News
The Civility and Respect Project releases new roles and responsibilities guidance
The Civility and Respect Project team have worked in partnership with Hoey Ainscough Associates Ltd to produce this roles and responsibilities guidance which has been approved for use by the National Association of Local Councils (NALC) and the Society of Local Council Clerks (SLCC).
Councillors and officers have different but complementary roles. Councillors, as the democratically elected representatives of their areas, set the budget and strategic direction of the local (parish and town) council and ensure that the community’s priorities are identified and delivered. The responsibility of officers is to advise the local council on whether its decisions are lawful and to recommend ways in which decisions can be implemented. The local council is responsible for decisions and officers take instructions from the council as a body, they are not answerable to any individual councillor, not even the chair.
The roles and responsibilities document expands on the guidance given in the protocol, gives practical examples and explains some of the ‘grey’ areas. It should be read alongside ‘The Good Councillors Guide’ and the Good Councillors series of publications published by NALC and the Model Councillor Officer Protocol.