Minutes of an HR Committee meeting held on Monday 26 January 2026 at Ruskington Parish Office at 2pm.

Present: Cllr C Bain (Chairman), Cllr S Hislop, Cllr Jennings, Cllr Ditch

In attendance: Kathryn Locke (Clerk to Council).

No members of the public or press were present.

The Chairman opened the meeting at 2.11pm.

1. To receive and accept apologies where valid reasons for absence have been given to the Parish Clerk prior to the meeting.

Cllr Conway had been unable to attend the meeting and had sent valid apologies.

Action: The Committee unanimously RESOLVED to approve Cllr Conway’s apologies. Proposed by Cllr Jennings, seconded by Cllr Hislop and approved unanimously.

2. To receive declarations of interest and to consider applications for dispensations in relation to DPIs.

None were declared.

3.  To approve as a correct record the notes of the last HR Committee meeting held on 2 December 2025.  

Action: The Committee unanimously RESOLVED to approve the notes of the meeting held on 2 December 2025 as accurate Minutes.

The Chairman signed the Minutes.

4. To agree the Committee members to undertake consultations with eligible staff members regarding enrolment into the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS).

   4.1. To agree dates and times to consult with the relevant staff members regarding

      a. Changes to job descriptions

      b. Enrolment into the LGPS

dates for the agenda items 4.1. a and b above, were considered together.

Action: Cllr Bain was provisionally available on Thursday 12 February between 9am and 11am to undertake the required staff consultations regarding changes to job descriptions and enrolment into the LGPS. Staff to make the Clerk aware of any questions in advance of the consultations, where possible, to enable informed responses to be made.

5. To confirm a date and time for the next HR Committee meeting, if required, and consider any items for the agenda.

The date to be agreed.

6.  To resolve whether to exclude the public and press, in accordance with the Public Bodies (Admissions to Meetings) Act 1960, to discuss the staffing matters below.

Action: The Committee unanimously RESOLVED to close the meeting to the public and press to consider the confidential staffing matters below.

The meeting closed at 2.17pm. The meeting re-convened at 2.17pm.

7. To consider staff health and wellbeing.

Matters relating to staff members were considered. Independent HR advice had been taken.

Action: The Committee unanimously RESOLVED that a staff member could change the timing of the hours they worked, with the agreement of the Clerk, if it did not impact on Council business or the community. The Committee also agreed a way forward concerning another staffing matter. Further independent HR Advice to be taken as required.

At 2.52pm, Cllr Hislop left the meeting.

8. To consider the requirements for the recruitment of a Parish Caretaker after 1 April 2026. 

Deferred until the next meeting.

   8.1. To consider the pay scale and pay point for the Parish Caretaker for recommending to Council.

Deferred until the next meeting.

   8.2. To consider/approve the advertisement for the role.

Deferred until the next meeting.

   8.3. To consider /approve the job application form.

Deferred until the next meeting.

   8.4. To consider /agree the key dates for the recruitment of a Parish Caretaker. (Application form to go live, closing date, interview date, start date for the position.

Deferred until the next meeting.

   8.5.  To appoint the HR Committee and staff members to the interview panel.

Deferred until the next meeting.

The Chairman closed the meeting at 3.06pm.