Clerk to The Council and Responsible Financial

**CLERK TO THE COUNCIL AND RESPONSIBLE FINANCIAL OFFICER**

**(PART TIME - 30 HOURS PER WEEK. The Council is committed to providing a flexible working environment and will give consideration to home working.**

The Town Clerk will be paid in line with NALC SCP Pay Scale 19 at £14.48 per hour. On achieving the ILCA qualification, they will be paid at SCP 22 £15.30 per hour and on achieving the Certificate in Local Council Administration, they will be paid £16.16 per hour.

**Overall Responsibilities**

The Town Clerk & R.F.O. will be the Proper Officer of Longridge Town Council (the Council) and as such is under a statutory duty to carry out all the functions of the Council, 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 its functions 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 in particular 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 resources and will report to them as and when required.

The Town Clerk is expected to be fully involved in the Strategic Planning Process of the Council.

**Specific Responsibilities**

1. To ensure that statutory and other provisions governing or affecting the running of the Council are observed.

2. As Responsible Financial Officer be responsible for the preparation of budgets, the balancing and reconciliation of the Council’s accounts and preparation of records for audit purposes and VAT, the receiving and reporting on invoices for goods and services to be paid for by the Council and ensuring such accounts are met, issuing invoices on behalf of the Council for goods and services to ensure payment is received. To ensure that bad debtors and historical debts are pursued according to Council policy. To prepare financial reports for the Council and its committees. To advise on setting of the precept for each financial year.

3. To work in close partnership with Ribble Valley Borough Council and a range of local bodies and organisations to both deliver the day to day work of LTC and also in the development of strategic planning for the Council.

4. To ensure that the Council’s obligations for Risk Assessment are properly met and to act as The Council’s Health and Safety Officer.

5. To prepare, in consultation with appropriate members, agendas for meetings of the Council, Committees and Working Parties. To attend such meetings and prepare minutes for approval, other than where such duties have been delegated to another officer.

6. To provide support and assistance to both the Mayor and other Councillors as they may require in their discharge of their duties as Councillor.

7. To attend all meeting of the Council and all meetings of its committees and working parties, as instructed by the Council.

8. 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 instructions of, or the known policy of the Council.

9. 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.

10. 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.

11. To be responsible for the overall supervision and management of any and all LTC staff 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 ensure staff appraisals are carried out and contracts and job descriptions are updated as required.

To act as Line Manager to staff members.

12. To manage the Council’s property portfolio, ensuring appropriate security, insurance, licenses, and planned preventative maintenance are in place. To administer and promote the use of all Council buildings for the benefit of the public.

13. To monitor and review annually the implemented policies, financial regulations, and standing orders of the Council to ensure they are achieving the desired result and where appropriate suggest modifications.

14. To act as the representative of the Council as required; to organise and manage civic events.

15. To issue notices and prepare agendas and minutes for the Annual Town Meeting: to attend th