Minutes of an HR Committee meeting held on Thursday 28 April 2022 at Ruskington Parish Office at 10.30am.

Present: Cllr Ditch (Chairman), Cllr Cunningham, Cllr Conway

Also, present Kathryn Locke (Clerk)

Apologies: Cllr Tonge

No members of the public were present.

The Chairman opened the meeting at 10.30am.

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

Cllr Tonge was not present at the meeting and had sent apologies.

Action: The Committee unanimously RESOLVED to accept Cllr Tonge’s valid reason for absence.

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

None were declared at this time.

3. To approve as a correct record the notes of the last HR Committee meeting held on 3 March 2022.

Action: The Committee unanimously, RESOLVED to accept the notes of the meeting held on 3 March 2022 as accurate Minutes.

4. To consider including “communications” within the scope of this committee.

Cllr Ditch had created an informal document to help residents understand what parish councils and councillors can and cannot do, to share facts and to “bust” myths, with the aim of increasing the interaction between the Council and residents. This would be considered by Council at the May meeting and once approved shared on the website and Facebook. Other ways to improve increase communication was also discussed, such as publicity and the use of “Fun Fact Friday” and “Did you know?” posts on social media, the website, and the Signpost magazine.

Actions: The Clerk to research the possibility of a newsletter and IT packages such as Mailchimp to aid this process, with each newsletter listing 4-5 achievements plus proposals for new projects.

The next public consultation to ask how residents would like to receive information in addition to the legal requirements of the noticeboard and website.

The RFO to investigate funding for apprenticeships for an office junior or office assistant to create newsletters and improve other forms of communication.

5.  To consider how to support Mental Health Awareness Week, 9-15 May 2022. (Information previously circulated in the LALC e-news, 19 April 2022, pp. 4 & 5).

Actions: To add to the agenda for the ordinary May meeting.

To share the tool kit of resources, once provided by LALC, at the Annual Open Day.

To ensure all staff are aware of the support available.

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.

Action: The Committee unanimously RESOLVED to exclude the public and press to discuss the following staffing matters.

The Chairman closed the meeting at 11.40am. As no members of the public were present, the meeting resumed at 11.40am.

7. To consider a request made to the Clerk by an employee on Monday 25 April 2022, following health concerns.

At this point the RFO was asked to join the meeting so a financial package could be calculated as required.

The Committee had received a report from the meeting, called by the employee, in advance of an arranged meeting to review their reduced workload which was due to have been held on 28 April 2022. As all reasonable adjustments had been made, the options for the employee were considered based on information from LALC’s HR adviser, and the request from the employee.

Action: The Committee unanimously RESOLVED for the Chairman of the HR Committee and the Chairman of the Council to meet with the employee on Friday 29 April 2022 at 10am to discuss the options available. 

8. To receive an update on an employee’s performance following the issue of a final written warning.

The Clerk had shared the ongoing performance review document with the HR Committee prior to the meeting.

Action: This record was to continue.

   8.1. To agree the date for the next review and welfare meeting with this employee.

The date to be agreed.

The Chairman closed the meeting at 12.35pm.