Personnel Committee

Membership

Nicky Blackwell Chair

Richard Burrows Vice chair

Dr Wendy Maples

Nick Tigg

Dr Andrew Norris

Jacob Todd

Role

Shall meet six times a year (bi-monthly), shall consist of 7 Members, all members shall receive training in the Council’s role as the employer of officers, have a quorum of four, and be delegated to make decisions on behalf of the Council in the following matters:

• to examine, review, implement and develop, on behalf of Council, various policies, procedures, new projects and strategies relating to Council including HR policies in consultation with staff;
• community engagement on issues linked to the purpose of this committee including partnership working;
• make recommendations to Council on the annual staffing budget;
• determine staff conditions of service including salary scales, working conditions, employee assessments and evaluations and make budget recommendations to Council in October;
• consider and implement any changes which are required to comply with legislation and Terms and Conditions of Service as laid down by the National Joint Council (Green Book) and recommended by the National Association of Local Councils and Society of Local Council Clerks;
• maintain the staffing levels necessary to efficiently discharge the work required by Council, review staffing requirements when required and make recommendations to the Council;
• review job descriptions, person specifications, staff establishment (including promotion, regrading, redundancies and fixed term contracts) and to approve contracts of employment;
• maintain confidentiality over all staffing matters as required under the 2018 General Data Protection Regulations and the 2018 Data Protection Act as well as the Code of Conduct;
• oversee staff and Member development including identify training opportunities and ensure that all training needs are met;
• ensure adequate oversight of recruitment of other members of staff, in a manner to be determined by the Committee and Town Clerk;
• ensure hearings for Grievance, Disciplinary and Capability matters are dealt with in accordance with the Councils Grievance and Disciplinary Procedure (only reporting to Council when the time for any Appeal has passed);
• where appropriate, appoint a panel (see below – Grievance Sub Committee) to hear complaints made under the Council’s Grievance and Disciplinary Procedure and full delegated responsibility to take whatever action necessary and if appropriate seek outside professional assistance in order to conclude a disciplinary or grievance matter;
• manage the selection process for the recruitment of the Town Clerk/RFO, and make recommendation for appointment to The Council as required including budget requirements;
• review the appraisal of the Town Clerk’s performance by the town Mayor and 2 other appointed Councillors;
• receive the Town Clerk’s annual appraisal of staff members performance;
• oversee the development of policies and processes with respect to Health and Safety at work and other relevant regulations that fall within the remit of the Committee;
• recommend to Council any new posts, or changes to posts including terms and conditions, which would have implications for the budget, and
• overall performance and welfare of the staff (delegating the day-to-day line management to the Town Clerk) and receive reports from the Town Clerk (e.g., sickness, leave, flexible leave requirements, OH issues, TOIL and overtime)
• to have due consideration for all matters relating to equality, diversity, inclusion and the living wage.

Lewes Town Council recognises the Transfer of Undertakings Protection of Employment regulations 2006 known as TUPE and is committed to working with accredited trade unions to promote a good working relationship with its staff.

A Grievance Sub-committee shall be convened to keep confidential its deliberations and decisions in cases of Grievance, Disciplinary and Capability hearings, because if an Appeal against a decision is received it must, legally and in the interests of fairness, be heard again by elected members with no prior knowledge of the case. In order to ensure as far as possible that such matters as Appraisal, Grievance, Disciplinary and Capability issues are dealt with professionally and in accordance with Employment legislation, all members of the Grievance Sub-committee must agree to undertake training in these matters. This Committee may decide that it wishes to refer such matters to the Council for final decision, subject to the matters reserved for final decision for legal reasons