NALC event highlights strengthening digital and data compliance for parish and town councils
Over 650 attendees from parish and town councils across England joined our event on Assertion 10 to explore key areas of digital and data compliance, including data protection, transparency, and accessibility.
The event introduced attendees to practical resources, including a Data Protection Roadmap, the upcoming The Good Councillor's Guide to Website Accessibility, and a model IT policy designed to support councils in meeting their obligations.
Mark Tomkins, founder and creative director from Aubergine, stressed the importance of parish and town councils moving to council-owned domain names and ensuring websites comply with accessibility standards. He said, "Put simply, get the council's own domain name, specifically for the clerk's email address, ideally a .gov.uk, and make sure your website meets accessibility regulations". Mark shared practical tips for improving compliance. He urged parish and town councils to adopt IT policies that set clear guidelines for cybersecurity and digital resilience. He also highlighted the risks of non-compliance, including reputational damage and potential legal challenges.
Daniel Purchese, director, and Darren Braddock, head of information compliance services, from Breakthrough Communications, focused on (GDPR) principles and data protection best practice. Darren emphasised the importance of conducting data audits before drafting policies, stating, "You can't mitigate what you don't know. Start by discovering what data you have and why you process it". He warned against treating compliance as a tick-box exercise, explaining that it is a continuous process and that IT policies form part of the technical and organisational measures required under data protection law. Daniel reinforced that data protection obligations are not new, but that Assertion 10 provides an opportunity to spotlight compliance and adapt to evolving technology. He noted, "Time invested now to get this right will absolutely save you headaches and stress later on". While training is not mandatory, both strongly recommend it for councillors and clerks.
The event concluded with a Q&A session covering topics such as councillors using personal email addresses, Annual Governance and Accountability Return compliance, and redacting personal data.
The message from the event was clear. Assertion 10 does not introduce new requirements. It brings existing digital and data compliance obligations into sharper focus. Parish and town councils must demonstrate good practice in IT governance, data protection, and accessibility to meet legal, security, and transparency standards.
