brill parish council communication policy

Scope of this document

This strategy concerns communication with the public. Communication within the parish council team is covered in Brill Parish Council Standing Orders.

Importance of communication with the public 

Mutual trust An informed community trusts the council to spend public money wisely and for the good of all; the council does so knowing it has the support of the community. 

Reliable information Parish councils are increasingly the go-to source of information on public services and community groups (the public rarely distinguishes between county- and parish-level tiers of government).

Engagement Good communications ensure the public feel their views are actively sought, respectfully heard, and acted on appropriately; this makes everyone feel happier and makes a direct contribution to community cohesion and sense of belonging. 

Understanding Consistent and honest communications mean the public respect and support the council, even when things go wrong (the worst thing a council can do in difficult times is to stop talking).

Human connection Presenting a caring, friendly face to the public can break down invisible barriers between public and council, challenge negative stereotypes, and enhance the standing of the council - thus encouraging the councillors of the future.

Future resilience Good communications today lay the foundations for cooperation and innovation as we face a challenging future of climate change, new pandemics and other challenges to our way of life.

What does good communication look like?

Sustained, productive, respectful two-way conversations between the parish council and parishioners, in line with the objectives of the Parish Council (see appendix 1).

Principles of good communication

Our Code of Conduct (2021) and the Nolan Principles of Public Life (1995) apply to print and digital communication as they do to verbal communications and all other aspects of the councillor’s role. Regardless of origin or mode, each and every communication from the Parish Council should be:

Clear, and accessible to all sections of the community

Objective, honest but, where possible, positive, focusing on solutions rather than problems 

Respectful, kind and inclusive; composed so as not to cause hurt or offence - or exclude or discriminate against individuals or groups  

Rational, efficient and legal; in line with PC objectives, representing good value for public money, and complying with all legal and best practice requirements of privacy and accessibility

Written and digital communications are also subject to legislation including:

  • The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)

  • Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations (PECR)

  • The Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) Accessibility Regulations (2018)


Communication with individuals

Communication between individual members of the public and parish council may be in person, by phone, or in writing (letters or emails). Unless a resident approaches an individual councillor, the Clerk will be the initial point of contact and s/he is responsible for responding appropriately following research and/or consultation with the relevant councillor, as required. All communications that require an action or make a suggestion for the council should be entered in the Parish Communication Database.

All written communications will be acknowledged within 5 working days and a full response made as expediently as possible, in accordance with the urgency and complexity of the matter. If the response is likely to be delayed beyond 10 working days, the Clerk will inform the parishioner of the delay and suggest a likely timetable for resolution.

Face-to-face and phone messages to be responded to either immediately (if possible), verbally or by email, according to the wishes of the parishioner. The same timescales apply as to written communications.

Communication with the public 


The parish council communicates with the public face-to-face, through printed and digital documents, and social media.

Face-to-face communication includes the public time at the start of each parish council meeting (length at the discretion of the Chairman), councillor attendance at events such as the Community Market and coffee mornings, and, on occasion, door-to-door consultation. Actions and suggestions to be recorded on the Parish Communication Database, as above.

Written communication includes the posting of minutes and agenda on the noticeboard and the website (www.brillparishcouncil.co.uk); posters in various locations; notes in the monthly Bernode News; monthly e-newsletter; the annual report and financial statement; occasional surveys in print and email. A portfolio approach is taken in that these methods compliment and often replicate each other, the aim being to reach all sections of the community. Topics generally revolve around parish council business and projects. The Communication and Consultation Councillor and Clerk are jointly responsible for this area of communication.

Social media includes Instagram (@brillparishcouncil) and the Parish Council Facebook Page (https://www.facebook.com/brillparishcouncil), the latter supplemented by individual posts by Clerk and councillors in the Brill Village Chat. Topics may reflect parish council business and projects, convey Buckinghamshire Council messages, show the parish council in action or other positive aspects of community and village life. Instagram and Facebook posts may replicate or complement each other in order to reach younger and older members of the community. Social Media is the responsibility of the Communication and Consultation Councillor, with the support of other councillors.

Broadly speaking, the website is the depository of ‘evergreen’ communications - items of long-term relevance and policy - whilst social media is focused on ‘topical’ communication; accessible, positive communications to help build a strong, long-term relationship between the council and community, with the secondary aim of increasing use of the website as the primary source of parish council information. The evergreen and topical approaches work in synergy to in support of the parish council objectives outlined above.  

Audit


The Parish Communication Database will be reviewed by the Clerk once a week (at a minimum) to ensure all actions are updated and/or completed. A redacted portion of the Database will be presented to the parish council to enable councillors and public to review communications since the last meeting, or not yet resolved.

The Clerk is responsible for auditing her/his response to verbal and written parish communications. Any problems encountered should be reported to the Chairman or another councillor and the Clerk supported to resolve these.

Complaints

Complaints from the public may be verbal or written. All complaints will be acknowledged within 5 days. If the complaint is relatively straightforward, the Clerk will deal with it, and respond as quickly as possible with an apology, explanation and resolution. If s/he anticipates a delay (maybe to investigate further or consult a councillor), s/he will inform the complainant and give an estimate for a proper response. All responses to complaints should be in writing, regardless of the original method of communication. 

Complaints regarding the Clerk him/herself will be immediately forwarded to a councillor who will work with another councillor and, if appropriate the complainant, to resolve the matter. 

Complaints of a more serious nature, including those regarding individual councillors, will be forwarded to the Monitoring Officer at Buckinghamshire Council. Parishioners may also complain directly to the Monitoring Officer if they so choose; contact information is on the parish council website or should be supplied by the Clerk on request.

APPENDICES


Brill Parish Council (BPC) Objectives

  • Direct and indirect provision of effective, value-for-money services that meet the needs of the community (direct = grass cutting; indirect = reporting fly-tipping to Bucks Council) 

  • Initiate, encourage and support new and established projects that make a real contribution to community wellbeing 

  • Act as responsible custodians for our built and natural environment, thinking always of the impact on future generations   

  • Set high standards of governance and democracy to help build community confidence and trust

  • Model and facilitate good neighbourliness, including fairness, compassion, and the care of needy and vulnerable

  • Act as a conduit for communication between the community and Buckinghamshire Council, in particular the planning department 

  • Sign-post the public to Bucks Council services, other public-facing services, charities and community groups in Brill and beyond


The “Nolan Principles” 

Selflessness; Integrity; Objectivity; Accountability; Openness; Honesty; Leadership

Code of Conduct: relevant sections

(1) Respect 
“In your contact with the public, you should treat them politely and courteously. Rude and offensive behaviour lowers the public’s expectations and confidence in councillors”

(4) Confidentiality 
“There will be times when it is required by law that discussions, documents and other information relating to or held by the local authority must be treated in a confidential manner. Examples include personal data relating to individuals or information relating to ongoing negotiations.”

Parish Communication Database

This is maintained as a live Google document. Although the Clerk is jointly responsible alongside the councillor responsible for Communication and Consultation, all councillors are encouraged to edit and review the database to ensure they remain current with the concerns and expectations of parishioners and council workload. 

Column headings are:

  1. Date contact made

  2. Source: ‘email to Clerk’, ‘message via website’, ‘phone call to office’, ‘verbal to Cllr X’, and so on

  3. Name of parishioner; this to be redacted when the database is shared at parish council meetings

  4. Main content of communication and two further columns for secondary content

  5. Theme: Environment & Amenities, Planning, Roads & Traffic, Communications, Community

  6. Response (action)

  7. Person responsible for organising the action and replying to the member of the public; usually the Clerk

  8. Date action either taken or initiated (eg request to handyman) and resident informed

  9. Outcome & further actions

REFERENCES & SOURCES


Committee of Standards in Public Life (1995) The Seven Principles of Public Life https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-7-principles-of-public-life

Brill Parish Council Code of Conduct; based on Buckinghamshire Council Councillor Code of Conduct (2020), adopted October 2021
https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5be052f2f93fd481c1501584/t/614ad95b68fa2e16e842dc87/1632295259858/Brill+Parish+Council+Code+of+Conduct+%28Sept+21+2021%29.pdf 

Information Commissioner’s Office (2018) Guide to the General Data Protection Regulation 
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guide-to-the-general-data-protection-regulation

Information Commissioner’s Office (date unknown) Guide to Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations
https://ico.org.uk/for-organisations/guide-to-pecr/

Central Digital & Data Office (2019, 2021) Make your website or app accessible and publish an accessibility statement https://www.gov.uk/guidance/make-your-website-or-app-accessible-and-publish-an-accessibility-statement?utm_source=CampaignPage1&utm_campaign=access_regs

Getting your message across: A communications toolkit for local councils (2010) Commissions for Rural Communities and National Association of Local Councils https://www.nalc.gov.uk/ 

Building a 2-way conversation with your community (November 4, 2021) Online training provided by Buckingham & Milton Keynes Association of Local Councils https://bucksalc.gov.uk/ 

Creating a social media strategy for your council (October 26, 2021) Online training provided by Buckingham & Milton Keynes Association of Local Councils https://bucksalc.gov.uk/

This policy

  • Policy written by Cllr Hannah Hulme Hunter November 2021

  • Adopted as Brill Parish Council policy January 2022

  • For Review January 2023