A competent Clerk underpins a good Council.
The role of Clerk is to ensure that the Council as a whole conducts its business properly and to provide independent, objective and professional advice and support.
All Local Council meetings are open to the press and public. They are led by the Council’s Chairman and advised by a Clerk who is there to see that business is conducted within the law.
A job description will always list the duties in detail but here’s a useful summary:
Typically the Clerk is also the Responsible Financial Officer and
The job is no different from large to small councils. What is different however is the amount of time needed to deal with the volume and complexity of business. For small parishes this need be only a few hours each week while for the larger councils it could be a full time commitment.
Most council meetings are held ‘out of hours’ so being a part time clerk is not just a daytime activity.
Pay and Conditions
Most councils operate nationally recognised rates. You should expect-
Skills and attributes needed
Clerks usually pride themselves in having a good deal of common sense, confidence to handle the administrative work, being a good organiser, IT literate and able to get on with most people. Underwriting these qualities is a sense of public duty – of wanting to help others in the community.
