05-21-November-Staffing.pdf

The Council Office, Diamond Jubilee Lodge, Wood View Road, Hellesdon, Norwich, NR6 5QB
Tel: 01603 301751 www.hellesdon-pc.gov.uk email: clerk@hellesdon-pc.gov.uk

Minutes of the meeting of the Staffing Committee held on
Tuesday 21st November 2023 7pm in
The Council Chamber, Diamond Jubilee Lodge, Hellesdon

Present: Cllr L Douglass – Chair of the Committee
Cllr G Britton
Cllr B Johnson
Cllr A Lock
Mrs F LeBon – Parish Clerk

The Chairman welcomed members and opened the meeting at 7pm.

1. Apologies and acceptance for absence

Apologies were received from Cllr Britcher, Cllr Gurney and Cllr Maidstone.

2. Declarations of Interest and Dispensations

No declarations made.

3. Approval of minutes of the Committee meeting held on 23rd August 2023
Minutes of the meeting of 23rd August 2023 had been circulated. It was AGREED that these were a
true and accurate record of the meeting.

4. Public Participation

No members of the public present

5. To Agree Christmas Working Hours

It was AGREED that the week between Christmas and New Year would be manned and the two
contractual stat days should be taken between Christmas and New Year. The third day should be
worked, ensuring that the office is covered, a member of the caretaking team is available and a
member of the grounds team is available on each working day. The community centre will close at
7.30pm during this week, ensuring that the site is open during library hours.
This will be a precedent set for future years, enabling staff to plan in advance.

6. To consider resolution under the Public Bodies (Admission to Meetings) Act 1960 to exclude the
press and public for the duration of items 7 and 8 in view of the confidential and personal nature
of the business to be transacted.
This was AGREED.

There were no members of the public in attendance

7. Current Staffing Matters
a) To Receive Report on Current Staffing Matters
A report had been circulated to members on current staffing matters, including the successful
recruitment of the caretaker / gardener position.
b) To Consider Adoption of Bradford Formula for Staff Absence

Approved…………………………………………………...…

Date………………………………………
HPC Staffing Committee Minutes 21st November 2023
 The recognised Bradford Formula was discussed. It was AGREED to adopt this formula going
forwards to monitor staff absence. This will be written into the Staff Handbook.
c) To Consider Requests for Reasonable Adjustments to Facilitate Working
Requests for reasonable adjustments were considered. It was AGREED to purchase:
1no. double table rack to hold 14 tables (£379.19 + VAT)
1no. single table rack to hold 7 tables (£265.43 + VAT)
1no. text to speech device (£69.99 + VAT)
d) To Consider Request for Flexible Working
A flexible working request was considered by the committee and subsequently AGREED. A
workstation assessment was also APPROVED.

8. To Consider Staffing Structure and Budget for 2024/2025

The staffing structure for 2024/2025 was reviewed, with a known vacancy from September 2024. It
was AGREED that a new member of staff would be recruited with a 3 month crossover period to
ensure adequate training is received. Suggestions for the role of the new member of staff were
considered and it was AGREED to do further work into the whole structure to ensure that the skills
within the team were being correctly utilised.
The staffing budget for 2024/2025 was AGREED at £421,445 representing a 12.3% uplift from
2023/2024. Some of this uplift was due to the café being opened an extra day, and therefore some
of this increase would be netted off by income from the café. Some of this uplift was due to an
extended crossover period in recruitment.

9. Items for the Next Agenda
Feedback from appraisals. It was AGREED that Cllr Douglass and Cllr Johnson should have
delegated authority to perform the Clerk’s appraisal.

10. To Confirm Date, Time and Venue of Next Meeting

Next meeting to be arranged when required.

The Meeting Closed at 8.20pm

Approved…………………………………………………...…

Date………………………………………
HPC Staffing Committee Minutes 21st November 2023