Town Clerk

**The purpose of the job and its primary objectives**:
The Town Clerk 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 Town 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 Town 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 decisions. The Town Clerk is accountable to the Council for the effective management of all its staff, resources, and facilities.

The postholder will be accountable to the Council for the effective management of all its assets and resources and will report on these to Council as and when required. The Town Clerk will be the Responsible Financial Officer and responsible for all financial records of the Council and the careful administration of its finances. The postholder is the chief administrative and business manager for the Town Council and is required to ensure the effective management of services and income to the benefit of the Council and to seek out sources of additional income as appropriate.

**Specific Duties and Responsibilities**:
To ensure that statutory and other provisions governing or affecting the running of the Council are observed.

To monitor the work of the Deputy Town Clerk regarding the balance of the Council's accounts and the preparation of financial reports and records for audit purposes and VAT.

To ensure that the Council's obligations for Health and Safety obligations and Risk Assessment are properly met.

To prepare, in consultation with appropriate members, agendas for meetings of the Council and Committees. To attend such meetings and prepare minutes for approval. To attend all meetings of the Council and all meetings of its committees and sub-committees.

To receive correspondence and documents on behalf of the Council and to deal with the correspondence, or documents, or bring such items to the attention of the Council.

To issue correspondence as a result of instruction 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 upon those activities. Where appropriate, to discuss such matters with external parties such as administrators and specialists in particular fields and to produce reports for circulation, discussion and action as appropriate by the Council.

To seek out and optimize additional grant and other funding for Council services and facilities as appropriate.

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.

To supervise any other members of staff 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 the work of such staff. To ensure staff appraisals are carried out and contracts and job descriptions are updated as required.

To monitor the implemented policies of the Council to ensure they are achieving the desired result and where appropriate suggest modifications.

To act as the representative of the Council as required.

To prepare, in consultation with the Chairman, press releases and social media information 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 requirement for effectiveness in the position of Clerk of the Council.

To continue to acquire the necessary professional knowledge required for the efficient management of the affairs of the Council. It is suggested that the clerk become a member of the professional body: The Society of Local Council Clerks.

To attend the Conference of the National Association of Local Councils, that of the Society of Local Council Clerks and other relevant bodies, as a representative of the Council as required.

To undertake such other responsibilities and functions as may be required from time to time by the Council commensurate with the duties and responsibilities of the post.

**Other specific requirements of the position**:
There is a requirement to attend evening meetings and duties during the weekend, and during Public Holidays with ti