Llanrhidian Higher Community Council

Minutes of the Personnel Committee Meeting

Held Remotely on Zoom

on Monday, 7th June 2021 at 6 p.m.

Present:

Councillors: N Doyle, S Phillips, M Roberts and P Tucker

Officers: J Parkhouse – Clerk to the Community Council

1. Election of Chair of the Personnel Committee for the 2021-2022 Municipal Year

Resolved that Councillor S Phillips be elected Chair for the 2021-2022 Municipal Year.

(Councillor S Phillips presided)

2. Election of Vice-Chair of the Personnel Committee for the 2021-2022 Municipal Year

Resolved that Councillor N Doyle be elected Vice-Chair of the Personnel Committee for the 2021-2022

3. Apologies for Absence

None.

4. Disclosures of Personal and Prejudicial Interests

In accordance with the Code of Conduct adopted by Llanrhidian Higher Community Council, no interests were declared.

5. Minutes

Resolved that the Minutes of the Personnel & General Purposes Sub-Committee meeting held on 22nd March 2021 be approved and signed as a correct record.

6. Personnel Committee Terms of Reference

The Personnel Committee Terms of Reference were provided ‘for information’.

7. To Appoint a Councillor to Manage the Clerk on a day-to-day basis

Resolved that Councillor S Phillips be appointed as the Councillor who manages the Clerk on a day-to-day basis.

8. Personnel Committee Action Tracker

The Personnel Committee Action Tracker report was provided ‘for information’.

9. Exclusion of the Public

The Committee was requested to exclude the public from the meeting during consideration of the item(s) of business identified in its recommendation(s) to the report on the grounds that it/they involve(s) the disclosure of exempt information, as set out in the exclusion paragraph of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972, as amended by the Local Government (Access to Information) (Variation) (Wales) Order 2007, relevant to the item(s) of business set out in the report.

The Committee considered the Public Interest Test in deciding whether to exclude the public from the meeting for the items of business where the Public Interest Test was relevant as set out in the report.

Resolved that the public be excluded for the following items of business. (Closed Session)

10. Co-option to Vacant Councillor Positions in the Penclawdd Ward

The Clerk reported that the Council currently had 2 Councillor vacancies in the Penclawdd Ward and notices of these vacancies were published early in May 2021. The notices gave 14 working days for a request for an election to be made in writing to the Returning Officer, Swansea Council. No requests for an election were made so the Council could now co-opt to the vacant positions.

It was added that 2 individuals were interested in joining the Community Council and they were requested to provide written statements outlining their backgrounds, interests and what skills they could bring to the Council. The statement provided by Andrew Williams was attached at Appendix A and the statement provided by Victoria Lewis was attached at Appendix B. Resolved that both applications be approved and a recommendation that both be co-opted as Councillors be made to the Community Council meeting on 17th June 2021.

11. Personnel Matters

The Clerk presented a report on personnel matters that covered the following areas: -

 To oversee the performance / annual appraisal / set the targets & priorities of the Clerk (to link in with the Annual Plan).  To oversee and monitor the hours, holiday entitlement, sickness or absence of the Clerk and organising appropriate cover.  To manage any disciplinary or grievance issues (for or against) relating to the Clerk.  To manage and agree the annual pay of the Clerk.  To manage the training and continuous professional development of the Clerk.  To deal with any other issues referred by the Council (that do not come under the jurisdiction of the Finance Committee). To manage the training programme / development of Councillors & Staff.

The Sub-Committee discussed the following: -

 Performance indicators / objectives of the Clerk;  The credit hours of the Clerk and the need to appoint specialist contractors / employees to cover areas of work required, such as a buildings surveyor and reduce the burden upon the Clerk;  The Clerk undertakes research regarding appointments made by other Community Town Councils covering property maintenance / development roles;  The Clerk confirms with One Voice Wales whether the advice regarding the arrangements for future Council meetings had changed.

Resolved that: -

1) The progress made against the performance indicators / objectives of the Clerk be noted; 2) The Clerk be paid for 85 hours completed at the next Council meeting on 17th June 2021; 3) The Clerk undertakes research regarding appointments made by other Community Town Councils covering property maintenance / development roles; 4) The Clerk confirms with One Voice Wales whether the advice regarding the arrangements for future Council meetings had changed.

The meeting ended at 6.23 p.m.

Chair