being discussed, the reasoning, and the decision reached by the council.

Whilst the Clerk is responsible for the production of agenda and meeting notes / minutes, the council collectively has a responsibility to ensure accuracy and transparency. At council meetings therefore, the Clerk may be asked by the Chair to read out the notes taken (e.g. of the discussion), such that accuracy is established early in the process.

In all cases the council is committed to the use of clear, easy to understand English, with documents, including both written and financial, formatted for ease of reading and transparency, using a font size appropriate for notice boards.

Information delivery

Formal council documents (including agenda and notes/minutes) are published onto the Thimbleby Parish Council portal (parishes.lincolnshire.gov.uk). This is felt to be an excellent capability and shall continue to be utilised. It also includes a notification capability, whereby subscribers are notified by email of document uplifts. A key objective for the council is to raise awareness of this capability, by whatever means considered appropriate (e.g. Facebook community pages). Publication of information will only be in a single place (information will not be bifurcated across multiple electronic platforms for instance).

The council shall also continue to publish relevant material onto notice boards.

Residents shall be made aware that they are able to request printed copies of council documents via the clerk, at a cost, these costs to be reviewed and published periodically (cost of printing and postage, may also need to charge for Clerk’s time). Discounted rates for regular subscribers may be considered.

Formal email communications with the council are via the Clerk’s email. Whist not ideal (does not cater for Clerk holidays etc.), this is felt appropriate for a parish the size of Thimbleby, which is unlikely to go to the expense of dedicated web domain and email server.

Raising Awareness

The council shall make residents aware of the information available, and the delivery mechanisms that can be used (website portal, noticeboards, printed copies for example). Mailshots to homes within the parish may be considered, with a view to encouraging greater electronic communication where possible (cost and green agenda). That said the demographic profile of the village is likely to mean paper continues to feature.

An initial mailshot which explains Who we are; What we do (and don’t do); Why we exist and what powers we have, where to find more information, how to contact us, shall be considered. We may include a response request - how would the residents prefer to be communicated with. In due course a “Welcome Pack” for new residents may be created.

An annual report (following the Parish Meeting) shall be considered.

The council will encourage residents to attend meetings and to engage with the council, to ask questions of the Councillors, and to provide feedback on council activities. Complaints submitted will be managed using the Complaints procedure but will also be used to determine whether improvements might be made to council activities and procedures.

Continuous Improvement

Periodic assessment as to the efficacy of this policy will be made, with a view to amending and improving where identified.

Appendix - LALC Minutes Example

Minutes of the meeting of Sibblestone Parish Council, held on 2 November 2015 in Sibblestone Village Hall, at 7.30pm.

Present: Cllrs G Green (Chairman), S Smith, B Shoesmith, C Holmes, S Siddons and Mrs J Barker. In attendance: M Parker (Clerk and Proper Officer)

1. Apologies for absence and reasons given

Cllr Jones had notified the Clerk of his inability to attend and the Council Resolved to accept his reason for absence.

2. Minutes of the last meeting held on 4 October 2015

Cllr Smith pointed out an error on page 2, where the figure should read £222, not £22. The Chairman amended the notes and with this amendment, it was RESOLVED to adopt the minutes as a true record.

3. Matters Arising (very bad practice anyway.... but )

Under item 6, consideration of bus shelter provision on the Green, the Clerk reported that quotes had now been received and the matter would be listed on the agenda for the next meeting of 6 December for discussion and a decision. Details of all quotes would be circulated with the agenda.

4. Accounts for payment

Councillors considered the list, previously circulated, and Resolved to approve the following accounts for payment:

5. Playing field

Cllr Jones had been to the playing field to carry out a check on the goal posts and reported that one needed replacing due to vandalism. He had notified the Clerk, who had arranged for the goal post to be taken down pending a decision by the Council and had obtained quotes for a replacement of similar style and material.

Members had been circulated in advance with the details, and it was Resolved to accept the quote of £72.60 from JLB Sports for supply of a new post.

6. Grass cutting

Members discussed the work carried out to date under the current contract and noted several recent complaints received that current cuts were not up to the usual standard. It was Resolved that Cllr Jones and the Clerk would speak with the contractor and report back to the September meeting once any problems had been identified.

7. Renewal of insurance

The Council’s insurance policy would be due for renewal in April 2016. The Clerk was asked to obtain further quotes in line with Financial Regulations, to be considered at the next meeting in January.

8. New computer

To date, the Council had relied on a Clerk’s usage of personal IT equipment for council work. The Clerk reported that this was no longer an option, as her computer was now no longer serviceable. She was currently, therefore, using her husband’s laptop until a solution could be agreed.

Members offered to pay for any repairs that were necessary, but Cllr Holmes felt that the council should consider a dedicated machine for council work, rather than relying on the Clerk to provide the computer and printer. Members agreed to investigate the cost of a computer and printer, up to a budget of £700, to be met from general reserves, and would consider the outcome, together with the insurance quotes, at the extraordinary meeting to be held in late August.

9. Exclusion of public and press

It was Resolved to move into closed session to consider the next confidential staffing matter. Members of the public and press were therefore requested to leave the meeting at this point.

10. Staffing matters

It was Resolved to request that the Clerk left the meeting at this point, in order to allow for staff management discussion to take place.

Members received details of the Clerk’s recent appraisal, reviewed the terms and conditions as agreed to under the contract of employment, and it was RESOLVED that the Clerk’s salary would be raised by one spinal point as from 1 April 2016.

..................................................... Signed

Chairman

..................................................... Date

Appendix - LALC Agenda Example

Dear Councillor

You are hereby summoned to attend the next meeting of ‘X’ Parish Council, which will be held on ‘Y’ commencing at 7.30 pm in the Village Hall on Main Street, The business to be dealt with at the meeting is listed in the agenda.

here will be a 15-minute public forum between 7.15 and 7.30 when members of the public may ask questions or make short statements to the Council, and your attendance is also requested during this period,

Signature……………………. Clerk to the Council Date ….………….

Agenda

1. Chairman’s remarks

2. Apologies for absence and acceptance of any reasons given

3. To receive any declarations of interest in accordance with the requirements of the Localism Act 2011 and to consider any requests for dispensations

4. Notes of the last meeting held on…… to be approved as the minutes

5. Clerk’s report on matters outstanding

6. Financial matters:

a. Financial report

b. Funding for new playground adjacent to the Village Hall

c. To resolve that payment of £640.00 be made to Jones and Co for supply of a new bench outside the Village Hall

7. Planning matters:

Application no. 567/12 – erection of a new bungalow on the spare land adjacent to 57 Acacia Avenue

8. Correspondence:

a. To note general correspondence as per attached list

b. Letter from Forest District Council requesting nomination of a parish council representative to serve on the new area Community Forum

c. Letter from a parishioner complaining about the anti-social behavior of young people in the bus shelter

9. To receive reports from representatives on outside bodies

10. To resolve on whether the Council will move into closed session to consider the following two confidential staffing and legal matters in accordance with the Public Bodies (Admission to Meetings) Act 1960.

Should this resolution be passed the public and press will be required to leave the meeting at this stage

11. To receive a report on the clerk’s annual performance and agree any actions resulting from this review

12. To agree the council’s response to the letter from Small and Co. Solicitors in connection with a recent accident on the playing field

ADOPED NOVEMBER 2021