Job Description for Clerk and Responsible Financial Officer
Overall Responsbilities
1. The Clerk to the Council will be the Proper Officer of the Council and as such is under a statutory duty to carry out all the functions and to serve or issue all the notifications required by law of a local authority’s Proper Officer.
2. The Clerk will be responsible for ensuring that the instructions of the Council in connection with its function as a Local Authority are carried out.
3. The 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 to produce all the information required for making effective decisions and to implement constructively all decisions.
4. The person appointed will be accountable to the Council for the effective management of all its resources and will report to them as and when required.
5. The Clerk will be the Responsible Financial officer and responsible for all financial records of the Council and the careful administration of its finances.
Specific Responsibilities
1. To ensure that statutory and other provisions governing or affecting the running of the Council are observed.
2. To monitor and balance the Council’s accounts and prepare records for audit purposes and VAT.
3. To ensure that the Council’s obligations for Risk Assessment are properly met.
4. To prepare, in consultation with appropriate members, agendas for meetings of the Council. To attend such meetings and prepare minutes for approval.
5. To attend all meetings of the Council, other than where such duties have been delegated to another Officer.
6. 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, or the known policy of the Council.
7. To receive and report on invoices for goods and services to be paid by the Council and to ensure such accounts are met. To issue invoices on behalf of the Council for goods and services and to ensure payment is received.
8. 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.
9. To supervise as manager, Sedgebrook’s Community Cleaner and to arrange payment of salary through the payroll.
10. To monitor the implemented policies of the Council to ensure they are achieving the desired result and where appropriate suggest modifications.
11. To act as the representative of the Council as required.
12. To issue notices and prepare agendas and minutes for the Annual Parish Meeting and to implement the decisions made at the extra meetings which are agreed by the Council.
13. To prepare, in consultation with the Chairman, press releases about the activities of, or the decisions of, the Council.
14. To attend training courses or seminars on the work and role of the Clerk as required by the Council.
15. To continue to acquire the necessary professional knowledge required for the efficient management of the affairs of the Council by attendance at conferences and seminars.
16. Membership of an appropriate professional body such as the Society of Local Council Clerks.
17. To carry out any other duties which may be assigned by the Council in relation to the role of Clerk/RFO.
18. To maintain political neutrality in conduction the role of Parish Clerk.