Promoting and developing the work of local councils at district, regional and national levels.
Keeping you up-to-date with legislation and best practise.
Providing a comprehensive schedule to equip individuals and councils.
Formed by Parish Councils --- Run for Parish Councils --- Delivering to Parish Councils
The Derbyshire Association of Local Councils (DALC) is a not for profit membership organisation, representing, training and advising the parish (including town) councils of Derbyshire, who form the grass roots tier of local government in England.
We offer members a resource of vital, operational information and facilitate communication at all levels of the parish network - district, county, regional and national.
As a membership association we are unable to deal with queries from the public, but we are happy to make general information available through this website. Please do not contact us directly unless you are a member.
Latest News
Forums: Clerks forum and Police Liaison - Wednesday 8th December
Posted: Mon, 22 Nov 2021 15:34 by Wendy Amis
Our next forums will be held on 8th December.
At 1pm we will have the clerks' forum (with a Christmas theme - seasonal hats, jumpers etc and mince pies are actively encouraged!).
At 2.30pm we will have our re-scheduled Police liaison forum with Superintendent Jed Keen, open to chairs, clerks and other councillors. Christmas theme also encouraged!
I look forward to seeing you there!
Clerk and Chair Forums this Wednesday 11th August
Posted: Mon, 09 Aug 2021 10:38 by Wendy Amis
Our clerks and chairs forums are taking place this Wednesday. The joining links have been sent out in the newsletter. If you haven't received your copy, please contact the office on admin@derbyshirealc.gov.uk and we will send you a copy.
Be prepared... for home-working requests
Posted: Tue, 22 Jun 2021 14:28 by Wendy Amis
As more council staff return to the workplace, our HR expert Chris Moses has advised council management teams to be prepared to deal with requests for 'home-working'.
'More and more Council offices and facilities are continuing to reopen, and more workers are returning to them,' says Chris.
'However, it's not business as usual. Many Councils are looking to hybrid, flexible approaches and offering a mix of office and home-based working. The overall impression during lockdown is that Employees have shown themselves to be trustworthy and hard-working while working at home.' More »
Recent research has found that one in five employers is planning to introduce hybrid working following the pandemic. The survey found that two-thirds (65%) of Employees expect to work from home at least two days a week, while almost a third (31%) believe that a return to five-day office working will not happen at all. The study also revealed that the shift towards a more hybrid working model is being driven by younger workers, with three-quarters (75%) saying they expect to work remotely at least two days a week.
There have also been calls from the Labour Party to introduce legislation to enable workers to make such requests.
Chris advises: 'In response to this pressure Councils may need to plan their 'future workplaces' with home working being an intrinsic element, requiring the Council's management team to consider how they support remote workers.
'However, there are pitfalls. Some HR experts believe that Employees are at their most creative at random moments such as at a chat in the office kitchen, and that you can't easily replicate these serendipitous moments on Zoom and, there is a thought that in time Councils will suffer from this lack of new free-flowing ideas and innovation.
'There is also concern that younger workers were missing out on key professional development opportunities with many working from their bedrooms.
'Flexibility and hybrid working is also becoming a significant issue for Councils who are recruiting, with many find that enforcing a full-time office culture is unpopular with recruits and resulting in recruitment difficulties. Potential recruits may now be used to the benefits of working from home, including easier childcare, a better work-life balance and cheaper travelling costs.
'Many Councils and staff now have this insight into what real work-life balance can look like and there might be more reluctance to simply going back to how things were before the pandemic.' » Less
