Question 1

What is Council Clearsight?

Accepted Answer

Council Clearsight is an independent benchmarking and assessment service for parish and town councils in England. We assess councils across four pillars — Digital Presence, Governance & Transparency, Community Connectivity, and Accessibility & Inclusion — using publicly verifiable data, and provide actionable recommendations for improvement.

Question 2

Who is Council Clearsight for?

Accepted Answer

Council Clearsight is designed for parish clerks, town clerks, council chairs, and councillors. The public assessment is freely available to residents and stakeholders. Subscription services are designed for councils that want detailed reports, improvement roadmaps, and ongoing benchmarking.

Question 3

How does the free public assessment work?

Accepted Answer

Every council in England has a public profile on Council Clearsight showing their VDTI score and pillar breakdown, based on publicly available data assessed during the January–March assessment period. You can download a sample report from any council profile page.

Question 4

What is the assessment period?

Accepted Answer

The standard assessment period runs from January to March each year, aligned with the local election cycle. This ensures residents can review their council's performance ahead of elections. The most recent assessment was completed on 31 March 2026.

Question 5

How is the VDTI score calculated?

Accepted Answer

The VDTI (Visibility, Digital presence, Transparency, and Inclusion) score is a weighted composite of four pillar scores: Digital Presence (25%), Governance & Transparency (25%), Community Connectivity (25%), and Accessibility & Inclusion (25%). Each pillar is assessed using publicly available data — council websites, published minutes, statutory registers, and the DfE GIAS schools register.

Question 6

How are peer groups defined?

Accepted Answer

Peer groups are constructed using council type, geographic region, and similar characteristics. This aims to ensure councils are compared with genuinely similar organisations rather than being placed in a single national ranking.

Question 7

Is Council Clearsight a league table?

Accepted Answer

No. Council Clearsight is not designed to rank or embarrass councils. It is a constructive assessment tool. Scores are designed to help councils understand their position relative to peers and identify where to focus improvement efforts.

Question 8

Can our score improve?

Accepted Answer

Yes — and that is the purpose of the service. Improving your digital presence, publishing meeting minutes, documenting school engagement, and ensuring contact details are accessible can all improve relevant pillar scores. Subscribers receive an updated assessment within 4 weeks.

Question 9

How is school engagement assessed?

Accepted Answer

Council Clearsight identifies schools in each council area using the Department for Education's GIAS register. We then search for publicly verifiable evidence of engagement across three sources: the council's website, published meeting minutes, and published accounts (including the AGAR). The score reflects documented engagement, not just proximity to schools.

Question 10

Where does the data come from?

Accepted Answer

All data used in the public assessment comes from publicly accessible sources: council websites, NALC and CALC directories, the DfE GIAS register, ONS geographic data, and published statutory documents. Every data point on a council's profile page includes a source link so the public can verify it independently.

Question 11

How much does a subscription cost?

Accepted Answer

Clearsight is £249 per year (+ VAT) and includes bi-annual reports, peer benchmarking, and a subscriber portal. Clearsight+ is £349 per year (+ VAT) and adds quarterly reports, school engagement evidence review, and an improvement roadmap. Monthly payment options are also available. Visit our pricing page for full details.

Question 12

What does a subscription include?

Accepted Answer

Subscribers receive an updated assessment within 4 weeks of subscribing, access to the full 100-point score (including council-verified data), detailed improvement recommendations, peer benchmarking, and a publishable report for residents and stakeholders.

Question 13

Can we upgrade or change our plan?

Accepted Answer

Yes. You can move between Clearsight and Clearsight+ at any time. Contact the Council Clearsight team at info@councilclearsight.org.uk to discuss changes.

Question 14

Do you offer group pricing?

Accepted Answer

We are open to discussing group arrangements for county associations and membership bodies. Please contact us at info@councilclearsight.org.uk to discuss.

Question 15

What data do you collect?

Accepted Answer

The public assessment uses only publicly available data — council websites, published minutes, statutory registers, and government datasets. We do not collect personal data from residents as part of the standard assessment process.

Question 16

Is Council Clearsight GDPR compliant?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Council Clearsight is designed to comply with UK GDPR. Contact enquiry data is handled in accordance with our privacy policy and is not shared with third parties.

Question 17

Can a council dispute its score?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Every council profile page includes a score dispute form. If you believe any data point is inaccurate, you can submit evidence and the Council Clearsight team will review it. Subscribers receive priority review within 5 working days.

Common questions about Council Clearsight

Getting started

Scores and methodology

Subscriptions and pricing

Data and privacy

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