Minutes
Personnel Committee Meeting Minutes
7.30pm Tuesday 08 July 2025
St Andrews Community Centre, Saxilby.
Members Present:
Cllrs Bowden, Saunders, Shepherd, and Waller.
Absent:
Cllr Bridge, Hughes, and J.Willox
In Attendance:
Lydia Hopton, Parish Clerk
There were no members of the public in attendance.
Meeting
Procedural
PC25/024 1. Receive apologies for absence
Apologies were received from Cllr Bridge, Hughes, and J.Willox.
PC25/025 2. Receive declarations of interest in accordance with the Localism Act 2011 and consider granting dispensation requests, these having been submitted in writing to the proper officer before, or at the start of, the meeting
Dispensation request(s) were received from:
None received.
Declarations of interest were received from:
The clerk declared an interest in PC25/030 7., PC25/031 8., PC25/032 9., and PC25/033 10. And left the room for PC25/033 10.
PC25/026 3. Note the meeting action log
Noted. Add September deadline for actions 0137b, 0137c, and 022 16.
PC25/027 4. Approve the 28 May 2025 personnel committee meeting notes as minutes and the chair to sign
Having been proposed (Cllr Saunders) and seconded (Cllr Bowden) it was resolved to:
Approve the 28 May 2025 personnel committee meeting notes as minutes and the chair to sign.
PC25/028 5. Review and recommend to Full Council the draft bereavement leave policy
Having been proposed (Cllr Saunders) and seconded (Cllr Shepherd) it was resolved to:
Review and recommend to Full Council the draft bereavement leave policy, with the following updates:
However, we recognise that this is a sensitive issue so if you don’t feel comfortable discussing your situation with your manager/supervisor, you are encouraged to speak with another senior member of staff, the clerk or assistant clerk, HR or the Employee Assistance Programme pp2.
…or taking banked time off in lieu, where in contract pp2.
Training
We provide training to all our staff on bereavement and how they can ask for help or support their colleagues.
We ensure that all levels of management are trained on the effects of bereavement, how to hold discussions with employees who are experiencing bereavement and adjustments that can be made to an employee’s role to remove or lessen any effects the employee is experiencing.
[Deletions and additions shown in italics].
PC25/029 6. Closed Session: Committee to resolve to go into closed session in accordance with the Public Bodies (Admissions to Meetings) Act 1960 for the following item(s) on the grounds that publicity would be prejudicial to the public interest by reason of the confidential nature of the business to be transacted.
Having been proposed (Cllr Saunders) and seconded (Cllr Shepherd) it was resolved to:
Enter closed session.
Clerk declared an interest in PC25/030 7., PC25/031 8., PC25/032 9., and PC25/033 10.
PC25/030 7. Ratify Clerk and Assistant Clerks annual leave retrospectively at the subsequent personnel committee meeting (ToR3.7)
Having been proposed (Cllr Saunders) and seconded (Cllr Shepherd) it was resolved to:
Ratify the Clerks annual leave.
PC25/031 8. Note staff timesheet data, agree the purpose(s) for reviewing, and recommend to full council an update to the committee’s ToR accordingly
Having been proposed (Cllr Saunders) and seconded (Cllr Shepherd) it was resolved to:
Share last month’s timesheets as a sample so committee can better understand constraints, capacity, staff well-being, and bring back to committee.
PC25/032 9. To agree a second councillor to conduct the clerk’s appraisal
Having been proposed (Cllr Saunders) and seconded (Cllr Bowden) it was resolved:
For a second councillor to conduct the clerk’s appraisal.
PC25/033 10. To review the report and information from an external HR provider and agree recommendations
21:12 clerk left the room
21:49 returned to the room
The chair of the committee fed back the decision:
a. Having been proposed (Cllr Saunders) and seconded (Cllr Shepherd) it was resolved to look at holding a facilitated mediation session and training for staff and councillors. This was resolved with all in favour.
b. Having been proposed (Cllr Saunders) and seconded (Cllr Shepherd) it was resolved with all in favour for the clerk to respond to an external complaint in-line with the complaints procedure.
The meeting closed at 22:39pm.
Please be advised that these are notes of the meeting taken by the assistant/clerk and cannot in any way be regarded as the official minutes of council proceedings until they are approved and signed at the next meeting.