Practitioners’ Guide 2025: How Parish Councils Stay Compliant

Practitioners' Guide 2025The 2025 update to the Practitioners’ Guide brings important changes that affect how parish councils manage their digital presence. From secure email practices to website accessibility and data protection, the new guidance sets a clear standard—and Active Council is here to help you meet it with confidence.

What’s New in the Guide?

The guide outlines several key digital compliance requirements for smaller authorities:

1. Official Email Accounts

“Every authority must have a generic email account hosted on an authority-owned domain.”

With Active Council, your parish council gets a secure, professional email address like [email protected], hosted on a trusted .gov.uk domain. This not only meets the new requirement but also boosts your council’s credibility and security.

2. Website Accessibility

“All websites must meet WCAG 2.2 AA and the 2018 Accessibility Regulations.”

All Active Council websites are built to meet or exceed WCAG 2.2 AA standards, ensuring your site is accessible to all users and fully compliant with the law.

3. Transparency and Information Publishing

“Websites must include documentation as specified in the Freedom of Information Act and Transparency Code.”

Our platform makes it easy to upload and manage statutory documents, meeting agendas, financial reports, and more—keeping your council transparent and accountable.

4. Data Protection Compliance

“Authorities must follow GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018.”

Active Council’s secure hosting and email services help you manage personal data responsibly. We also provide guidance on best practices for data handling and privacy.

Why Choose Active Council?

At Active Council, we specialise in helping parish councils thrive online. Our services are designed to:

  • Ensure full compliance with the latest legal and regulatory standards
  • Simplify digital management for clerks and councillors
  • Provide secure, accessible, and user-friendly websites and email systems

Whether you're setting up a new site or upgrading an existing one, we’re here to support you every step of the way.

Visit activecouncil.co.uk to learn more or get started today.

Published: 01/07/2025 Published by: Admin

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