Good morning. This week: new bereavement rights for council employers to prepare for, progress on clerk job grading, a chance to shape the future of public toilets, and funding deadlines coming up fast.
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New bereavement rights: put April 2027 in the staffing diary. The government’s 22 September announcement sets out a new right to bereavement leave after the death of a partner or close family member. It also provides for up to two weeks of unpaid leave following pregnancy loss before 24 weeks. These are future changes, not rights already in force: legislation is still to follow. Councils employing staff should review their existing compassionate-leave policy, identify who authorises absence and plan an update once the rules are final. Read the announcement.
Clerk job grading moves a step closer to an updated framework. SLCC reports that the sector’s Workforce Taskforce has agreed a revised draft job-evaluation scheme, addressing a framework dating back to 2004. Further work includes updated pay guidance and a salary-market assessment. This is progress on evaluating roles, not a new pay award or an instruction to regrade staff immediately. The useful action now: check that the clerk’s job description reflects the actual workload, responsibilities and services delivered, so the council has sound evidence when the new guidance arrives. Read SLCC’s update.
Public toilets: make sure your council’s experience is counted. A new research survey is asking every town and parish council in England about public-toilet provision — including councils that do not provide toilets. It is anonymous, takes around five to ten minutes and can be completed by the clerk or a councillor who knows the council’s position. The findings will help build a clearer national picture of provision and the pressures councils face. Nominate one person to respond before 31 October. Read the invitation and take part.
Veolia Community Grants, £10,000 to £75,000 — closes 1 October at noon. Local authorities can apply for eligible community buildings and outdoor spaces. Start with the postcode checker: funding is geographically restricted. Permissions must be in place, work must not have started, and the required 10% third-party contribution must be secured. This is one for a project already ready to go, rather than a fresh idea to rush through committee. Check eligibility · Check the timetable.
One Stop Community Partnership, up to £500 — closes 30 September at 5pm. Pass this one to local community groups. Applicants must be within two miles of a participating store shown as having funding available. Priorities include tackling food poverty, supporting vulnerable people and low-income families, youth sport and improving the local environment. Groups funded by the programme in the previous 12 months cannot apply again yet. Check the store map and apply.
FCC Community Action Fund, £10,000 to £100,000. A longer lead-in for capital improvements to community amenities: the current round closes on 18 November at 5pm. Parish and town councils can apply, but the project must be within ten miles of an eligible FCC Environment waste facility. Check the location map and full project criteria before committing time to an application. Check the fund.
Acas bereavement policy template — free and open to everyone. A practical starting point for setting out leave, pay, notification arrangements, support and returning to work. You can read and copy the full template online or download it in Word or OpenDocument format; no membership or subscription is needed. Tailor it to the council’s arrangements and existing staff terms. The current template predates the announced April 2027 changes, so use it as a baseline now and diary a review when the legislation is final. Open the free template.
Could someone cover your first 48 hours away? Make a one-page handover for unexpected absence: the next meeting and publication deadlines, urgent supplier contacts, who can authorise payments, and where approved procedures are stored. Check that the nominated cover person has their own authorised access — never put passwords in the handover. Keep confidential staffing information separate. A short, current note is more useful than a perfect manual nobody can find when the clerk is suddenly unavailable.
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