Diocesan Advisory Committee
The Lichfield Diocesan Advisory Committee (DAC) is a statutory body which provides advice and guidance to parishes on the care, alteration and appropriate development of church buildings and churchyards. The DAC also advises parishes on suitably qualified and experienced professionals to undertake quinquennial inspection (QI) surveys of churches in the diocese.
The functions of the DAC are governed by the Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction and Care of Churches Measure 2018 (as amended).
Further information can be found on the Church Buildings and DAC landing page of this website.
Your role as a diocesan volunteer
All DAC members (apart from the ex-officio Archdeacons) are expert volunteers for the diocese, working in accordance with the terms of this Handbook and an approved Volunteer Agreement.
For information on the nature and scope of the role, please consult at an early stage the 'Members' section of the DAC members and advisers web page. This outlines the constitution of the DAC, the functions of the role of DAC member, and lists the current members.
Six months after you begin volunteering, there will be an opportunity for both you and the diocese to review the situation, raise any issues, and decide whether to continue.
The Church of England has published A Brief Guide to the Role of DAC Advisers (2022). Many of the principles are also applicable to DAC members.
Code of conduct
When undertaking the role of DAC member, including interacting with colleagues or the public, whether via email, social media, online conferencing or in person, you should conduct yourself appropriately as a representative of the DAC and the diocese.
It is expected that you retain a professional manner and are respectful of others, in line with the organisation's policy on Equality, Diversity & Inclusion.
Conflicts of interest
Please ensure that you have read the Church of England's published Note for DAC Members and Advisers Regarding Conflicts of Interest (2022).
In line with that guidance, please alert the relevant DAC officer if you are consulted on casework which specifically relates to a person or building where you have had a close professional or commercial connection (e.g. a former work colleague or a competitive tender not awarded), or if such a case appears on the DAC meeting agenda.
In accordance with the Care of Churches and Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction Measure Code of Practice (1993):
Members of DACs are not delegates or representatives of either the body which appointed them or any other body which was consulted about their appointment, although they are encouraged to report back to those bodies and to keep them interested in and informed of the Committee's activities. Members must exercise an independent judgement on each matter before them, must declare any interest and withdraw from the discussion in appropriate cases, and must exercise reasonable care and (in the case of professional people) reasonable professional skill and judgement.
Confidentiality
As part of your voluntary work for the diocese you may have access to personal or commercial data such as individuals' contact details, quotations, specifications, and PCC minutes. You should treat all such data as confidential, and only use it as necessary for the reasonable undertaking of your role for the DAC as defined in your Volunteer Agreement.
A record of past applications is kept on the Online Faculty System (OFS). You should not retain in your own records any personal or commercial data relating to an application after your advisory work on it has concluded.
If you are unsure, please consult with a DAC officer before using or sharing any data you encounter as part of your role.
Media
You should not represent yourself as a spokesperson or representative of the DAC or Diocese of Lichfield to any media – whether digital, social media, broadcast or print – in any manner unless authorised by the Director of Communications or Chief Executive Officer (Diocesan Secretary) who will liaise if needed with other parties.
Please inform a DAC officer of any media requests you receive – they will refer these to the diocesan Communications Team.
Casework procedure
If you are unsure about any elements of casework procedure, or would like a refresher, please contact one of the DAC officers who will be pleased to assist you.
Consultation requests
When you receive a casework consultation request, you will be sent a link to a form on which to complete your consultation response.
If you have clarifying questions, need to request further information or documents from the parish, or believe a site visit is necessary, please do not fill in the form or contact the parish yourself. Instead, please make the request by email to the relevant DAC officer. They will liaise with the parish and inform you when the application has been updated.
Once you are ready to review the application, please submit the form with your formal consultation response. The form has been carefully designed to capture your advice in a format which ensures that all necessary statutory questions are answered. Please read the form carefully to ensure that you enter reasons and/or provisos into the correct boxes.
You may receive consultation requests for delegated authority faculty applications or (except DAC architect members) for List B and Additional Matter applications.
If, on receiving a consultation request, it is your opinion that:
- another or an additional DAC member or adviser should be consulted, or
- a faculty application is not suitable for delegation under the Lichfield DAC Delegated Authority Policy and should be referred to the full Committee, or
- the proposed work is not permissible under the selected List B matter or Additional Matter
then please let the relevant DAC officer know as soon as possible.
Availability
It is requested that DAC members respond to casework consultations and site visit requests within 10 office working days, wherever possible.
If you know that you will be unavailable for longer than 10 office working days at any one time (e.g. for health reasons or a holiday – although you do not have to tell us the reason), please inform the DAC Office. This will enable the officers to better manage departmental casework and avoid contacting you unnecessarily.
DAC meeting review requests
All DAC members will be sent links to the cases to be discussed at a DAC meeting as part of the meeting agenda. Wherever possible, please familiarise yourself with the cases on the agenda so that the meeting discussion can be as focused and effective as possible.
You may also be asked to be the main reviewer for one or more cases at a meeting. In these circumstances, a DAC officer will contact you in advance of the meeting with any necessary further information and a link to a form on which to submit your review. If you are present at the meeting, you will also be asked to introduce the case to the Committee and give a summary of your initial review to begin the discussion.
Attending DAC site visits
The DAC undertakes site visits to churches and churchyards in the diocese. The date and time of each site visit will be co-ordinated via an online poll by the DAC officers, who will liaise with various DAC and PCC attendees prior to the visit.
The DAC visitors will need to look around the building at the areas under consideration. Members are requested to inform the DAC officers if they have any special access or health and safety requirements, prior to a visit.
Further information can be found on the site visits web page.
Communication with parishes
The main function of the DAC – and your role within it – is to provide formal (statutory) advice to the Diocesan Chancellor on submitted faculty applications.
However, the Committee and its members may also be asked to provide informal (pre-application) advice to parishes in the early stages of development of their proposals, through DAC meetings, DAC site visits, or when advising on a faculty application by delegated authority.
In all these contexts, members should avoid protracted discussions with the parish of a detailed technical nature (this is properly the role of a paid consultant). It is also not part of your duties to draw up detailed schemes or to recommend a particular contractor for a project.
Any informal advice you provide to parish applicants should be sent indirectly, via a DAC officer, unless you have been requested by a DAC officer to contact a parish direct for a specified purpose.
If you receive a direct approach from a parish asking for advice or feedback about a potential or existing case, please do not reply but forward this instead to the relevant DAC officer.
Practicalities
Insurance
DAC members are insured for errors and omissions under the provisions of the Lichfield Diocesan Board of Finance (LDBF).
Claiming expenses
DAC members can claim expenses for travel incurred while undertaking their role, such as attending DAC meetings or site visits, and approved attendance at conferences or training events.
Volunteers are covered by the LBDF Expenses Policy – a copy of the policy will be shared with you when you take up your role, and on request. The most relevant details of the policy are outlined below:
- Expense claims should be submitted as soon as possible after they have been incurred, and must be submitted within three months of the expense being incurred and within two months of the year end (31 December) in order to be reimbursed
- To claim, please download and complete a Lichfield DAC MEMBERS Travel Expenses Claim Form, and return it, with any accompanying receipts (scanned or photographed), to the DAC Office by email
- The mileage rates for diocesan volunteers are:
- £0.45 per mile for journeys by car
- £0.24 per mile for journeys by motorbike
- £0.20 per mile for journeys by bicycle
- The cost of car parking, train tickets or other fares can also be claimed. Where longer journeys are undertaken, please consider using public transport whenever this is cheaper or appropriate
If you are at all unsure, please speak to a DAC officer for full details on what expenses would be allowable under the LBDF Expenses Policy before making any bookings.
Online working and IT
The role of DAC member involves online working and the use of IT.
Volunteers are expected to provide their own IT equipment and to ensure that they use this in a healthy and safe way e.g. siting at the correct height etc. A workstation risk assessment template can be supplied by the DAC Office on request.
Before commencing your role, you will be asked to register for the Online Faculty System (OFS). You should also have access to Zoom, Microsoft Office (or a compatible equivalent), and Google Forms. There are free editions of all these suites, available from the software publishers' websites.
Attending DAC meetings
The DAC meets 6 times a year, by online conferencing or in person at St Mary's House in Lichfield. Members will receive an online poll ahead of each meeting asking about their availability for that meeting.
The dates of DAC meetings are set annually and are provided to members at the beginning of each year.
It is expected that members attend the meetings as this is a core part of the role. Where not possible for individual meetings, apologies should be recorded through the online poll in advance.
Online DAC meetings are held via Zoom. You will be sent a link to join in advance of each meeting.
One meeting a year will be held in person in the Reeve Room at St Mary's House, the diocesan office, in Lichfield (as located on Google Maps). The Reeve Room is equipped with Wi-Fi and has accessible toilet facilities. Refreshments (tea/coffee and biscuits) are provided at meetings.
Up-to-date information about accessing the Reeve Room will be shared with attendees in advance of each in-person DAC meeting.
Questions or problems
If you have any questions or concerns about your role, or experience problems, please contact the DAC officers for help and support in the first instance. If necessary, the issue can then be elevated to involve the DAC Chair.
Resigning as a volunteer
If the time comes when you wish to resign as a volunteer, we ask that you first let the DAC Office know via email, giving at least one month's notice, if at all possible. This will enable us to make arrangements to cover your role.
Contacts
How to contact the DAC officers:
Giles Standing, DAC Secretary
giles.standing@lichfield.anglican.org 01543 221152
or
Felicity McWilliams, DAC Casework Officer
felicity.mcwilliams@lichfield.anglican.org 01543 221106