What follows is a thought-provoking analysis of the Quality Parish Council scheme (from the Communities, Parishes and Local Councils website, May 2012)
Criticisms of the existing QPC scheme:
- It failed to be understood by residents as it was poorly communicated,
- The requirement to have a web site totally ignored content and quality,
- If the qualified clerk left and was replaced by an untrained, unqualified clerk QPC status was retained,
- If the the number of elected councillors fell below the minimum requirement the council still retained their QPC status
- There was no requirement to publish the basis on which the status was awarded,
- There are no definitions of the actual standards only that a certain number of criteria had to been met,
- The re-accreditation process does not require improvement.
It has failed to foster continuing professional development in the sector. It’s now time for this flawed failed scheme to be abandoned. So what could replace it?
Recommendations for a new approach:
Maybe there is a simpler and lower level approach that would let residents know if they are getting a fair deal from their council by just asking for a few basic questions.
1. Are the majority of the councillors there because they were actually elected rather than co-opted by their friends on the council?
2. Have councillors engaged in training to give them the tools and knowledge to do their job for their community to the best of their ability?
3. Has the council Clerk been trained to give them the tools and knowledge to do their job for the council to the best of their ability?
4. Has the council consulted its community and developed some form of plan that reflects the needs and aspirations of its residents?
5. Has the council developed a strategy and committed to a forward financial plan to use its fund raising powers to deliver those community needs and aspirations?
6. Does the council have a clean simple website which communicates more than the basics to residents and visitors.
If your council can say yes to the above then they are a 5 star council and they and your community should be awarded 5 star status. MAKE YOUR OWN JUDGEMENT ABOUT BIGBURY’S PC AND LET THEM KNOW BY LEAVING A COMMENT ON THIS WEBSITE!
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