Policy, Resources & Communications

Agenda

HASSOCKS PARISH COUNCIL

To:      All Members of the Policy Resources & Communications Committee (Ian Weir, Paul Shepherd, Lesley Cruickshank-Robb, Kate Bailey, Don McBeth and Maria Angelaki-King) with copies to all other Councillors for information.

A meeting of the POLICY RESOURCES & COMMUNICATIONS COMMITTEE will be held on Tuesday 21 January 2024 at 7.30pm in the Parish Centre, Adastra Park, Hassocks.

Parish Clerk 14th January 2024

1. TO ACCEPT APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE

2. TO ACCEPT DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST

3. MINUTES. To accept the Minutes of the Policy Resources & Communications Committee held on 26th November 2024. (Previously Circulated).

4. PUBLIC PARTICIPATION

5.1. REMEMBRANCE DAY. (Verbal update)

5.2 Memorial Stones – Members are requested to determine whether they wish to consider the
Re-dedication of the recently installed Memorial Stones in the Garden of Remembrance. If Members are supportive of the proposal consideration should be given to potential dates. Member’s views are sought.

6. Training – The attached papers (Appendix 1 & 2) set out the current training opportunities for both Councillors and staff. Up until recently the majority of training delivered by West Sussex Association of Local Councils (WSALC) was via Mulberry & Co who are the Parish Councils auditors.

Recently WSALC have put in place alternative training arrangements via another third party provider(s), however Mulberry & Co will continue to deliver their own Parish Council training programme independently of WSALC. The cost differential between the respective providers is minimal, however as a result of these changes parishes will be able to access a wider range/choice of training sessions.

Both providers will be delivering these courses remotely via Zoom to reduce the cost of the sessions. The current published courses offered cover the period up to the end of March 2025, however some of the courses being offered via WSALC may be bookable beyond this date directly with the third party provider(s).

Members are requested to note the content of the training programmes relating to Councillors in particular, which will be circulated to all Members, inviting expressions of interest from Members who may wish to attend any of these sessions, which can be booked via the office.

To view Appendix 1 please click here.

To view Appendix 2 please click here.

7. Policies – Members are requested to consider whether they wish to introduce a programme for this Committee to review set policies on either a rolling programme throughout the year or at set times of the year.

A number of policies would benefit from review to align them more closely to the model documents now available on the National Association Local Councils website. With the current changes in staff it would seem an ideal opportunity if members were supportive of this approach to introduce this regime in the new financial year, which would also support the staffs understanding of the organisations governance framework.

Key policies that are required to be reviewed ideally prior to the governance statements in May/June are Standing Orders /Financial Regulations. Although the current version remain fit for purpose NALC have produced updated versions which Members may wish to consider adapting/adopting these post the year-end audit.

If Members were minded to support a programme of policy reviews they may wish to develop a forward plan for this Committee, setting out key target dates of when it’s anticipated the Committee would receive specific policies for consideration so that actions can be monitored, together with any other key decisions etc. (e.g. budget monitoring/ precept etc.).

Member’s views are sought.

8. URGENT MATTERS at the discretion of the Chairman for noting and/or inclusion on a future agenda.

9. DATE OF NEXT MEETING. 18 February 2025.

Exclusion of Public and Press In view of the confidential nature of the business about to be transacted Councillors will be referred to the Confidential agenda. If any members of the public or press are present they will be requested to withdraw from the meeting.

CONFIDENTIAL

10.MINUTES. To accept the confidential minutes of the Policy Resources & Communications Committee held on the 26th November 2024 (previously circulated).

11. STAFFING MATTERS. (Verbal update)

Please Note
All members of the public are welcome to attend meetings of the Parish Council and its Committees.
Item 4 – a period of 15 minutes will be set aside for the public statements and questions relating to the published non-confidential business of the Meeting.  It may be necessary to consider particular items in confidential session and where this arises, these items will be considered at the end of the agenda.

FILMING, RECORDING OF COUNCIL MEETINGS AND USE OF SOCIAL MEDIA
During this meeting members of the public may film or record the Committee and officers from the public area only providing it does not disrupt the meeting. The Confidential section of the meeting may not be filmed or recorded. If a member of the public objects to being recorded, the person(s) filming must stop doing so until that member of the public has finished speaking. The use of social media is permitted but members of the public are requested to switch their mobile devices to silent for the duration of the meeting.