Minutes
Minutes of a meeting of the Personnel sub-Committee held at 6.00pm on Wednesday 28th February 2024 in the Mountfitchet Exchange, Crafton Green, 72 Chapel Hill, Stansted Mountfitchet, Essex
PRESENT Cllr A Guney (Chair), Cllrs M Caton, J Kavanagh and A Khan
ATTENDING
Mrs Ruth Clifford – Parish Clerk
Mrs Emma Philbrick – Deputy Clerk
Cllrs Braeckman and Prior (via Zoom)
449 APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE
Apologies for absence were received from Cllr O’Brien – Family commitment.
RESOLVED To accept the apologies for absence from Cllr O’Brien
450 TO RECEIVE DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST – None
451 TO RECEIVE THE MINUTES OF THE MEETING HELD ON 15TH MARCH 2023
RESOLVED To accept the minutes of the meeting held on 15th March 2023 as a true and accurate account.
452 TO RECEIVE AN UPDATE FROM THE CLERK WITH REGARD TO STAFF TRAINING
The Clerk gave details of all the training that staff members have undertaken since the last meeting.
453 ARRANGEMENTS TO COVER MATERNITY LEAVE OF ONE STAFF MEMBER
The Clerk and Deputy Clerk are currently working through the handover from the member of staff. There are some ongoing projects which they will be assisting with but much of the groundwork was completed before the staff member went on maternity leave. The Clerk and Deputy Clerk will support the working groups as much as they can going forward. Currently there is no need to bring anyone else in especially as there is no budget for any new major projects but if the sub-Committee are in agreement then this will be assessed as time goes on. It was agreed that the time being taken up of the Clerk and Deputy Clerk will be monitored and commented that Councillors could also help if and where necessary. The member of staff was also the Allotment Officer for a time but had resigned when her maternity leave started and, as always planned, the administration and management of the allotments has been handed over to the Elms Farm Allotment Association.
454 TO DISCUSS COUNCILLORS’ USE OF SOCIAL MEDIA
The Clerk explained that a number of times over the last 12 months, posts have been put out by members which have been perceived as not supportive of the team in the office and have been criticism and correction of work on a public forum. The Council as a body are our employers and we would ask that if they have any issues with the staff or their work then they approach the Clerk directly as would happen in most other workplaces. An employer should not be criticising its employees on a social media platform when they are posting as a councillor, or known to be a councillor. Members of the committee completely agreed with this and Cllr Guney as the Chair advised she would be writing to members to remind them of this.
455 PAY REVIEW 2024-25 TO BE HELD IN PART 2
RESOLVED That under Section 1(2) of the Public Bodies (Admission to Meetings) Act 1960 in view of the confidential nature of the business to be discussed, the public and press be instructed to withdraw.
Meeting closed to public and press
Discussions took place regarding the recent staff appraisals.
Meeting re-opened to the public and press
It was agreed that further information was required and the sub-committee would meet again prior to submitting their recommendation to the F&GP Committee.
456 DATE OF NEXT MEETING
This will be confirmed.
Meeting closed at 7.20pm
Agenda
Members of the Council you are hereby summoned, and members of the public and press are hereby invited, to attend a meeting of the PERSONNEL SUB-COMMITTEE which will be held on Wednesday 28th February 2024 at 6.00pm in The Mountfitchet Exchange, Crafton Green, 72 Chapel Hill, Stansted, Essex, where the following business will be transacted:
1 To consider any apologies for absence
2 To receive declarations of interest
3 To receive the minutes of the meeting held on 15th March 2023
4 To receive an update from the Clerk with regard to staff training
5 Arrangements to cover maternity leave of one staff member
6 To discuss councillors’ use of social media
7 Pay Review 2024-25 to be held in Part 2
8 Date of Next Meeting
Ruth Clifford Parish Clerk 21st February 2024
The press and public are welcome to attend all meetings of the Parish Council and its Committees. Any intention to record, film or take photographs during a meeting must be notified to the Clerk prior to the start of the meeting.