PCC Secretaries

PCC Secretaries have a key and core leadership role in a parish, keeping the workings of the Parochial Church Council running smoothly and in compliance with Church and charity law.

Whether you’re new to this role, or have been in post for some time, here are some support services to help:

National resources 

Parish Resources website

This is a super national Church of England reference site for all kinds of procedures, regulations and administration. There is a dedicated page for PCCs which outlines all you’d need to ensure your PCC’s compliance with various regulations and procedures. A handy checklist which you can download is included.

You might also find the page outlining PCC Governing documents is helpful.

Church Representation Rules

You will also need to be familiar with the Church Representation Rules. If you would like to purchase a hardcopy, a booklet is available from Church House Publishing. 

Helpful books and documents

The PCC Member’s Essential Guide, available from Church House Publishing offers easy-to-follow guidance on all aspects of running and being on the PCC.

Cyber Security and Data Protection

Parishes handle personal information every day and have a responsibility to keep it secure. Good cyber security practices help protect your parish, its volunteers, and the people you serve from data breaches, fraud, and cyber attacks.

We encourage all parishes to make use of the guidance and resources available from recognised sources.

• National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC): Practical advice on password security, phishing, ransomware, device security, and staff awareness.
  • Advice for small to medium sized organisations - Cyber security advice for small to medium sized organisations – contains information on ransomware, phishing scams, protecting social media and using online services safely.
  • Cyber Action Toolkit - Cyber Action Toolkit – this is a helpful check list and set of instructions for parishes that are just starting on their cyber security journey, to those who are looking to enhance the protection they already have in place.
  • A cyber security checking tool - Check your cyber security - NCSC.GOV.UK – a free government service which performs a series of simple online checks to identify common vulnerabilities in your public facing IT. All checks are remote (no need to install software) and use the same kind of publicly available information as cyber criminals use to find easy targets.
  • How to respond to a cyber security incident - Advice for small organisations to respond to cyber attacks – including phishing, payment fraud, hacked accounts, ransomware attacks, infected devices and denial of service attacks.
     
• Information Commissioner's Office (ICO): Guidance on data protection, GDPR compliance, privacy notices, data breaches, and handling personal information.
  Advice for small and medium organisations | ICO
  • A step-by-step guide to data protection - Getting started with data protection a step-by-step guide | ICO
  • A guide to responding to a data breach within 72 hours - 72 hours - how to respond to a personal data breach | ICO
  • A guide to responding to a Subject Access Request - How to deal with a request for information: a step-by-step guide | ICO
  • The ICO business helpline is 0303 123 1113 is very supportive.

Both of the above organisations hold a wealth of information on their websites. Please do take a look for the latest guidance.

Diocesan resources

• The Annual Parochial Church Meeting page offers links, forms and more to help you manage this key event. 
• Alongside the Churchwardens, you may need to refer to the Church Buildings and Churchyards page from time to time. 
• Safeguarding information will be key for you too.