COUNCIL STRUCTURE & ROLES
Hurworth Parish Council
Operational Structure
The Chair and Vice Chair are elected at the Annual Meeting, which is usually held in May of each year.
The council operates in a proactive mode, and to achieve best results employs an assignment concept. Each councillor is assigned, with their consent and willingness, a specific role and responsibility. Somw responsibilities are addressed by more than one councillor, and can be a committee or Working Group.
The major responsibilities
are listed as follows:-
Finance Working Group – recently this has composed the full council
Allotment Committee – two council representatives, and four allotment holders
Trees
Open Spaces
Environment
Leisure and play areas
Highways
Planning
Newsletter and web site upkeep
Paths and Rights of Way
Association representatives
Vetting Committee – Chair, Vice Chair, immediate past Chair, immediate Vice Chair
Internal Review Committee – three councillors, excluding members of the Vetting Committee
All councillors will give their report at the full monthly council meeting.
Actions, agreed upon by the full council, will be delegated to the Clerk for Action. These actions may be shared with designated councillors.
The progress, and outcome, of all Actions are reported upon at each full council meeting, until the matter is concluded.
Succession Planning
The council is conversant that certain roles and responsibilities require either a degree of expertise or specific training.
In order to smooth the way for the future, the council employs the following methodology:-
The Vice Chair, although not automatically elected as the next Chair, sits in on the weekly review/ preparation meeting between the Chair and the Clerk. In this manner, the Vice Chair is fully conversant with current matters and also gains experience in readiness for Chairmanship.
Roles which require specific expertise are a challenge to all councils, and particularly small volunteer councils, such as Hurworth Parish Council. Two examples are the future of the Newsletter and the web site maintenance and upkeep.
It is the council’s policy to identify a councillor who has appropriate skills, and is willing to take on the responsibility in 12 months time. This allows a reasonable period for the person to gain experience, and be confident on undertaking the role at the next Annual Meeting, or in an emergency.
The council requests the Parish Clerk to give a minimum of 3 months notice period, and to undertake to assist the new Clerk for at least one month, during the changeover period.
Delegation Concept
A small council with one paid Clerk and twelve volunteer councillors makes it difficult to formulate a Delegation Policy. It is therefore a simplistic organisation chart, viz:-
Chair will delegate to Vice Chair, if circumstances dictate this. Examples: Sickness, absent from meeting, declaration of interest conflict.
The full council delegates responsibility to individual councillors or designated Committees or Work Groups, who will report back to the full council.
Most ‘Actions’ having been agreed formally by the council are delegated to the Parish Clerk to perform. The Clerk reports back to the council at the monthly meeting, or earlier, if circumstances demand this.
