HASSOCKS PARISH COUNCIL
To: All Members of the Policy Resources & Communications Committee: Maria Angelaki-King, Lesley Cruikshank-Robb, France Gaudencio, Don McBeth, Paul Shepherd (Chair), Ian Weir (Vice-Chair) with copies to all other Councillors for information.
A meeting of the POLICY RESOURCES & COMMUNICATIONS COMMITTEE on Tuesday 27 January 2026 at 7.30pm in the Council Chamber, Parish Centre, Adastra Park, Hassocks
Parish Clerk 20 January 2026
Members of the public are encouraged to come to the meetings and there is an opportunity for them to address the Council relating to the non-confidential items on the published agenda. A period of 15 minutes will be set aside in item 4 Public participation. It may be necessary to consider particular items in confidential session and where this arises, these items will be considered at the end of the agenda.
1. TO ACCEPT APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE
2. TO ACCEPT DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST
3. MINUTES. To accept the Minutes of the Policy Resources & Communications Committee held on 16 December 2025. (Previously Circulated).
4. PUBLIC PARTICIPATION
5. COMMUNICATIONS (Verbal update)
6. FINANCIAL SCRUTINY – on 12 Jan 2026 Cllrs Shepherd and Angelaki-King reviewed the financial paperwork for the period Sept-Dec 2025 in accordance with the Bank Verification Procedures.
7. BANKING – Members are advised that forms have been submitted to Barclays Bank to remove Angus Neil as an account signatory and to close the two redundant savings accounts.
8. BUDGET MONITORING – the agreed budget provides a basis for monitoring progress during the year by comparing actual spending and income against what was planned. Members are asked to review the budget monitoring report for the period 1 April 2025 – 12 January 2026 to check progress (Appendix 1). Click here to view Appendix 1.
9. LICENSES – Members are advised that Cllr Shepherd authorised:
9.1. the Clerk to sign a License Agreement regarding a shed constructed on Parish Council land behind the tennis courts.
9.2. the Deputy Clerk to sign a S115 License Agreement with West Sussex County Council Clerk to allow us to site a planter at Keymer Parade (relocated from Orion Parade).
10. Digital and Data Compliance – Members are asked to
11. Filming and Photography Policy – Members are requested to:
12. POLICY REVIEW DATES – details of adopted Council policies and review periods for information (Appendix 4). Click here to view Appendix 4.
13. STAFFING – Members are asked to APPROVE the Job Description and Person Specification for a new Community Engagement Officer post (Appendix 5), prior to recruitment with a view to appointing an additional member of staff early in the next financial year 2026/27. Click here to view Appendix 5.
14. URGENT MATTERS at the discretion of the Chair for noting and/or inclusion on a future agenda.
15. DATE OF NEXT MEETING – 17 March 2026.
FILMING, RECORDING OF COUNCIL MEETINGS AND USE OF SOCIAL MEDIA
During this meeting members of the public may film or record the Committee and officers from the public area only providing it does not disrupt the meeting. The Confidential section of the meeting may not be filmed or recorded. If a member of the public objects to being recorded, the person(s) filming must stop doing so until that member of the public has finished speaking. The use of social media is permitted but members of the public are requested to switch their mobile devices to silent for the duration of the meeting.
Appendix 2
HASSOCKS PARISH COUNCIL
Committee Meeting: Policy, Resources & Communications
Report of: Parish Clerk
Date: 27 January 2026
Subject: Digital and Data Compliance – Agenda item 10
Purpose of Report
1. To provide an overview regarding digital and data compliance with regard to Assertion 10 of the Annual Governance and Accountability Return (AGAR).
Recommendations
2. Members of the Committee are asked to note the Council’s responsibilities, review the updated draft policy documents and RECOMMEND them to Council for approval
a) Accessibility Statement (Appendix A)
b) Data Protection Policy (Appendix B)
c) Privacy Notice (Appendix C)
Background
3) Under the Accounts and Audit Regulations 2015, Hassocks Parish Council must review procedures and complete an Annual Governance and Accountability Return, in accordance with the Practitioners Guide which details ‘proper practises’.
4) The 2025 Practitioners Guide introduced Assertion 10 which requires parish councils to demonstrate proper governance frameworks with regard to digital presence, data protection practices and IT management.
5) The key requirements are:
a) Use of Council-Owned Domains: Councils must use email addresses hosted on their own domains (e.g., clerk@yourparishcouncil.gov.uk) instead of free services like Gmail or Outlook. This ensures professional communication and proper data governance.
b) Website Accessibility: Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) are an internationally recognised set of recommendations for improving web accessibility. All council websites must comply with WCAG 2.2 level AA, ensuring their digital services are accessible to all residents, including those with impairments to their
c) IT Policy Development: Councils are encouraged to adopt an IT policy that outlines how members and staff should conduct authority business securely and legally when using technology.
d) Documentation and Transparency: Councils must publish required documents under the Freedom of Information Act and maintain up-to-date accessibility statements on their websites.
e) Data Protection Compliance: Councils must comply with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018. This includes processes for data handling, sharing, storage and breaches, conducting data audits, and providing training for staff and councillors.
Compliance
6) Hassocks Parish Council complies with these requirements by:
a) Ensuring all Councillors and staff only using Council owned domains for Council business e.g. lastname@hassocks-pc.gov.uk
b) Paying a specialist company to carry out quarterly web accessibility checks and publishing an Accessibility Statement. The current Accessibility Statement needs to be updated, and a revised draft is attached for review (Appendix A). Click here to view Appendix A.
c) The adoption and publication of an IT Policy (October 2025)
d) Making the information required under the Freedom of Information Act 2020 and Local Government Transparency Code 2015 available on the Council’s website
https://www.hassocks-pc.gov.uk/the-parish-council/transparency/
e) The Council adopted a Data Protection Policy in 2018 which needs to be updated, and a revised version is attached for review (Appendix B). Click here to view Appendix B.
f) Under data protection legislation, it is requirement to have a public facing Privacy Notice which tells people what the Council does with their personal data, why we need it, and how they can exercise their rights. An updated draft notice is attached for review (Appendix C); to replace the current Privacy Policy (Website). Click here to view Appendix C.
7) Assertion 10 also indicates that Parish Councils should appoint a Data Protection Officer (DPO) to oversee data protection and ensure compliance with GDPR. This is not a legal requirement and at present the Council does not have a DPO.
Next Steps
8) It would be advisable for the Council to:
HASSOCKS PARISH COUNCIL
Draft Minutes of the meeting of the Policy Resources & Communications Committee held on
27 January 2026 at 7.30pm in Parish Centre, Adastra Park, Hassocks.
Attendees: Parish Councillors Paul Shepherd, Frances Gaudencio, Don McBeth, Maria Angelaki-King.
In Attendance: Elaine Langridge (Clerk & RFO)
MINUTES
PRC25/72 APOLOGIES – None
Absent – Ian Weir, Lesley Cruickshank-Robb.
PRC25/73 DISCLOSURE OF INTERESTS
Disclosure by Councillors of personal interests in matters on the agenda, and whether the Councillor regards their interest as prejudicial under the terms of the Code of Conduct. – None.
PRC25/74 MINUTES
The minutes of the meeting held on 16 December 2025 were amended to show Cllr Shepherd was present and were accepted as a true and accurate record of the meeting.
PRC25/75 PUBLIC PARTICIPATION
No members of the public were present.
PRC25/76 COMMUNICATIONS
Members discussed content for the March issue of Hassocks Life, copy deadline 17 February. They agreed on:
If there is space left, and it does not duplicate MSDC copy, an ‘Understand Your Council Tax’ item could be included. An article about the Adastra Park car park was deferred until after the Grounds & Environment Committee have discussed improvements. The MSDC parking consultation will likely be finished before the March edition is published so this will be publicised via the Council website and Facebook page.
PRC25/77 FINANCIAL SCRUTINY
On 12 January 2026, Cllrs Angelaki-King and Shepherd reviewed financial documentation for the period Sept – Dec 2025 in accordance with the agreed Bank Verification Procedure. They noted that the filing system is currently chronological which makes it difficult to find invoices so this will be changed to alphabetical in the new financial year. They selected a number of transactions and signed the necessary paperwork to provide an audit trail. Cllr Angelaki-King noted that the allotment payments were difficult to track as they are accounted for separately. The Bank Verification Procedure guidelines will be amended to note the requirement to sign and date the reconciliations and the original bank statements (or similar document) as evidence, in accordance with the Council’s Financial Regulations (clause 2.5).
PRC25/78 BANKING
Members noted that the Clerk has closed two Barclays Bank savings accounts and the change to the Barclays Bank mandate to remove Angus Neil as a signatory. There was a short discussion regarding the need for additional investment accounts and the Clerk advised that she will take a paper to Council in February with a proposal.
PRC25/79 BUDGET MONITORING
A query was raised regarding whether the Council is in receipt of or eligible to apply for Business Rate Relief and the Clerk agreed to investigate.
The Public Works Loan Board payments are made twice per year so a further instalment will be due in March.
Professional fees are currently underspent by £3,472 but this is likely to be used toward fees for a Health & Safety consultancy.
The Utilities budget for the pavilion appears to be higher than needed as there is £6,606 remaining. The Clerk is not aware of any large bills outstanding.
Members noted that a total of £448 has been transferred from EMR 335 to cover the cost of Garden of Remembrance improvements to the path and stone seating.
The Street Lighting budget covers an annual payment to West Sussex County Council for energy any repairs and renewals. The bill will be sent to the Council at the end of the financial year.
The Council received a small discount for the Christmas lights which were not working so there will be a slight underspend when the bill is received from the contractor.
Expenditure is higher than income in the fourth quarter but this offset by funds already received. Overall, there may be a small deficit at the end of the year which relates to additional expenditure agreed in the year, to be funded from the General Reserve. Any underspends will be transferred to the General Reserve at the year end.
PRC25/80 LICENSES
Councillor Shepherd reported that he had signed off a license for a shed constructed on Council land, as agreed by the Grounds & Environment Committee (minute ref GE25/59). The license does not give the resident permanent rights and can be rescinded at the request of the Council. He also approved signing a license with WSCC to allow us to relocate the Orion Parade planter on their land at Keymer Parade.
PRC25/81 DIGITAL AND DATA COMPLIANCE
The Clerk explained that Assertion 10 is a new requirement of the Annual Governance and Accountability Return (AGAR) which requires the Council to demonstrate compliance with digital and data management obligations. Appendix 2 details the key requirements and how the Council is meeting them through Council owned domains, website accessibility, IT Policy, documentation and transparency, and data protection compliance.
The Council’s Accessibility Statement is based on a standard template which includes legally required wording. The Clerk presented an updated draft for consideration which was approved without any amendments.
With regard to the Data Protection Policy, Cllr Angelaki-King noted a typo under the Vital Interests section which will be amended to ‘the processing is necessary to protect someone’s life.’ The policy states that ‘Hassocks Parish Council is a data controller with responsibility for UK GDPR compliance’. Cllr Gaudencio questioned how this will work in practise and it was agreed that some additional wording is needed to indicate that the Clerk will be responsible for guiding and implementing good practice. The Data Protection Terminology section created some confusion so this will be moved to the end of the document.
Members asked what data the Council currently holds, and the Clerk explained that a data audit will be carried out in 2026/27 alongside training for staff and Councillors to help improve internal procedures. Members asked for personal, rather than online, training. Members noted that the Council has not appointed a Data Protection Officer as required under Assertion 10, but this is not a legal requirement so we will take advice from the auditor.
The Privacy Notice is a statutory requirement and must be published on the website. It expands on the Data Protection Policy and provides information for the public on how the Council will collect, store and use their personal data. The Clerk presented an updated draft for consideration which was approved without amendments.
Members RESOLVED to RECOMMEND the following policy documents to Council for approval and adoption:
PRC25/82 Filming and Photography Policy
Members discussed the new draft Filming and Photography Policy which outlines the legislative context and how recordings of public meetings, Council events and activities should be managed. Identifiable photos of people are classed as personal data so the Council must have a lawful basis for taking, storing and distributing them. The Council can collect images with consent, but where this is not possible, care should be taken to allow opt-outs and to take group shots that do not single out individuals.
There was a discussion regarding the equal rights of children and how their images can be manipulated and shared online. Some people of all ages object to being filmed and photographed and this is their legal right. Sample consent forms, notices and signage are included as appendices to the document.
It was clarified that distribution refers to the process of sharing personal data by email, on social media or by publication. Members are asked to send photos and films of Council events and activities to the Parish Office with details of where they are to be sent or to be kept on file. The Clerk / Deputy Clerk can ensure there are no objections prior to distribution and store them in accordance with the Retentions Policy.
It was agreed that ‘Council Events’ refers to anything organised by the Council i.e. Remembrance Sunday parade and this section should be renamed to include ‘Activities,’ which refers to the day-to-day business of the Council i.e. allotments.
Members RESOLVED to RECOMMEND the Filming and Photography Policy to Council for approval and adoption.
PRC25/83 POLICY REVIEW DATES
The Clerk presented a list of Council policies with review dates and periods. Cllr McBeth asked if the Communications Policy review could be brought forward but the Clerk explained that she would like the new Community Engagement Officer to take the lead on this area of work so that is not possible. Cllr Gaudencio mentioned that internal communications and the use of WhatsApp needs to be considered when drafting the policy. It was generally agreed that WhatsApp is useful for arranging meeting dates but other than that, Members should use Council emails to discuss Council business.
The Health & Safety Policy is due to be reviewed by March 2026. At the last meeting Members asked for more information and comparative quotes before they could appoint a specialist consultant to help develop and monitor the policy. The Clerk presented 3-year proposals and prices from three providers and discussed their merits:
Onmy Group – £2124 pa. inc. Fire Risk Assessments, access to online training and advice line, H&S app, does not include legal cover but the Council has this through our general insurance.
Peninsula – £2048 + £1500 pa. for Fire Risk Assessments, includes cover for H&S prosecution and legal expenses, access to online training and advice line, H&S app. The Council could take out H&S consultancy without the Fire Risk Assessments and they could be provided by the company that currently monitors the fire alarms and extinguishers at a cost of £642.
WorkNest – £2047 + £253 pa. Fire Risk Assessments, access to online training and advice line, H&S app, £1m cover for H&S prosecutions. In response to a query raised at the previous PR&C meeting the Clerk advised that the majority of WorkNest consultants are CIOSH (Chartered) qualified which is the highest level of professional qualification below being a Fellow. The minimum level of qualification a consultant has is CertIOSH which is the next level below during which a consultant is working towards Chartered status. WorkNest provides a specialist service for Town and Parish Councils and offers the best value for money for the H&S consultancy.
It was agreed that the Clerk should invite WorkNest to start work on the H&S Policy documentation.
PRC25/84 STAFFING
Councillors reviewed the Job Description and Person Specification for the Community Engagement Officer post. They asked how the new role would work alongside the Deputy Clerk who currently manages events and communications and noted that her job description will need to be reviewed. The Clerk explained that the Deputy Clerk has taken over responsibility for Finances and she is currently managing the working groups which report to the Grounds & Environment Committee. The new post will help alleviate her workload and in future, she will be able to focus on projects related to Council facilities. The new postholder will take over the working groups and be responsible for delivering community projects. The office staff were invited to comment on the new Job Description before it was finalised.
The Job Description was approved and the Clerk outlined the timetable for recruitment:
Advertise 2-20 February
Shortlist w/c 23 February
Interviews w/c 2 March
Confirm appointment 17 March (PR&C Meeting)
Councillors Frances Gaudencio, Paul Shepherd and Ian Weir will form a panel with the Clerk to review applications and prepare for interviews alongside the Clerk.
Cllr Gaudencio suggested that another Councillor be recruited as an observer on the interview panel.
PRC25/85 URGENT MATTERS AT THE DISCRETION OF THE CHAIRMAN – None
PRC25/86 DATE OF NEXT MEETING Tuesday 17 March 2026
See full list of 2025/26 meetings, minutes and agendas here >
23/02/2026
Planning Committee
05/03/2026
Grounds & Environment Committee
See full list of 2025/26 meetings, minutes and agendas here >
The Council Office is located at:
Parish Centre, Adastra Park,
Hassocks, West Sussex, BN6 8QH.
Opening Hours:
Monday, Tuesday, Thursday
10.00 a.m. to 2.00 p.m.
Wednesday CLOSED
Friday
10.00 a.m. to 12 noon.
