Council Governance

The Parish Council publishes as much information as it can, including financial policies and procedures such as:

• Operating procedures (Standing orders and financial regulations)
• Accounts
• Budgets
• Details of staff employed
• Councillors' declarations of interest
• Policies and Procedures

Contact the Parish Clerk if there is any further information you feel should be available.

By law, Whiston Parish Council is responsible for making sure that its financial management is adequate and effective and that a strong system of financial control is in place.

This information is published in the parish council's financial regulations. The regulations include arrangements for the:

• management of risk, and
• prevention and detection of fraud and corruption.

The financial management of the Council is reviewed by an independent internal auditor and examined by our external auditor PPK Littlejohn. Their address is:

1 Westferry Circus
Canary Wharf
London
E14 4HD

The Responsible Financial Officer administers Whiston Parish Council's financial affairs in line with the correct practices, keeps records of accounting practices and makes sure records are maintained and up-to-date.

Whiston Parish Council is governed by a set of rules and laws called standing orders. The standing orders set out the way Whiston Parish Council should conduct its business.

The standing orders include rules ranging from how to manage and conduct a meeting, to the way in which a council should deal with complaints.

Freedom of information requests can be made to any publicly funded body. The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) gives you the right to ask for any recorded information we hold on any subject.

Requests for information should be addressed to the Parish Clerk using the contact details on our Contact Us page.

An audit of the Council's accounts for the previous year is carried out by the external auditor following approval of the accounts by the Council meeting early in each new financial year after 1st April. The audited accounts will be published by 30 September along with any issues raised by the external auditor. The Annual Governance statement is published as page 2 of the Annual Return (AGAR) and is approved by Council at either the May or June meeting.

Whiston Parish Council's insurer is:

Zurich Municipal
Zurich Town and Parish Team
PO Box 726
Chichester
PO19 9PS

Telephone: 0800 778 552

Email: enquiries@zurichtownandparish.co.uk