Documents

This Advice Note explains the behaviours that can be described as bullying or harassment, what a local council as an employer can do to prevent these behaviours and how councillors should be expected to behave towards council staff. It is best practice for local councils to adopt a bullying and harassment policy to protect its employees.

• YLCA Advice Note 28 : Bullying and Harassment of Council Employees revised November 2019 (PDF, 153 Kb)

This Advice Note explains the process to follow when a casual vacancy occurs (a vacancy which occurs part way through a councillors four year term of office) on a local council. It includes guidance on by-elections and the co-option process and notifying the elections office of the principal authority.

• YLCA Advice Note 27 : Co-option Following a Casual Vacancy revised January 2019 (PDF, 100 Kb)

This Advice Note explains the requirements of the transparency code for smaller councils ( all local councils with a turnover not exceeding £25,000). It gives links to the legislation and includes a list of the information which is required to be published on a publicly accessible website.

• YLCA Advice Note 26 Transparency Code for Smaller Councils revised June 2019 (PDF, 135 Kb)

This Advice Note gives guidance to local councils on the elections process including a councillors term of office, insufficiency of candidates, the return of election expenses, declaration of acceptance of office, date of annual meeting, election of chairman/vice-chairman, the co-option process and what to include in an induction pack for new councillors.

• YLCA Advice Note 25 : Elections 2019 revised May 2019 (PDF, 152 Kb)

This Annex relates to YLCA Advice Note 22 and is a template recording policy.

• YLCA Advice Note 22 Annex : Template Recording Policy (MS Word, 34 Kb)

This Advice Note explains that under The Openness of Local Government Bodies Regulations 2014, anyone can record a council meeting. It also covers the requirement for the recording of decisions made by officers using delegated powers. There is a separate Annex to this advice note which is a template recording policy document for local councils.

• YLCA Advice Note 22 : The Recording of Meetings and Officer Decisions revised June 2019 (PDF, 150 Kb)

This Advice note sets out the legal and policy position in relation to Travellers and some of the key powers available, including to local councils, to address illegal and unauthorised encampments.

• YLCA Advice Note 21 : Travellers Briefing Note revised September 2014 (PDF, 149 Kb)

This Advice Note explains the freedom granted by the general power of competence, the criteria to be met before a local council can use it and some restrictions on using the power.

• YLCA Advice Note 19 : General Power of Competence revised April 2019 (PDF, 250 Kb)

This Advice Note includes guidance on salary scales for clerks, contracts of employment and disciplinary and grievance procedures.

• Legal Topic Note 17 : The Basis of Employment of the Clerk revised May 2019 (PDF, 100 Kb)

This Advice Note explains the requirement under Freedom of Information legislation for all local councils and parish meetings to adopt a Publication Scheme which gives details of information held by the council or parish meeting which is unreservedly available to the public.

• YLCA Advice Note 16 : The Mandatory Publications Scheme revised April 2019 (PDF, 146 Kb)

This Advice Note explains parish polls at a parish meeting.

• YLCA Advice Note 15 : The use of Parish Polls revised April 2019 (PDF, 125 Kb)

This Advice Note explains how the number of councillors on a local council can be calculated based on the number of electors in the parish and states how a review of the number of councillors can be instigated.

• YLCA Advice Note 14 : Number of Councillors revised April 2019 (PDF, 48 Kb)

This Advice note explains internal controls, internal audit and external audit.

• YLCA Advice Note 13 : The Three Stages of Local Council Audit revised May 2019 (PDF, 108 Kb)

This Advice Notes explains a councils committee structure of council/committee/sub- committee and working party.

• YLCA Advice Note 12 : Committees of the Council revised December 2018 (PDF, 232 Kb)

This Advice Note outlines public rights in relation to local councils and includes public participation at meetings, suggested rules for a public session at a council meeting, freedom of information and data protection.

• YLCA Advice Note 11: Dealing with Members of the Public revised May 2019 (PDF, 108 Kb)

This Advice Note relates to the process for dealing with casual vacancies on the council including advertising the vacancy and the co-option process.

• YLCA Advice Note 10 : Casual Vacancies revised April 2019 (PDF, 106 Kb)

This Advice Note covers the legislation relating to a chairman's allowance, what it can be used for and how payment is made.

• YLCA Advice Note 9 : Chairmans Allowance revised May 2019 (PDF, 114 Kb)

This Advice Note covers the status, agenda, notice and chairmanship arrangements for Parish Meetings.

• YLCA Advice Note 08 : Parish Meetings revised May 2019 (PDF, 88 Kb)

This Advice Note covers agendas, decision taking and discussion of business at a council meeting including meeting notices, agendas and rights of the public.

• YLCA Advice Note 07 : Council Meeting Agendas revised March 2019 (PDF, 86 Kb)

This Advice Note explains the legislation which allows a councillor to take reasonable time off work to attend council meetings.

• YLCA Advice Note 06 : Councillors Rights to Time off work revised April 2019 (PDF, 111 Kb)

This Advice Note outlines the power of last resort, Section 137 of the Local Government Act 1972 and gives the current year's spend limit under the power.

• YLCA Advice Note 05 : Section 137 revised May 2019 (PDF, 30 Kb)

This Advice Note gives a list of local council powers for councils that do not have the General Power of Competence.

• YLCA Advice Note 03 : Local Council Powers revised December 18 (PDF, 160 Kb)