National Association of Local Councils - Quality Council Scheme

Most people will not heard about this Association but you can visit their website at:

http://www.nalc.gov.uk/Default.aspx

The National Association of Local Councils (NALC) represents the interests of town and parish councils in England - a total of around 8,500 councils.

Over 15 million people live in communities served by parish and town councils nationally – this represents about 35% of the population. Over 150 new parish and town councils have been created since 1997.

They run a Quality Parish & Town Council Scheme which started in 2003. The aim of the Scheme is to provide benchmark minimum standards for parish and town councils.

In order to achieve Quality Status, parish and town councils must demonstrate that they have reached the standard required by passing several tests. Full details can be accessed at the NALC web site.

• Electoral Mandate - at least two-thirds of the members of the council must have been elected.
• Qualifications of the clerk - The clerk must hold either: The Certificate in Local Council Administration (CiLCA) Or: The Certificate of Higher Education in Local Policy or Local Council Administration awarded by the University of Gloucestershire.
• Council meetings - A council which is in touch with its community is expected to hold regular meetings. AND draft minutes of the meeting are published within two months of the meeting taking place and are available for inspection by any elector in the parish.
• Communication and Community Engagement - The council is required to:  have a website which provides; - a list of council members and officers, together with details of how they can be contacted and; - provides access to your annual report; have an email address that is publicly available;  produce and publish a regular newsletter at least four times a year or contribute a specific section on your local council to a community newsletter at least four times a year;  include in its own newsletter or in the community newsletter the names of councillors and the clerk and how they can be contacted
  and 
  ensure that the councils newsletter or community newsletter is readily available at public(such as local shops, notice boards, libraries and village halls)
• Annual Report - Although there is no statutory duty to prepare an annual report, it is now common practice for the annual meeting to include some form of report on the activity of the council. This has
  

  often been a verbal statement from the chairman, but the Quality Parish and Town Council Scheme requires that the report should be more formal and be in a form suitable for wider publication.
• Accounts - The last available statement of accounts must receive an unqualified opinion from the external auditor in order to qualify for Quality status. It is required that the last available Statement of Accounts and Annual Governance Statement demonstrate that they were prepared in accordance with the statutory requirements and appropriate proper practices, and, have been approved and published as required by law and proper practices.
• Code of Conduct - There is a requirement to show that the council has formally adopted the Code of Conduct (in accordance with the Local Government Act, 2000).
• Promoting local democracy and citizenship - The council should be able to demonstrate that: It works proactively to support local democracy and citizenship in its local area
• Terms and conditions - Councils with a paid clerk provide evidence that they have adopted (as a minimum) the NALC/SLCC Terms and Conditions agreement. and  Provide evidence that they have issued all staff with a written contract of employment
• Training - Produce a Statement of Intent on training for both staff and members and at reaccreditation, provide evidence that this has been acted upon.

In Bedfordshire, as of 10th December 2010 the following Councils have achieved accreditation:

Ampthill, Bolnhurst & Keysoe, Brickhill, Caddington, Dunstable, Great Barford, Henlow, Houghton Regis, Kensworth, Leighton Linslade, Northill, Oakley, Pertenhall & Swineshead, Potton, Sandy, Stotfold & Studham.