Getting the most from your Council Clearsight subscription
This page is for Council Clearsight subscribers. It includes a step-by-step onboarding guide, a presentation template for full council, and resources to help you implement your improvement recommendations.
Councils that follow this programme typically see a 10–15 point score improvement between their first and second reports.
5-step onboarding guide
From report receipt to full council presentation
Presentation template
6 slides, ready to customise
Publication checklist
Where and how to publish your score
Improvement tracker
Monitor progress against recommendations
Your first six months with Council Clearsight
Follow this guide to get the maximum value from your subscription and set your council up for a strong score improvement at the next assessment.
Receive and read your report
Action checklist
- Download your full VDTI report from the subscriber portal
- Read the Executive Summary and note your four pillar scores
- Identify your top 2–3 improvement opportunities from the recommendations
- Share the report with your Chairman and Deputy Clerk
Clerk's tip
The resident-facing summary PDF is designed to be published immediately — on your website, in your newsletter, or at the Annual Parish Meeting.
Present to full council
Action checklist
- Add a standing agenda item: 'Council Clearsight VDTI Report — Noted'
- Use the presentation template (below) to walk councillors through the four pillars
- Propose an improvement action for the highest-impact recommendation
- Minute the council's response to the report
Clerk's tip
Councillors respond best to the peer benchmarking data — showing where the council sits relative to similar councils is more motivating than the raw score alone.
Publish your score publicly
Action checklist
- Add the resident-facing summary PDF to your website
- Share your VDTI score on social media (use the share button on your council profile)
- Include the score in your next newsletter or Annual Report
- Add a 'Council Clearsight Assessed' badge to your website footer
Clerk's tip
Councils that publish their score publicly see higher resident engagement and stronger renewal rates. Transparency builds trust — even when the score isn't perfect.
Implement your first improvement
Action checklist
- Select the highest-impact recommendation from your report
- Assign a lead councillor and set a target completion date
- Document the action in your improvement plan
- Report progress at the next full council meeting
Clerk's tip
The most common first improvement action is publishing a formal resident survey. This addresses the Governance & Transparency pillar — the most common gap — and can be completed in under a month.
Prepare for your next report
Action checklist
- Review progress against all 8 recommendations from your first report
- Update your improvement plan with completed actions
- Ensure all new actions are publicly documented (website, minutes)
- Brief your Chairman on expected score changes ahead of the next assessment
Clerk's tip
Councils that implement 3+ recommendations between reports typically see a 10–15 point score improvement. The biggest gains come from the Governance & Transparency pillar.
6-slide council presentation
Use these slide outlines to present your Council Clearsight report to full council. Click any slide to copy the content to your clipboard, then paste into your preferred presentation tool.
Independent performance assessment for parish and town councils. Based on publicly observable evidence. Four pillars, 13 indicators, scored out of 100 (public assessment).
Overall score: [X]/95. National rank: [X]th of [X] councils. Somerset rank: [X]th of [X] councils. [Above/Below/At] the median for [council type] councils.
Digital Presence: [X]/95. Governance & Transparency: [X]/95. Community Connectivity: [X]/95. Accessibility & Inclusion: [X]/95.
[Pillar 1] and [Pillar 2] are our strongest areas. [Specific indicator evidence]. This demonstrates [specific value to residents/principal council].
Primary opportunity: [Recommendation 1] — estimated +[X] points. Secondary opportunity: [Recommendation 2] — estimated +[X] points. Proposed action: [Specific action] by [date].
Proposed improvement plan: [Action 1] — lead: [Councillor], target: [date]. [Action 2] — lead: [Councillor], target: [date]. Progress to be reported at [month] full council meeting.
Tip: Replace all [bracketed text] with your council's actual data from the report. The presentation works best when presented by the Clerk with the Chairman available to answer questions.
Where to publish your score
Publishing your VDTI score publicly is the single most effective way to build resident trust and demonstrate accountability. Here's where and how to do it.
Council website
Add the resident-facing summary PDF to your website's 'About the Council' or 'Transparency' section. Link to it from your homepage.
Social media
Share your VDTI score with a brief explanation of what it means. Use the share button on your Council Clearsight council profile to generate a pre-formatted post.
Newsletter / e-bulletin
Include a one-paragraph summary of your score in your next newsletter, with a link to the full resident-facing PDF on your website.
Annual Parish Meeting
Present your VDTI score at the Annual Parish Meeting. Use the 6-slide presentation template above. Invite residents to ask questions.
Annual Report
Include your VDTI score and pillar breakdown in your Annual Report. The resident-facing summary PDF can be reproduced in full.
LCAS application
Reference your Council Clearsight report as independent third-party evidence in your LCAS Foundation, Quality, or Quality Gold application.