Policy, Resources & Communications

Agenda

HASSOCKS PARISH COUNCIL

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

A meeting of the POLICY RESOURCES & COMMUNICATIONS COMMITTEE will be held on Tuesday 15 October 2024 at 7.30pm in the Parish Centre, Adastra Park, Hassocks.

Parish Clerk – 9th October 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 3rd September 2024. (Previously Circulated).

4. PUBLIC PARTICIPATION

5. REMEMBRANCE DAY. Father Alex has confirmed the following arrangements will be in place:

Sunday 10th November:

Community Act of Remembrance meeting at 10.45 Keymer War Memorial & Clayton Lych-gate.

Monday 11th November (Armistice Day)

Keymer War Memorial at 10.45.

6. COMMUNICATIONS. To consider future items for publication.

7. Safeguarding Policy – The attached policy was adopted in September 2023 and has been requested to be reviewed by the Chair of the Committee. Members are therefore requested to review the attached policy set out in (Appendix 1.)

8. Data Protection Policy – The attached policy was formally adopted in 2018 and should be subject to review periodically. (Appendix 2).  This policy supports the Councils registration with the Information Commission Office (ICO) who are responsible for overseeing compliance with data protection. Members views are sought.

9. SECTION 106 Agreements – verbal update

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

11. DATE OF NEXT MEETING. 26 November 2024.

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

12. MINUTES. To accept the confidential minutes of the Policy Resources & Communications Committee held on the 3rd September 2024 (previously circulated).

13. STAFFING MATTERS. (Appendix 3)

Please Note
All members of the public are welcome to attend meetings of the Parish Council and its Committees.
Item 6 – 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.

APPENDIX 1

HASSOCKS PARISH COUNCIL SAFEGUARDING POLICY

1. Introduction

1.1 Hassocks Parish Council expect that all who use our services and facilities are treated with respect and kept safe from harm. We are committed to taking all reasonable precautions to safeguard the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable persons when they are engaged in activity associated with the Parish Council and /or whilst using our premises and facilities.

2. Safeguarding

2.1 The Council will endeavour to safeguard children and vulnerable persons, in that:

  • The welfare of the child and vulnerable adult is paramount
  • All children and vulnerable adults have the right to protection from abuse
  • All suspicions and allegations of abuse will be taken seriously and responded to swiftly and appropriately
  • All staff, volunteers and elected members of the council have a responsibility to report concerns to the appropriate officer (Parish Clerk)
  • All staff, volunteers and elected members of the council are not to deal with situations of abuse or to decide if abuse has occurred

3. Duty of care

3.1 Disclosure and Baring Service (DBS) checks will be carried out on relevant staff in accordance with the eligibility criteria in the Rehabilitations of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975.

3.2 Hassocks Parish Council has a duty of care to protect others from harm; this includes a range of processes including risk assessment and health & safety practices.

3.3 Allegations or suspicions of inappropriate behaviour by a member of staff or Councillor must be referred immediately to the Clerk who will refer the matter to Social Services at County Council for investigation. The Clerk will log concerns and record action taken; this information will be stored confidentially.

3.4 Hirers of Parish Council facilities must ensure that any activities for children, young people and other vulnerable adults are only provided by a fit and proper person. When requested, you must provide us with a copy of your Safeguarding Policy and evidence that appropriate Disclosure and Barring service (DBS) checks have been undertaken.

Contact numbers for reporting concerns

Children

·         West Sussex Safeguarding Children Partnership:         01403 229900

·         For emergencies which require same day response:     07711 769657

About vulnerable adults

·         Adult Social Care:                                                                 01243 642121

·         For emergencies which require a same day response:  033 022 27007

In case of an emergency please ring 999

 

You MUST refer; you MUST NOT investigate approved 12/4/22 – Full Council

 

APPENDIX 2

HASSOCKS PARISH COUNCIL

DATA PROTECTION POLICY

1. Introduction

1.1 The council holds and processes information about employees, councillors, residents and customers, and other data subjects for administrative and commercial purposes.

1.2 When handling such information, the council, and all staff or others who process or use the information, must comply with the Data Protection principles as set out in the Data Protection Act 1998 (the Act).

2. Data protection principles

2.1 There are eight principles set out in the Act, which in summary state that data shall:

  • be processed fairly and lawfully
  • be obtained for a specified and lawful purpose and shall not be processed in any manner incompatible with the purpose
  • be adequate, relevant and not excessive for the purpose
  • be accurate and up-to-date
  • not be kept for longer than necessary for the purpose
  • be processed in accordance with the Data Subject’s rights
  • be kept safe from unauthorised processing, and accidental loss, damage or destruction
  • not be transferred to a country outside the European Economic Area, unless that country has the equivalent levels of protection for personal data, except in specified circumstances

3. Responsibilities

3.1 Hassocks Parish Council is the Data Controller and must ensure that any processing of personal data for which they are responsible complies with the Act.

3.2 The Data Protection Officer is a designated representative, who acts on behalf of the council, and is responsible for:

  • fully observing conditions regarding the fair collection and use of information
  • meeting the Council’s legal obligations to specify the purposes for which information is used
  • collecting and processing relevant information, only to the extent that is required to fulfil operational needs/to comply with legal requirements
  • ensuring the quality of information used
  • applying strict checks to determine the length of time that information is held
  • ensuring that the rights of the people whom information is held are able to be fully exercised under the Act
  • taking appropriate technical and organisational security measures to safeguard personal information
  • ensuring that personal information is not transferred abroad without suitable safeguards
  • ensuring that everyone managing and handling personal information:

full understands that they are contractually responsible for following good practice in terms of protection

is adequately trained to do so

are appropriately supervised

4. Storage and retention

4.1 Personal data is kept in paper-based systems and/or on a password-protected computer system.

4.2 The council will keep different types of information for differing lengths of time, depending on legal and operational requirements. More information can be found in the council’s Document Retention Scheme.

5. Access to information

5.1 Any employees, councillors, residents, customers and other data subjects have a right to:

  • ask what personal information the council holds
  • ask what this information is used for
  • be provided with a copy of the information
  • be given details of the purposes for which the council uses the information and any other persons organisations to whom it is disclosed
  • ask that any incorrect data held is corrected
  • If it is felt by the data subject that any personal information held is incorrect the individual may request that it be amended. The council must advise the individual within 21 days whether or not the amendment has been made.

6. Breach of policy

6.1 Compliance with the Act is the responsibility of all councillors, residents, customers and members of staff. Any deliberate or reckless breach of the policy may lead to disciplinary action and where appropriate, legal proceedings.

6.2 Any individual who believes that the council has breached any of the requirements of the Data Protection Act 1998 should raise the matter with the Clerk. Alternatively, a complaint can be made to the Information Commissioner, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF.

Adopted: Sept 2018

Minutes

HASSOCKS PARISH COUNCIL

Minutes of the meeting of the Policy Resources & Communications Committee held on 15 October 2024 at 7.30pm in Parish Centre, Adastra Park, Hassocks

Attendees: Parish Councillors, Ian Weir, Paul Shepherd, Lesley Cruikshank-Robb, Frances Gaudencio and Kate Bailey.

Parish Clerk: Ian Cumberworth

MINUTES

PRC24/41    APOLOGIES – none

PRC24/42    DISCLOSURE OF INTERESTS

Disclosure by Councillors of personal interests in matters on the agenda, and whether the Councillor regards their interest as prejudicial under the terms of the Code of Conduct. – None.

PRC24/43    MINUTES

The minutes of the meeting held on the 3rd September 2024 were accepted as a true and accurate record of the meeting.

PRC24/44    PUBLIC PARTICIPATION

No members of the public were present.

PRC24/45    REMEMBERANCE DAY

The Clerk advised that he had received correspondence from Father Alex indicating that the following arrangements would be in place:

Sunday 10th November

Community Act of Remembrance:

10.45  Keymer War Memorial

10.45  Clayton Lych-gate

Monday 11th November (Armistice Day)

Keymer War Memorial  10.45

The Clerk advised that they had been in contact with the British Legion to ascertain the arrangements for obtaining wreaths this year but are yet to hear back.

The Clerk undertook to follow this up and make alternative arrangements if necessary to obtain two wreaths on behalf of the Council: one for Keymer and one for Clayton.

Members discussed who would be attending the respective events. It was confirmed that wreaths would be laid by Cllr Gaudencio at Keymer and Cllr Shepherd at Clayton. All other members would be encouraged to attend.

PRC24/46    COMMUNICATIONS

The Clerk introduced two items for consideration, the first being the proposed article for inclusion in the forthcoming edition of Hassocks Life which was circulated at the meeting.

All Members were supportive of the article and requested that the Clerk submit the item for publication to appear in the November edition of Hassocks life,

The second item related to the forthcoming Hassocks on Show event scheduled for Saturday 26th October 10 am – 3 pm. Members were circulated with the layout plan of the hall. Members discussed how the event might be manned during the day and to seek further clarification from Members regarding their availability to attend on the day. Cllr Weir undertook to provide further details to the Clerk to circulate to Members.

The Council along with all other participants have been requested to donate an item for inclusion in the raffle, Members expressed the view that they felt it would be appropriate to offer a coaching session voucher via the LTA resident coach in Adastra Park. The Clerk undertook to contact the coach to arrange this.

PRC24/47    SAFEGUARDING POLICY

Members considered the current Safeguarding Policy which had previously been adopted in September 2022. Members discussed the content of the document in detail and the wider aspects of Safeguarding with a view being expressed by some Members felt that the wording on the current document should be broadened.

The suggestion was that the current policy should be less prescriptive of the categories of groups to be protected but a more generic description should be used simply stating all users of the Councils facilities: The Clerk was requested to undertake some further research on other examples with a view to modifying the current policy if required. This would then be brought back to a future meeting for consideration.

PRC24/48    DATA PROTECTION POLICY

Members considered the attached policy and felt that it did not require any further amendment at this point but that data protection should be more explicitly referenced within the Communications Policy to cover the use of data including images/videos etc.

It was also discussed the need to ensure that all Council business continues to be exchanged via the official .gov.uk email accounts.

The Clerk undertook to revisit the Communications Policy and amend which will be brought back to a future Committee for consideration.

It was noted that Members were content to leave the current Data Protection Policy as is without further amendment.

PRC24/49    SECTION 106 AGREEMENTS

The Clerk informed Members that Mid Sussex District Council (MSDC) used to provide detailed spreadsheets to parishes setting out the position of individual funds held in each parish which the Council have been seeking to obtain an up to date version.

The Clerk recently attended a meeting with other parishes with Mid Sussex District Council where they indicated that the detailed spreadsheets will no longer be provided due to the resources involved in there creation for all of the parishes. MSDC however indicated that they are in the process of recruiting to fill a new post: Section 106 & Infrastructure Manager whose main responsibilities will include:

Key Point of contact with the Parishes, Accountability for securing, collecting and monitoring and reporting developer contribution monies.

It’s also understood that alongside this MSDC are acquiring a new S106 monitoring software package that will provide ‘Real time’ position information at any given time, therefore parishes will be able to access improved information.

Members sought clarification from the Clerk with regard to whether there is funding available to support the drainage scheme within the park. The Clerk advised that from the current records held it would indicate that funding might be available from the ‘formal sport’ allocation. Members therefore requested that the Clerk submit an application for funding to support this project.

The Clerk agreed to submit an s106 application with a view to securing funding towards the project which is scheduled to be delivered 2025/26.

PRC24/50    URGENT MATTERS AT THE DISCRETION OF THE CHAIRMAN – none

PRC24/51    DATE OF NEXT MEETING

To note that the date of the next meeting as Tuesday 26th November 2024 at 7.30pm