Minutes of an HR Committee meeting held on Monday 16 March 2026 at Ruskington Parish Office at 6.30pm.

Present: Cllr C Bain (Chairman), Cllr D Conway, 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 6.37pm.

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

All Councillors were present.

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 Monday 26 January 2026.

Action: The Committee unanimously RESOLVED to approve the notes of the meeting held on 26 January 2026 as accurate Minutes.

The Chairman signed the Minutes.

4. To review the following policies and agree the next review date:

   4.1. Dignity at Work/ Sexual Harassment Policy

Action: The Committee unanimously RESOLVED to recommend the Dignity at Work /Sexual Harassment Policy to Council without any revisions. To be reviewed in three years, or as required to ensure compliance with any changes in legislation.

   4.2. Sickness and Absence Policy and Flow Chart

Action: The Committee unanimously RESOLVED to recommend the Sickness and Absence Policy and Flow Chart Policy to Council without any revisions. To be reviewed in three years, or as required to ensure compliance with any changes in legislation.

   4.3. Staff Handbook

Action: The Committee unanimously RESOLVED to link the staff handbook with all relevant and approved policies and to recommend this to Council. To be reviewed in three years, or as required to ensure compliance with any changes in legislation.

   4.4. To review the Terms of Reference (ToR) for the HR Committee

An additional sentence was recommended to enable urgent HR Committee meetings to take place at short notice to deal with urgent disciplinary and staff health and wellbeing matters. Standing Orders to be revised accordingly.

Action: The Committee unanimously RESOLVED to recommend the revised TOR to Council.

5.  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 exclude the public and press to discuss the confidential staffing matters below.

6. To consider staff health and wellbeing, receive any updates, and consider the next steps.

Cllr Bain provided an update, and the next steps were unanimously approved.

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

Information had been circulated prior to the meeting.

   7.1. To review the job description and make any amendments required for recommending to Council.

A couple of revisions were made to meet the needs of Council.

Action: The Committee unanimously RESOLVED to recommend the revised job description to Council.

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

The working hours for the role were 10 hours per week and the annual salary and pension costs for this, based on the NJC Green Book LC1 SCP 6, had been included within the budget for FY 2026-2027.

Action: The Committee unanimously RESOLVED to recommend a pay scale and pay point based on the NJC Green Book of LC1 SCP 5 (£13.26 per hour) rising to SCP 6 (£13.47) per hour after successful completion of a six-month probation period. (£25,583 -£25,986 per annum, FTE). The actual salary figures for FY 2026-2027 were not yet known.

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

Action: The Committee unanimously RESOLVED, following an amendment to include the pay (FTE – pro rota) rather than the pay scale and pay point, to recommend the job advertisment to Council.

   7.4. To consider /approve the job application form.

This was not considered at the meeting.

   7.5. 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.

Action: The Committee unanimously RESOLVED to recommend to Council that the recruitment process commenced immediately after the next Council meeting on 14 April 2026.

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

Action: The Committee RESOLVED to appoint Cllr Conway and the Clerk to be the interview panel.

7.  To agree a date for the next HR Committee meeting.

Action: The Committee agreed a date of Monday 11 May at 6.30pm for the next HR Committee meeting.

The Chairman closed the meeting at 7.42pm.