During the Full Parish Council meeting on 22 September 2026 a members of the public made a number of comments concerning the Clerk/RFO and matters relating to an ongoing confidential staffing matter. Some of the information referred to appeared to relate to discussions which had taken place in confidence and which would not ordinarily have been available to members of the public. This is a matter of serious concern. Councillors are entrusted with confidential and, at times, personal information through the proper performance of their duties. That information must be handled appropriately and must not be disclosed to third parties without a proper and lawful basis. It is particularly important that ongoing staffing, grievance or standards matters are not debated through members of the public or used as part of public exchanges during Council meetings. Doing so risks prejudicing proper processes and places individuals involved in those processes in an unacceptable position.

The Council will not publicly discuss the substance of an ongoing grievance, complaint or standards matter. Those matters must be dealt with fairly, confidentially and through the appropriate procedures. Council decisions must be made in accordance with the Council’s standing orders, financial regulations and the statutory responsibilities of the Council and its Proper Officer. As Chair, I will ensure that Council business is conducted transparently where it should be public, confidentially where the law or proper procedure requires confidentiality, and with appropriate respect for councillors, employees and residents.

Rachel Parkin
Chair, Farnsfield Parish Council