Standing Orders, Terms of Reference and Financial Regulations

May 13, 2026 | Policy & Procedure

Dittisham Parish Council Standing Orders (Version dated 06/05/26)
Standing orders are the written rules of the Parish Council.  We develop them to control our internal organisational and administrative procedures such as procurement and meetings.  Our work is subject to many statutory requirements.  Standing orders are in place to control the aspects of our work such as the number of meetings we must hold, the places that we can meet, how many councillors need to be present for there to be a quorum, notice periods and procedures for committees and sub-committees.
Download Dittisham Parish Council’s 2026 Standing Orders by clicking this link (PDF)

Terms of Reference (ToR) define the scope, objectives and roles of a specific project or committee. Some of Dittisham Parish Council’s working groups also have Terms of Reference in place too.
Download the 2026 ToR for Dittisham Parish Council’s Personnel Committee here  (PDF)
Follow this link to find the Terms of Reference for Dittisham Parish Council’s Neighbourhood Plan Steering Group (HTML)

Dittisham Parish Council Financial Regulations (Version dated 06/05/26)
Financial Regulations govern the conduct of financial management by the Parish Council and may only be amended or varied by resolution of the Council.  Dittisham Parish Councils bases its financial regulations on a model document, produced by the National Association of Local Councils.  The regulations provide a framework for financial governance, helping councils maintain transparency, accountability, and efficiency in their financial operations.
Download Dittisham Parish Council’s 2026 Financial Regulations by clicking this link (PDF)

Policies that help the Parish Council manage risk

May 12, 2026 | Policy & Procedure

Dittisham Parish Council Statement of Internal Control (Version dated 06/05/26)
Parish Councils are required to review the effectiveness of their internal control systems on at least an annual basis. This statement lays out the Parish Council’s scope of responsibility and gives a broad overview on how the Parish Council will control those risks.
Download Dittisham Parish Council’s 2026 Statement of Internal Control here (PDF)

Dittisham Parish Council Risk Register (Version dated 06/05/26)
The Risk Review is a document that goes into much more specific details than the Statement of Internal Control.  It assesses potential risks relating to different areas of the Parish Council’s responsibilities and describes the activities that the Parish Council has put in place to control specific identified risks.  The Risk Register is laid out in a table format and is reviewed every year.
Download Dittisham Parish Council’s 2026 Statement of Internal Control here (PDF)

Policies, procedures and practices in respect of the Parish Council’s obligations under freedom of information and data protection legislation

Apr 2, 2026 | Policy & Procedure

On this page you will be able to download the Parish Council’s current documents relating to the information that it makes available, and how it manages its obligations for managing data well.

Dittisham Parish Council’s Information Data Protection Policy (version dated 01/04/26)
This policy is an internal document outlining Dittisham Parish Council’s rules and procedures for handling, storing, and protecting personal data to comply with legal requirements like the UK General Data Protection Regulation. This policy provides information about terminology used when talking about data protection (i.e. gives definitions for what a ‘data subject’ or what ‘personal data’ is), and describes what kind of personal data the Parish Council might hold, and for what reason.  There is also an appendix to this policy that provides guidance to the Parish Council on what a ‘Data Protection Impact Assessment’ is, when the Parish Council might need one, and how to write one if needed. 
Download the Information Data Protection Policy by clicking this link (PDF)

Dittisham Parish Council’s General Privacy Notice (version dated 01/04/26)
This is a statement required by UK GDPR law, that hat informs individuals how Dittisham Parish Council collects, uses, shares, and protects their personal data.
Download the 2026 General Privacy Notice by clicking this link (PDF)

Dittisham Parish Council’s Staff and Role Holders’ Privacy Notice (version dated 01/04/26)
This is very similar to the ‘General Privacy Notice’ above, but is written specifically for people who work with the Parish Council as employees, contractors or volunteers (such as Parish Councillors).
Download the 2026 Staff and Role Holders’ Privacy Notice by clicking this link (PDF)

Dittisham Parish Council’s Freedom of Information Policy
The Freedom of Information Act, which came into force on 1 January 2005, gives everyone a statutory right of
access to information held by bodies such as the Parish Council. This policy lays out how people can access the information they believe the Parish Council holds.
Download the Freedom of Information Policy by clicking this link (PDF)
Much of the information that the Parish Council holds is published on this website.  There is a live version of the ‘Information available through the model publication scheme’ page on this website, intended to sign post you to the information that you might be looking for.

Dittisham Parish Council’s Document Retention and Disposal Policy and Retention of Documents Appendix (version dated 01/04/26)
This policy outlines how long Dittisham Parish Council stores digital and paper records and how they are securely destroyed.
Download the 2026 Document Retention and Disposal Policy by clicking this link (PDF)
Download the 2026 Retention of Documents Appendix by clicking this link  (PDF)

Dittisham Parish Council’s Subject Access Request Policy and Procedure (version dated 01/04/26)
A Subject Access Request (SAR) is a formal request, authorised under data protection laws like the UK GDPR, that allows individuals to ask any organization for a copy of their personal data.  The Policy and Procedure sets out how Dittisham Parish Council should respond to requests if/when they are received.
Download the 2026 Subject Access Request Policy and Procedure by clicking this link (PDF)

Dittisham Parish Council’s Subject Access Request Form (version dated 01/04/26)
If someone wants to make a Subject Access Request (SAR) they are expected to do so using this form.
Download the 2026 Subject Access Request Form by clicking this link (PDF)

Dittisham Parish Council’s Data Breach Reporting Form (version dated 01/04/26)
A Data Breach Reporting Form is the document the Parish Council should use to record, assess, and report incidents where personal data has been lost, stolen, or improperly accessed. It provides a framework for the Parish Council to documents the breach’s nature, likely impact and what actions have been taken to contain a breach.  This is in place to support the Parish Council with its internal investigations, but also how to comply with regulations required – such as informing the Information Commissioners Office.
Download the 2026 Data Breach Reporting Form by clicking this link (PDF)

Dittisham Parish Council’s IT Policy (version dated 01/10/25)
All Parish Councils are now required to have an IT policy.  This explains how everyone — clerks, members and other staff — should conduct authority business in a secure and legal way when using IT equipment and software. This relates to the use of authority-owned and personal equipment.
Download the 2025 IT Policy by clicking this link (PDF)

Dittisham Parish Council’s Information Management Requirements Policy (Version dated 06/05/26)
This policy document provides guidelines to councillors on managing data well.  This includes what services they should and shouldn’t use to view their emails, advice on creating strong passwords, protecting IT equipment and on storing electronic and paper information.
Download the 2026 Information Management Requirements Policy by clicking this link (PDF)