Clerk: Mrs. L Rampton
Parish Council Office,
Winscombe Community Centre,
11 Sandford Road, Winscombe,
North Somerset BS25 1JA
Tel: 01934 844257 Fax: 01934 844292
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A Meeting of the Employment & Policies Committee was held on Monday 15th November 2010
2.00 pm at the Winscombe Community Centre, Amesbury Room
Members Present: Mr S Bridges (SB), Mr A Forbes (AF), Dr G Rider (GR), Miss B Roper (BR), Mr C Sampson (CS),
Mr M Williamson (MW)
Clerk: Mrs L Rampton (LR) Assistant Clerk: Mrs N Flint (NF)
Press: Mr G Jones, freelance reporter Public: None
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To receive Apologies for Absence – Mrs V McGann (VMcG) and Ms D Powell (DP),
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Declarations of interest. None
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Minute Update from the Committee meeting minutes dated 28th June 2010: None
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Public Participation – No public present.
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To reconsider content of standard e-mail disclaimer. This item appears at the request of a member asking that the automatic classification of all e-mail correspondence from the Parish Council as “confidential” by means of a standard email footer is reconsidered. The member advises that the policy is inconsistent with the policy that local authority business should be conducted openly and it serves to restrict the availability of information to the public. It is also considered inconsistent as it states that the information transmitted is confidential but that it may be disclosed under the Freedom of Information Act which means that it is not confidential. The member further advised that the email disclaimer carries no legal weight. In discussion it was clarified that the email disclaimer was agreed by this committee (meeting 23.03.09 min 8 and is largely based on an advice note issued by the Society of Local Council Clerks (advice note no AG20/2003). A number of other email footers were debated with members agreeing that Councillors respect the privacy of certain documents without the need for a confidentiality clause to be inserted in our email footer.
A proposal was made by SB, seconded by CS that the current Parish Council email footer be amended as shown below with the text crossed through being deleted and that shown in bold added : If you have received
this email in error, please notify the sender and delete the e-mail and all
attachments immediately. This e-mail is not intended nor shall it be taken to
create any legal relations, contractual or otherwise. This e-mail and
accompanying documents are Please be aware that all e-mails received and sent by this organisation are subject to the Freedom of Information Act (2000) and the content may be disclosed to a third party.
In further discussion, it was considered that if an e-mail had been sent to an incorrect addressee it was too late to recall the mail unread and that the ‘incorrect’ recipient is unlikely to request permission to forward the communication further. General information should not require the permission of the author before this is further distributed.
A amendment was made to the proposal by SB, seconded by GR that the current Parish Council email footer be amended as shown below with the text crossed through being deleted and that shown in bold added: If you have received
this email in error, please notify the sender and delete the e-mail and all
attachments immediately. This e-mail is not intended nor shall it be taken to
create any legal relations, contractual or otherwise. Please be aware that all e-mails received and sent by this organisation are subject to the Freedom of Information Act (2000) and the content may be disclosed to a third party. 2 in favour, 3 against, 1 abstention. The amendment failed and a vote then taken on the original proposal
A proposal was made by SB, seconded by CS that the current Parish Council email footer be amended as shown below with the text crossed through being deleted and that shown in bold added : If you have received
this email in error, please notify the sender and delete the e-mail and all
attachments immediately. This e-mail is not intended nor shall it be taken to
create any legal relations, contractual or otherwise. This e-mail and
accompanying documents are Please be aware that all e-mails received and sent by this organisation are subject to the Freedom of Information Act (2000) and the content may be disclosed to a third party. 3 in favour, 1 against, 2 abstentions. Motion carried.
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To review current wording on the ‘meeting agenda summons paper’. The current ‘summons’ wording on agenda papers was discussed with it being agreed that a note should be displayed on papers on parish notice-boards ‘inviting members of the public and press to attend’. Proposed by SB, seconded by AF. All in favour
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To review Parish Office Risk Assessment. The current document was reviewed and accepted for the forthcoming 12 month period with it being noted that an ‘accident book’ is held at the parish office.
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NALC Briefing Papers The following papers had been distributed in hard copy with agenda papers to the meeting and were discussed by members. Copies of the notes may be viewed on the ALCA web-site by Councillors. a.) E04-10 Employment Status: Employees, other workers and the self-employed. Noted. b.) L03-05 (updated 18.06.10) The Local Authorities (Indemnities for members and officers) Order 2004 Noted. c.) L04-10 The Legal Deposit Libraries Act 2003 The Parish Guide, last revised in 2006 carries the ISBN no allocated when the document was deposited with the deposit library d.) E05-10 Local Government Pay 2010/2011 and 2011/2012 Noted. e.) E06-10 Government proposals to end the default retirement age Noted. f.) E07-10 Local Government Pay 2010/2011 and 2011/2012 Noted. g.) QET 13 – fit notes. Quick employment tips from NALC Noted. h.) QET 15 How to respond to employment tribunal claims Noted. i.) National Joint Council for Local Government Services circular 1/10 Car Allowances 2010/11. Notification has been received regarding the VAT per mile element in view of the VAT increase effective 04.01.11. j.) National Joint Council for Local Government Services. Working arrangements: Christmas Day & Boxing Day 2010 and New Year’s Day 2011 Noted.
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Being a Good Employer – a guide of parish and town councillors. The booklet issued in advance of the meeting to all committee members is endorsed by ACAS and was produced by a team of practitioners – County Associations, a parish council, SLCC and NALC together with Local Government Employers. The booklet looks at recruitment, employee rights and obligations, management, staff development, dispute resolution and the end of contractual relationships.
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Accounts packages – a report on options for consideration for the 2011/2012 financial year. An allocation of £1,500 should be made in the forthcoming precept request for the purchase, installation and training of a software package designed for town and parish councils. Further investigation is taking place with the supplier of the final package yet to be decided. Proposed by SB, seconded by MW, all in favour.
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Employment Practice a.) Hours of Work – office staff. An updated paper detailing hours worked in this financial year by the clerk was discussed by members. Whilst it would appear that there is a small reduction in the number of hours being worked from previous years, this is due to an increase in the number of hours being worked by the Finance Assistant and extra hours worked by the Clerk are still considered excessive. A member reported that similar problems occur with Clerks working above their contracted hours at other local parish councils and a study of staff recruitment in other councils is not considered appropriate as each council is unique. In accordance with Parish Council Standing Order 24 a resolution was proposed that in view of the special and confidential nature of the business about to be transacted, it is advisable that in the public interest that the press and public be temporarily excluded and they are instructed to withdraw from the meeting. The reason for the exclusion is to allow consideration to be given to the engagement and terms of service of Parish Council employees. Proposed: SB, Seconded: GR All members present were in favour. Members of the press left the meeting. b.) To consider employment of additional staff. It was advised that NF who has been acting as assistant to the Clerk and offering office support and assistance with committee works will be relinquishing these duties with effect 31.03.11. It has been confirmed that she is willing to continue in her role as a self-employed finance assistant should such a requirement still exist after the satisfactory introduction of a computerised accounts package. Previous works partly carried out by this committee to streamline council working practice were detailed for the benefit of newer committee members. In conclusion to the discussion it is hoped the Parish Council will support this committee in their efforts to examine current working practices and other works placed on office staff by the council, its committees and working parties. The Council, through this committee should examine services that the council has a duty to provide along with services that we choose to provide and consideration may be given, with the consent of the council, to reviewing the current committee structure dependant on these findings. Time sheets will be completed by office staff for a two month period that will be analysed and the findings discussed by this committee. It is recommended to the full Council that in the interests of best employment practice, this matter be resolved prior to Parish Council elections on 05.05.11 as a delay beyond this period could be considerable if there is a large change in Parish Councillors with new councillors taking time to familiarise themselves with a situation prior to any decisions being taken. Should the Parish Council, on receiving a report from this committee early 2011 choose not to make changes to working practices that will reduce the excess hours worked by the Clerk (which will increase with the loss of support from 01.04.11), provision must be made within the Parish Council precept request to NSC in January 2011 for the employment of a part-time admin assistant/assistant clerk to work 20 hours per week. As consideration was being given to the engagement and terms of service of the Parish Council Clerk, the Clerk left the meeting. Minutes were taken and typed by NF. c.) Provision of a pension/gratuity. –It was resolved that this committee would RECOMMEND APPROVAL to the Parish Council to make provision for the payment of a retirement gratuity to the parish clerk as set out in the Local Government (Discretionary Payments) Regulations 1996, subject to the outcome and findings of the Hutton Report regarding pension reform in the workplace. It was also resolved that this committee RECOMMEND consideration be given by the Parish Council that, a one off bonus is made to the parish clerk. Proposed: Cllr. G Rider Seconded: Cllr. S Bridges All in Favour Because of conflicting information received hitherto with regard to the pension/gratuity provision it was agreed that advice may be sought from NALC/HMRC if necessary. d.) To recommend amendments to the Clerk’s contract of employment – Following satisfactory conclusion of minute 11c above it was resolved that this committee would RECOMMEND APPROVAL to the Parish Council that the Parish Clerk’s Contract of Employment is amended as proposed by this committee, in line with the model contract of employment. Proposed: Cllr. C Sampson Seconded: Cllr. M Williamson All in Favour The Clerk returned to the meeting & resumed minute taking.
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To agree committee precept request 2011/2012. With the exception of a recommended salary budget for the forthcoming year which has been circulated to all Parish Councillors as a confidential paper, the committee requests a precept allocation of £2,500 – this consisting of an allocation of £1,000 towards a publication scheme for the parish to improve communication with the electorate and £1,500 for a computerised accounts package.
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Matters for Information – either points of information or subjects for discussion at next meeting – none |
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Date of next meeting: to be confirmed |
Meeting Closed: 4.10 pm.
Signed _____________________________ Employment & Policies Committee Chairman
Date _____________