Appendix A Policies File Report – Annual Finance Meeting 2023

BOZEAT PARISH COUNCIL                                                                                                       

POLICIES FILE REPORT – ANNUAL FINANCE MEETING 2023                APPENDIX A

Bozeat Parish Council reviews all policies, terms of reference, guidelines and fees at the Annual Finance Meeting in January each year.

Policies may be added or amended during the year.

All recommended amendments are highlighted in yellow on the document.

Bozeat Parish Council adopted the Civility and Respect Pledge during 2022 and this was added to the file.

Some items such as allotment rents and guidelines and the cemetery fees and guidelines are included on the agenda as separate items.  Items not listed separately on the agenda are listed below: –

• Page 11 – Complaints Handling Policy – change “Borough Council of Wellingborough” to “North Northants Council”.
• Page 15 – Health & Safety Policy – item 5 required that a log book be kept of all work undertaken in the Cemetery etc, however the change of grass-cutting, general maintenance etc in the cemetery means that all contractors provide dates and details of work done on their invoices. I recommend that item 5 be removed or amended.  Also, under items 6 and 7, there is a requirement for an accident report book and first aid kit to be kept in the lodge.  An accident report book is kept by the Clerk so it may be unnecessary to keep one in the lodge and the contractors have their own first aid kits so the requirement to keep a kit in the lodge may be unnecessary – recommend that items 5 and 6 be removed or amended.  Under item 9, remove the word “Churchyard”.
• Page 18 – Remote and Hybrid Meeting Policy – this was adopted in line with Government guidance relating to the Covid19 pandemic. At present the law does not permit remote and hybrid meetings, however pressure is being put on the Government to allow local authority meetings to take legally take place using remote and hybrid access so I recommend that the policy is retained for the time being, with a note added that “should the law permit remote and hybrid meetings, this policy be implemented”.
• Page 19 – Risk Assessment Policy and Procedure – I recommend that Bozeat Parish Council forms a small working party to consider whether this policy and procedure, and the appraisal documents remain fit for purpose.
• Page 35 – Terms of Reference for the Local Environment Group – replace Conservation, Environment and Rights of Way with BEES.
• Page 36 – Insurance Register – make any amendments as per the Insurance Report.