Adopted 11th May 2026, 013/26

Review: May 2027

 

Authority

The Communications Working Group is appointed by and solely responsible to St Agnes Parish Council.  The Working Group’s duties are defined and agreed by the Full Council who may vote at any time to modify them. The Working Group has no decision-making or spending power delegated to it, but will present recommendations to the Council, or to a Committee of the Council, for discussion and decision.  The Working Group may be authorised to deliver a programme of work – including incurring expenditure – upon resolution of the Full Council only.

Purpose

The Communications Working Group provides an advisory and oversight role to support the Council’s Communications Officer in the ongoing development of the newsletter and other communication routes/strategy e.g., social media. The Working Group will approve a standard format for the newsletter, which will support residents to become familiar with the document and recognise what to expect; review the Council’s media strategy; review resident feedback; suggest topics of community interest; and consider high-level trends in readership and distribution. This provides a structured opportunity to reflect on performance, share insights and help shape the newsletter and other communication direction.

Newsletter articles may be authored by a named Councillor, with the support of a named Officer/member of staff, if required; however, named authors are not required to be members of the Working Group.

Communication informs residents about the work of the Parish Council, including facilities, services, decisions, upcoming meetings, important notices, events, and other local news or issues relevant to the community. The newsletter and other social media platforms used by the Council from time to time shall work in conjunction with the Council’s website. The Council’s communications shall:

  • Support transparency by clearly summarising Council decisions – provide context and explanation
  • Build trust through predictable schedules
  • Reach diverse audiences
  • Strengthen community cohesion

Membership

Membership will consist of a maximum of five (5) people, with a minimum of two (2) appointed Parish Councillors. Councillor members are established at the Annual Parish Council Meeting and thereafter, if Councillor vacancies arise, by the Full Council. The Working Group may appoint community representatives. The Working Group may elect a Chair, who shall be responsible for calling and running meetings and delegating actions with support from the Communications Officer and/or Clerk. It has the discretion to elect a Vice Chair.

Quorum

Quorum will be three, to include one (1) Parish Councillor.

If the only appointed members are the two required Councillors, the quorum will be both Councillors, who shall work collaboratively to reach unanimous recommendations. In this case, no Chair of the Working Group will be appointed.

Frequency of meetings

The Communications Working Group shall meet quarterly and ad-hoc as required. Meetings may take place virtually, physically, or in a hybrid format as regulations and Working Group members dictate.

Public Participation

There is no legal right to attend, as this is not a decision-making body of the Council.  Admittance of the public to meetings is at the discretion of Working Group members.

Record of meeting

Meeting minutes will be produced and submitted to Full Council at the next available meeting. When tasks are created and delegated, each will have a designated person of responsibility. They will have the duty of reporting on their task progress at each Working Group meeting, either in person or by way of a written report.

Review & termination

The Working Group may review its Terms of Reference as required and make recommendations to the Full Council. Only the Full Council may resolve to make changes to the Terms of Reference. The Working Group will terminate by resolution of the Full Council.