The Parish Council employs one member of staff, the Parish Clerk, who is also the Responsible Financial Officer for the Council.

Louise Chater has been the Clerk for North Mundham Parish Council since October 2001 following the completion of the Certificate in Local Council Administration; Louise became a qualified Clerk on 23rd January 2008. This, in due course, enabled the Parish Council to become a Quality Council on 20th August 2010.

Louise lives in the nearby village of East Wittering with her husband and two children. Her interests include skiing, Archery, Silver Smith and surfing.

Qualifications

CiLCA section 7 certificate

Cilca Certificate dated 23rd January 2008

Continuous Professional Development

CPD Record 12th October 2022 – 12 October 2023

Certificate of Membership to Institute of Local Council Management

What does the Clerk do?

The Role of Proper Officer

According to some, the Clerk “takes the minutes and opens the post”. However, these days, a parish clerk does rather more than that. In the 21st century, the Clerk to North Mundham Parish Council (its sole employee) is:

  • the minute taker and Council letter writer (still)
  • the Proper Officer: an advisor to the Council on how to conduct its business within the vast range of applicable legislation
  • the Responsible Finance Officer, making sure all audit requirements are fulfilled, tenders, estimates and quotations are properly solicited, budgets are set and monitored, payments are only made under legal Council powers, and the Council is given the advice it needs to set the precept.
  • the Council office manager: opening post, answering emails and telephone calls, responding to Freedom of Information requests, and keeping Councillors and parishioners apprised of what is going on via noticeboards and the web site.
  • the meeting administrator, making sure that Councillors, press and public have the information they need to conduct the meetings efficiently and according to the Code of Conduct.
  • the book-keeper, keeping all financial records and ensuring payments are made on schedule.
  • the planning administrator, making sure that Councillors and parishioners get the information they need to respond to applications.
  • the payroll administrator, making sure that salary is paid and PAYE and NI properly deducted.
  • the web master, responsible for what you see here.

… and the gopher, doing lots of other little things necessary to keep the Council’s business running smoothly.

Training

Training Record: Louise Chater (Clerk)

DateCourseLocationCourse Provider
27th-28th
February 2009		Practioners ConferenceStoke on TrentSLCC
10th March 2009Stepping Stones ConferenceLondonNALC
21st May 2009VATLondonHM Revenue & Customs
16th July 2009Power of Well BeingTurners HillSALC
28th September 2009Clerks Networking DayPulbroughSALC
11th November 2009Regional ConferenceUckfieldSLCC
7th December 2009Local Development FrameworkTangmerePlanning Aid
26th - 27th February 2010Practioners ConferenceStoke on TrentSLCC
19th May 2010Press Writing CourseLondonacmtraining.co.uk
11 November 2010Regional ConferenceUckfieldSLCC
17 November 2010Health & Safety, Risk Assessment & Appraisal DayEast GrinsteadSALC
17 November 2010Annual Meeting with the ParishesChichesterCDC
19 October 2010Employer TalkWinchesterHM Revenue & Customs
25-26 February 2011Practioners ConferenceStoke on TrentSLCC
03 March 2011Social Media TrainingChichesterCDC
01 July 2011SLCC Branch ConferenceMaidstoneSLCC
4th July 2011All together nowChichesterChichester District Council
30th November 2011Big Society Small DetailsEast GrinsteadSLCC
5th December 2011Clerks Networking DayCrossing in HandSALC
8th March 2012First Aid at WorkBrackleshamAlan John Associates Ltd
28th March 2012Regional ConferenceMaidestoneSLCC
26th April 2012Power of General ComptenceSandhurstSLCC
1st - 2nd March 2013Practitioners ConferenceDerbySLCC
7th March 2013SLCC Branch ConferenceWinchesterSLCC
2nd April 2015 SLCC branch meetingLittlehamptonSLCC
19 May 2015Tranparency Code MeetingBurgess HillSLCC
21 May 2015How to win more bookings HamseyAction in Rural Sussex
10 June 2015 Mapping Programme Training ChichesterParish On Line
20 October 2015Legal & FinanceEast GrinsteadSLCC
27 January 2016Adult First Aid Warnham ParkSt John Amblance
25 - 26 February 2016Practitioners Conference
8 February 2016Clerks Networking DayDorkingSALC
11 April 2016Pension Training ChichesterWest Sussex County Council
12 April 2016Pension TrainingChichesterWest Sussex County Council
21 October 2016West Sussex ALC AGM/ConferencePulbroughSALC
27 October 2016Pension TrainingChichesterWest Sussex County Council
1 November 2016Clerks Networking DayEast GrinsteadSALC
3 March 2017 Symosium of Patners Chichester Festival TheatreWSCC/CDC
21 March 2017Clerks Networking DayFontwellSALC
27 March 2017Pension TrainingChichesterWest Sussex County Council
5 April 2017All Parishes Meeting ChichesterChichester District Council
15 June 2017 Health & Safety Risk Assessment WorkshopChichesterSALC
5 July 2017 Data Protection WebinarSLCC
13 July 2017 Legal & Finance Day FontwellSALC
20th September 2017All Parishes MeetingChichesterChichester District Council
17th October 2017Budget Planning & Precept Setting LewesSALC
1st November 2017SLCC Regional Road ShowWinchesterSLCC
6th February 2018GDPR Chichester Park HotelSLCC
26th March 2018Data Protection TrainingChichester Park HotelSLCC
24th April 2018Dementia Friendly TrainingNorth Mundham Village HallDementia Awareness Group
30 April 2018 All Parishes Meeting Chichester District CouncilChichester District Council
7 January 2019 VAT CourseBillingshurstSLCC
26 January 2019 Election BreifingChichester Park HotelSLCC
21 March 2019Pension TrainingBurgess HillWSCC
23 September 2019Affordable Homes for Sale -WebinarLocality
26 September 2019Legal & FinanceBrightonSLCC
4 November 2019First Aid at Work Bracklesham BarnEast Wittering & Bracklesham Parish Council
23rd January 2020 MappingParish Onlineonline
11th February 2020Cloud Computing for the Modern CouncilSLCCwebinar
26th March 2020MappingParish Onlineonline
28th April 2020 MappingParish Online online
28th July 2020Rebuilding Communities NALConline
10th September 2020Finding New Parish CouncillorsSALConline
14th September 2020Life after LockdownSALConline
16th September 2020 Building a two-way conversation SALConline
12th-16th October 2020National ConferenceSLCConline
11th November 2020 Producing Accessible Excel Spreadsheets online
12th November 2020Cyber Essentials SALConline
17th November 2020 Producing Accessible Word & PDF Documents online
12th January 2021SLCC Clerks MeetingSLCConline
2nd February 2021Google AnalyticsWSCConline
2nd February 2021SLCC Clerks MeetingSLCConline
8th February 2021SSALC Clerks Networking ForumSALConline
8th February 2021CDC Meeting with the ParishesCDConline
11th February 2021Clerks MeetingSLCConline
10 February 2021 - The Basics of Cyber Security SLCConline
23rd-25th February 2021Practitioners ConfrerenceSLCConline
2nd March 2021Clerks MeetingSLCConline
11th March 2021Clerks Briefing MeetingCDAKConline
30th March 2021IT Meeting & Document ManagementCloudy ITonline
31st March 2021Crisis Communication online
19th May 2021COVID 19 risks & resilience when exiting locdown SLCConline
20th May 2021Clerks MeetingSLCConline
26th May 2021 How to get young people involvedNALConline
24th June 2021Clerks MeetingSLCConline
8th July 2021Clerks ForumWSALConline
15th July 2021Clerks MeetingSLCC online
22nd July 2021Road Closures DataOne Network online
29th July 2021Broadcasting meetingsCloudy IT online
9th September 2021All Parishes MeetingCDConline
16th September 2021Nature VergesWSCConline
23rd September 2021Clerks MeetingSLCConline
29th September 2021ScribeFestScribe online
6th October 2021Covenants Fund TrustWest Sussex Civilian Military Partnership Board online
14th October 2021Clerks MeetingSLCConline
10th October 2021Training SeminarSLCConline
18th November 2021Clerks MeetingSLCConline
30th November 2021Ransomware PlaybookClear Insuranceonline
10th December 2021Branch Meeting SLCC online
11th January 2022Clerks MeetingWSALConline
12th January 2022Microsoft increase briefingCloudy IT online
7th February 2022All Parishes MeetingCDConline
15th - 17th February 2022Practitioners ConferenceSLCConline
23rd February 2022Leveling Up the nation NALConline
23rd March 2022Climate ChangeSLCC online
11th April 2022 Clerks Forum WSALC online
21st April 2022SLCC Clerks MeetingSLCC Oving Village Hall
18th May 2022SX Police Focus GroupPolice CommissionerSelsey Town Council
24th May 2022Preparing for Net Zero LC Energyonline
13th June 2022First Aid TrainingBognor
16th June 2022SLCC Clerks MeetingSLCC Felpham Community Centre
29th June 2022OS Data HubOrdnance Surveyonline
13th July 2022SLCC Branch MeetingSLCC online
14th July 2022Clerks Forum WSALC online
20th July 2022Big 50 Conversation SLCC online
21st July 2022SLCC Clerks MeetingSLCCBersted Village Hall
7th September 2022Finance SummitOnline
13th September 2022SLCC Clerks Meeting SLCCNorth Mundham Village Hall
14th October 2022Scribefest Scribe Online
20th October 2022SLCC Clerks MeetingSLCC Felpham
10th January 2023 SLCC Clerks MeetingSLCCNorth Mundham Village Hall
16th January 2023 WSALC Clerks ForumWSALCOnline
6th February 2023CDC All Parishes MeetingCDCOnline
9th March 2023 SLCC Clerks MeetingSLCCBersted
20th March 2023Carbon Literacy Carbon Literacy TrustOnline
28th March 2023 Community Infrastructure LevyCDCOnline
20th April 2023 SLCC Clerks Meeting SLCCBersted
6th June 2023 Carbon Literacy Part 1SLCCOnline
13th June 2023 Carbon Literacy Part 2SLCCOnline
20th June 2023Community Speed Watch CSWOnline
21st June 2023 Revolutionising Local Transportation: Past Present & FutureScribeOnline