Register of Interest (ROI)

Information and guidance on the administration of the process for Clerks and supporting resources for councillors. If you are a new Clerk - this is essential reading for when you appoint new councillors either on election day, via a by-election or through co-option. For existing Clerks - this might just be a good refresher of a key process you are an important part of.

Background:

In the Dorset Council area councillors at both unitary and parish/town councils use an e-form to submit their interests for publication. Once submitted, they are automatically displayed on the Dorset Council directory (see link below). When completing the e-form there is an option (in exceptional circumstances) for the councillor's address not to be disclosed. If a councillor selects this option their ROI submission is held pending approval by the Monitoring Officer. It will therefore, remain unpublished until an outcome of the request is known. The only other exception where interests are witheld, are those of a sensitive nature and they must be notified to the Monitoring Officer for consideration. This can be done by email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

The directory can be viewed here - just use the simple directory to find your council(s): Dorset Council A to Z of parish and Town Councils

IMPORTANT FOR CLERKS: Clerk's Video

Clerks or members of their team are responsible for ensuring all councillors have been issued with a link to complete the e-form and that they provide the resouces to guide and support new and returning councillors.
Clerks should also remind councillors periodically (every 3 or 4 months) just to make sure that their ROI is current and up to date.
Clerks should not undertake completion of the ROI for councillors. The only circumstances where this should be done is for a councillor without the internet or access to a device. They should sit alongside the counillor to undertake this exercise.
In summary your role in the process is to issue a link via Achieve to get ROIs published/edited or removed when councillors step down.
ACCESS THE ACHIEVE LOGIN PAGE
You also need to copy and paste the webpage link for each councillor from the Dorset Council website and use it to link your website profile of the councillor back to their ROI (if that sounds complicated it isn't! - just ask if stuck).

IMPORTANT FOR COUNCILLORS: Councillor Video

It is their sole responsibility to create and update a register of interest as only they truthfully know the extent of any interests they hold.
It is an offence without reasonable excuse:
1. to fail to register a disclosable pecuniary interest, or fail to declare an unregistered interest at a meeting, or fail to register an unregistered interest within 28 days after its decalartion;
2. to speak or vote in relation to a declared pecuniary interest;
3. take any steps in realtion to a matter in which they have declared an interest.

REALLY IMPORTANT | Cerks and Councillors Note:

All councillors (new and returning) need to access the ROI e-form.
- New councillors to establish their Register of Interests for the first time
- Returning councillors to review, update and re-submit their record with a date after 7 May 2024 to prove their record is current.