Access to Town Council computer

Question

Is it normal for only the Town Clerk to have access to the council's computer? Our clerk was recently off sick for quite some time and was very reluctant  to give the login details to the Chairman.

Answer 1

The information on the computer belongs to the Council, not the Clerk, so you should have arrangements in place to ensure that it can be made accessible without the involvement of the Clerk.  This would usually be a sealed envelope containing all the relevant access codes etc, held by the Chair or another designated councillor.

For a prolonged period of sickness, the Clerk should assist in providing access, if there is a valid reason for this.  For example, the council's email account(s) should be monitored at all times.

Did the Clerk offer an explanation for his or her reluctance to allow access?

Comments

The second admin access sounds like a reasonable solution given your size.

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The "sealed envelope" solution is not good if there's only one key password.  Such passwords should be changed on a regular basis (e.g. at least every 30 days;  this should be forced on the user), so a physical solution such as a sealed envelope doesn't strike me as practical or very secure - especially for some larger town councils.  The organisations providing computer support should be able to come up with a better solution.

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It is, however, as Helen has pointed out, a requirement of the Financial Regulations, so following any alternative path would require an amendment to the FR's.

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Agreed.  But I'm not sure the NALC guidance is fit for purpose in this area - it's not kept pace with technology - or fraudulent methods.  The FR guidance also refers to BACS but ignores developments such as FasterPayments.  NALC don't seem to have put sufficient effort into the latest changes to the FR guidance.

I would hope that councils actually care what's in their FRs - instead I see Councillors who don't understand the significance of FRs and will pass anything that's put in front of them.  In these areas the FRs are merely providing an aide memoire rather than an effective policy;  Councillors should demand a policy that they understand and protects their council from financial abuse, internally and externally.

Answer 2

Check your Financial Regulations, It is 6.11 in the one I’ve just looked at.