EMERGING FROM LOCKDOWN – RISK MANAGEMENT GUIDANCE
Effective risk assessment and management will be key to re-opening facilities and services safely, in line with the government rules and guidelines. Please see the BHIB produced council service re-opening checklist and also the BHIB general workplace risk assessment documents available in our website documents folder.
WEBSITE ACCESSIBILITY
National ALC has produced new guidance on how to comply with the website accessibility regulations that come into force in September. The publication, Website Accessibility Requirements, provides practical steps that local (parish and town) councils can follow to understand the new regulations, put in place an accessibility statement, and improve the accessibility of their website. The Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) Accessibility Regulations 2018 aim to ensure reasonable adjustments to websites are made, so they are accessible to people with various disabilities. From 23 September 2020, all local councils must have an action plan and an accessibility statement in place and would have started work to their websites to become more accessible.
LOOKING AFTER YOUR HEALTH
National ALC have partnered with Team Doctor to provide free support at these times. This includes a series of bite-sized films to help people address some of the major issues which occur in and around the workplace. This is available free for two months, so please do take a look and support your health today.
WANTING TO UPGRADE YOUR WEBSITE?
Norfolk ALC has been working closely with Broadland Digital for the last couple of years in managing and supporting the local Norfolk parish websites. Broadland Digital is now able to also offer local parishes a more enhanced bespoke website solution. The new offering has been developed to meet the requirements of parish councils who might want to build on their current website, for example, with a choice of domain name, design upgrades and bespoke email addresses. Sites will also be fully complaint with all the latest accessibility requirements - as are our current Norfolk Parishes sites. Call Broadland Digital a call on 01603 407786 to discuss the needs of your website.
KEEPING IN TOUCH – ZOOM MEETINGS THIS WEEK
We will again be holding Zoom conference calls next week, including.
Wednesday 10 June – Clerk Conference calls
South Norfolk, Broadland and GYBC councils at 2pm.
North Norfolk, Breckland and KLWN councils at 3.30pm.
Wednesday 10 June – Chairman Conference call at 5pm.
UPCOMING TRAINING COURSES
Courses with vacancies remaining for June and July are:
Managing Local Councils Meetings during Covid-19
22 June, 11am to 1pm
Alan Fairchild, MBE, FSLCC, has applied the 'Covid19' factor to his ever popular Meeting Law & Good Practice course and this session will deal with arranging and running "virtual" Local Council Meetings.
An Introduction to Neighbourhood Planning
24 June - 10am-12 noon
25 June - 7pm-9pm
Rachel Leggett’s session is designed to give Town and Parish Councils an understanding of what is involved in the development of a Neighbourhood Plan. To include: what is and is not a Neighbourhood Plan, an overview of the Neighbourhood Plan process, how to get started with confidence, developing a vision and objectives, writing the plan, what else could be involved, bringing the Neighbourhood Plan into force and resources needed.
Charities and Parish Councils
26 June - 10am-1pm
Charlotte Stannard will explain the types of trusteeship and the roles and responsibilities that accompany them. It will cover the definition of a charity, governing documents, incorporation liability and some myth busting around parish councils' duties towards charities.
A Good Appraisal
30 June - 10am-11am
Delivery by Chris Moses, LLM Chartered FCIPD, from Personnel Advice and Solutions Ltd (our Associate HR consultant)
This webinar will focus on how to prepare and conduct a productive appraisal, whether you are the appraiser or the appraisee. This course is designed for Clerks, Chairman of Council/Personnel Committee.
Engaging Your Community
1 July - 10am-12 noon
2 July - 7pm-9pm
Delivered by Rachel Leggett, this session is designed to give town and parish councils ideas for engaging their community that go beyond questionnaires, public meetings and posters on noticeboards. To include: community profiling, who are the 'hard to reach', traditional ways to consult: public meetings, questionnaires done well (and badly), creative, engaging, fun and new ideas for engaging and consulting your community, good practice principles and resources
Neighbourhood Planning, Where do we go from here?
8 July - 10am-12 noon
9 July - 7pm-9pm
Rachel Leggett’s session is designed to give an existing Neighbourhood Plan group support in moving forward. To include:
Establishing a project plan from here – what are the steps you need to undertake?
Trouble shooting.
What can you be doing at your desk during lock down?
Bringing the Neighbourhood Plan into force: examination, referendum, adoption.
Resources.
Role of the Clerk - Induction Training
3, 10, 17 & 24 July
Delivered by Gabbie, this is our essential foundation training for new Clerks, and covers the your role, the role of the Council and the Councillors as well as powers and duties, standing orders, meetings, finance, information management, planning, elections, casual vacancies and co-option and much more.
Part One - The Core Roles
Part Two - Law & Procedures
Part Three - Finance
Part Four - Management & Community
This course is also suited to Clerks who wish to refresh specific knowledge and can be booked as individual modules - contact Gabbie for more information on this.
Thinking about CiLCA but want to know what's involved before you commit? Book a place on our CiLCA introduction
7 July - 10am to 12 noon
An opportunity to discuss your CiLCA study ambitions with our SLCC recognised Trainer, Gabbie Joyce. We will consider what is involved and how you might prepare for embarking on your learning.
Managing Performance
14 July - 10am-11am
Delivery by Chris Moses, LLM Chartered FCIPD, from Personnel Advice and Solutions Ltd (our Associate HR consultant)
This webinar will consider a best practice policy for managing performance and expectations of performance. This course is designed for Clerks as Managers and employee, Personnel Committee members, other councillors involved/interested in the Council's HR function.
Being An Effective Councillor
21 July and 23 July
Delivered by Gabbie, this course is in two parts and covers roles and responsibilities, getting things done for your community, procedures and law, working with your Clerk, planning, budgeting and finance.
Managing Word and PDF Documents
One-to-One training
Update your existing documents and learn how to create your own documents in Word or PDF format that meet the accessibility standards under the Public Sector Website Accessibility legislation.
Please contact Helen to arrange a session at a convenient time to both parties.
Website Accessibility
One-to-One training
The new web accessibility regulations create legal obligations for public sector websites. These include having a website that is as accessible as possible as well as an accessibility statement.
This course is an individualised experience with an to opportunity look at your own website.
Please contact Helen to arrange session at a convenient time to both parties.
More training courses are scheduled in the autumn, please go to the Calendar for more information and dates.
Finally, please continue to let Gabbie know of your requirements for webinars etc. Keep in touch with her at trainer@norfolkalc.gov.uk.
Click here to access news from Breckland Council
Click here to access news from Borough Council of King's Lynn & West Norfolk Click here to access news from Broadland District Council Click here to access news from Great Yarmouth Borough Council
Click here to access news from Norfolk County Council
Click here to access news from North Norfolk District Council
Click here to access news from South Norfolk Council
