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LCAS & Civility & Respect

a drawing of a briefcase

The Local Council Award Scheme (LCAS)  exists to celebrate the successes of the very best local councils, to provide a governance framework to support all local councils to improve and develop to meet their full potential. The scheme offers all local councils the opportunity to show that they meet the standards set by the sector, assessed by their peers, and to put in place the conditions for continued improvement.

The Town Council achieved the award in 2020 and is the first Council in Cumbria to achieved this level of sector excellence.

The Mayor and Deputy Mayor receiving the Local Council Award Certifcate from the Cumbria Association Local Councils Chair Cllr. Sue Castle Clarke

The Mayor and Deputy Mayor receiving the Local Council Award Certifcate from the Cumbria Association Local Councils Chair Cllr. Sue Castle Clarke

Penrith Town Council strives to serve the local community and make a real difference to the lives of local people. After an in-depth peer, review by the Local Council Award Scheme (LCAS) the Town Council has been awarded the ‘Quality Award.’

To achieve this award, a council ‘must demonstrate that it meets all requirements of the Foundation Award and has additional documentation and information in place for good governance, effective community engagement and council improvement.

The Quality award criteria includes the eligibility criteria for the general power of competence.’ The Town Mayor, Cllr Doug Lawson received the Award Certificate on behalf of the Council.


Civility & Respect

NALC, county associations and OVW, as the membership organisations representing the first tier of local government in England and Wales, and the SLCC, as the professional body for clerks, are committed to working together to promote civility and respect in public life, good governance, positive debate and supporting the well-being of councillors, professional officers and staff.

Civility and respect should be at the heart of public life, and good governance is fundamental to ensuring an effective and well-functioning democracy at all levels. The intimidation, abuse, bullying and harassment of councillors, clerks and council staff, in person or online, is unacceptable, whether by councillors, clerks, council staff, or public members. This can prevent councils from functioning effectively, councillors from representing local people, discourage people from getting involved, including standing for election, and undermine public confidence and trust in local democracy.

Penrith Town Council resolved on 10 October 2022 to support the initiative and sign the pledge which reads:

By signing the Pledge, your council is agreeing that the council will treat councillors, clerks, employees, members of the public, and representatives of partner organisations and volunteers with civility and respect in their roles and that it:

  • Has put in place a training programme for councillors and staff
  • Has signed up to the Code of Conduct for councillors
  • Has good governance arrangements in place including staff contracts and a dignity at work policy
  • Will seek professional help at the early stages should civility and respect issues arise
  • Will commit to calling out bullying and harassment if and when it happens
  • Will continue to learn from best practices in the sector and aspire to be a role model/champion council through for example the Local Council Award Scheme.
  • Supports the continued lobbying for change in legislation to support the Civility and Respect Pledge including sanctions for elected members where appropriate

 

The Civility & Respect Pledge signed by Cllr. Shepherd


Penrith Town Council’s aims to provide consistent, quality services and to strive for continuous improvement for all activities, processes, operations, policies and decisions which support the Council’s Business Plan by:

  • Developing and maintaining activities that are assessed, planned, implemented,  and evaluated
  • Monitoring and increasing the Council’s capacity by supporting and developing Members and staff using external expertise where appropriate
  • Investing in technology and equipment to increase efficiency and responsiveness
  • Working in partnership with stakeholders
  • Building successful relationships with clients and communities by identifying their needs through community engagement and consultation

The Council’s performance is measured by:

  • Continuous excellent internal and external audit reports
  • Remaining eligible to use the Power of General Competence
  • Publicly reporting performance via newsletters, annual reports and social media posts
  • Undertaking satisfaction surveys on its services
  • And retaining the Local Council Awards Scheme Quality Award and working towards the Quality Gold Award

Use this link to open a PDF copy of the Local Council Award Scheme 

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