Town or parish council clerks are in charge of ensuring that the duties of the council go smoothly. Although the hours are long, the responsibility is tremendous, and there's always more to do than time allotted, there’s no doubt that it’s a really interesting, rewarding and varied job.

In this blog post we answer the question "What makes a good clerk?" and how Scribe can help make your role as a town or parish clerk a lot easier!

1. Organisational skills

Working as a town or parish clerk requires strong organisational skills. You’re responsible for the completion of various important tasks, projects and activities so it’s important to be organised! Whether it's the structure of your cashbook or time management, being organised will make Year End a breeze.

Scribe's built-in bank reconciliation ensures that you're up to date and organised with your finances. Plus, the cashbook is structured in a way so it’s super easy to produce reports and obtain information. 

2. Attention to detail

The importance of keeping council accounts records up-to-date cannot be overstated, as this ensures timely and accurate accounting information that can help manage your budget effectively. Keeping a full paper trail for every entry helps ensure accuracy and avoid potential problems down the road. 

The great thing is that Scribe provides a full audit trail which allows you to keep track of every entry and ensure accuracy. 

3. Financial knowledge

Every local authority is required to appoint an officer to be responsible for the administration of their council’s financial affairs. In smaller councils this responsibility may be held by the Clerk, so it’s important to have some financial knowledge to be able to carry out these tasks.

The good thing is that Scribe customers are provided with unlimited technical support, training and advice from our qualified Support Accountant. We’re here to assist you on your journey through the world of finances! We know from experience that the most stressful time of the year for Clerks is the financial year end. As it approaches we offer free webinars and additional focused training sessions, to help take the pressure off. 

4. Honest, trustworthy and reliable

A good parish or town clerk is honest, trustworthy, and reliable to make sure that everything gets done correctly and in line with GDPR regulations. GDPR regulations may seem tedious but it’s important that everything complies with the Data Protection Act 2018. 

With Scribe being GDPR compliant you can sleep well at night knowing sensitive data is kept secure.

You're in charge of a lot! Scribe is here to help. At the end of the day, you can say "I actually finished everything today!".

Ready to learn how Scribe can transform your Council's accounts? Contact us today.