minutes council 26.3 - ringwood town council€¦ · page 1 of 4 open session: there were no...

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OPEN SESSION: There were no members of public present. MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF RINGWOOD TOWN COUNCIL Held on Wednesday 26th March at 7.00pm PRESENT: Cllr W S Rippon-Swaine (Town Mayor) Cllr S Burgess-Kennar

Cllr N J Chard Cllr L C Ford Cllr R Frampton Cllr J D Heron Cllr G O’Reilly Cllr M Steele Cllr B H Terry Cllr J Terry Cllr M H Thierry Cllr A Wiseman Cllr B Woodifield IN ATTENDANCE: Mr S Nash, Town Clerk

Mrs J Hurd, Deputy Town Clerk Prior to the meeting, the Town Mayor presented two grant aid cheques. The first for £800 was presented to Chris and Sue Cook of Churches Together in Ringwood and District, for a Family Fun Day to be held on the Bickerley on 31st March 2014. The second for £650 was presented to Angela Smalley from New Forest Citizens Advice Bureau, towards its work in the town. The Town Clerk reported that apologies for absence had been received from Cllr S Stokes and George Whittingham, Student Advisor C/5518 DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST There were none. C/5519 MINUTES OF PREVIOUS MEETING RESOLVED: That the minutes of the Meeting held on 26th February 2014, having been

circulated, be approved and signed as a correct record. C/5520 RECREATION, LEISURE AND OPEN SPACES COMMITTEE Cllr Terry presented the minutes of the Recreation, Leisure & Open Spaces Committee meeting held on 5th March 2014. OS/5482: Cllr Thierry wished to comment on the confidential minutes. It was therefore necessary to go into private session. C/5521 EXCLUSION OF PUBLIC & PRESS RESOLVED: That in view of the confidential nature of the business about to be transacted, it

was advisable in the public interest that the press and public be temporarily

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excluded and they were instructed to withdraw (Confidential Annex A). C/5522 LAND AT LONG LANE As the provision of improved sporting facilities on land at Long Lane was a significant project for the Council, Cllr Thierry asked that all Members be given an opportunity to discuss it. It was noted that the Town Clerk was in the process of preparing a detailed report on the subject. RESOLVED: That the information in Confidential Annex A be noted. C/5523 RE-ADMITTANCE OF PUBLIC & PRESS RESOLVED: That the public and press be re-admitted to the meeting. C/5524 RECREATION, LEISURE AND OPEN SPACES COMMITTEE continued RESOLVED: That the minutes of the Recreation, Leisure & Open Spaces Committee

meeting held on 5th March 2014 be received. C/5525 PLANNING, TOWN & ENVIRONMENT COMMITTEE Cllr Burgess-Kennar presented the minutes of the Planning, Town & Environment Committee meeting held on 7th March 2014. P/5114: It was noted that the planning application on which Cllr Wiseman had declared an interest was incorrectly numbered, and should read 14/10197. RESOLVED: That the minutes of the Planning, Town & Environment Committee meeting

held on 7th March 2014 be received. C/5526 POLICY & FINANCE COMMITTEE Cllr Heron presented the minutes of the Policy & Finance Committee meeting held on 19th March 2014. F/5117: Cllr Heron reported that existing employment contracts referred to the National Agreement on Pay and Conditions of Service (also known as the Green Book) and felt that the proposed new contract should continue to include reference to this. There was also a need to include pay scale ranges in the contract, as was currently included. The Town Clerk explained that existing contracts were out of date and did not currently include a number of statutory requirements, which should be made clear to employees. The template had been provided by the Hampshire Association of Local Councils (HALC), of which the Council was a member and had a subscription to its HR service. RESOLVED:

1) That the minutes of the Policy & Finance Committee meeting held on 19th March 2014 be received.

2) That the Staff Contract of Employment be amended as follows: a) That each section be numbered.

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b) That under Other Leave on page 4 ‘Military reservist duty’ be included; c) That the phrase ‘I confirm I have received a copy of the Employee Handbook’ be

incorporated in the Acceptance on page 6; d) That the Acceptance include the Employee and Employer signatures; e) That reference to the National Agreement of Pay and Conditions of Service be

included; and f) That the pay scale range be included in paragraph 5.1.

3) That the Staff Contract of Employment be adopted following approval by HALC of the final draft (Annex B).

C/5527 APPRAISALS PROCEDURE The Town Clerk presented an Appraisals Procedure for employees, which he wished to introduce in order to review performance, set objectives and highlight any training and personal development needs. There was some concern about the amount of time this annual procedure could take and the Town Clerk confirmed that each appraiser would have a maximum of six employees to appraise. The appraisals would not be used to discuss remuneration. RESOLVED: That the Appraisals Procedure (Annex C) be adopted, having been amended

as follows: a) That the Town Clerk be appraised by a panel of up to two Councillors and

paragraph 2.1 be updated accordingly; b) That a list of staff and who they will be appraised by be included; c) That the Chairman of Policy of Finance Committee be notified of any non-

programmed appraisals and paragraph 4.2 be updated accordingly. C/5528 COMMUNICATIONS TO BE RECEIVED The Town Mayor reported on staff changes, as follows: 1) A sad farewell to Grounds Foreman, Clive Wentworth, who was retiring on Friday, after 13

years dedicated service to the Council. Members wished Clive well for a very happy and well deserved retirement.

2) Kelvin Wentworth would be taking over the role of Grounds Foreman with effect from

Monday 31st March. Members wished him all the best in his new role. 3) Barnaby Gilpin had been appointed as a new Groundsman, and would take up this

position on 16th April 2014. The Town Mayor also thanked Cllr Frampton for the recent loan of a chipper and whacker plate to assist the grounds staff. C/5529 REPORTS FROM COUNTY AND DISTRICT COUNCILLORS County Councillor Rippon-Swaine presented his written report (Annex D). District Councillor Woodifield presented her written report (Annex E).

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District Councillor Ford presented a list of engagements she had carried out as Chairman of New Forest District Council (Annex F). It was agreed that, whist Cllr Ford held the position of Chairman, there was no need for a written report to be produced. District Councillor Thierry presented his written report (Annex G). District Councillor Heron reported that the forthcoming Cabinet meeting would be discussing the Local Plan Part 2, which had now been returned by the Inspector, and the Community Infrastructure Levy, which it was proposed to adopt in April 2015. It was also recommended that there be no change to the number of District Councillors, which was currently 60. It was noted that members of the Town Council found the District and County Councillor reports very useful, when they covered matters that might have an impact on the town and its residents. The Town Clerk said that Members may wish to consider including an item on future agendas to allow open discussion, so that he and other Members could be informed of events as and when they came up. He also said that he would be happy to consider items from Members for inclusion on agendas. C/5530 FORTHCOMING MEETINGS Recreation, Leisure & Open Spaces 7.00pm CANCELLED Planning, Town & Environment 10.00am Friday 4th April Policy & Finance 7.00pm Wednesday 16th April Full Council 7.00pm Wednesday 30th April There being no further business, the Town Mayor closed the meeting at 8.30pm. APPROVED 30th April 2014 TOWN MAYOR

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RINGWOOD TOWN COUNCIL

STATEMENT OF PARTICULARS RELATING TO THE EMPLOYMENT OF STAFF

This statement sets out particulars of the terms and conditions on which the Ringwood Town Council employs, which are required to be given to you by law under s.1 of the Employment Rights Act 1996 (ERA) as amended. To acknowledge receipt, please sign and return one copy to the Deputy Town Clerk. An additional copy for your retention is enclosed. Any queries should be directed to the Deputy Town Clerk in the first instance. NAME: ………..…. ADDRESS: ………..…. 1. COMMENCEMENT DATE: 1.1 Your period of continuous service for statutory employment rights dates from your

commencement with Ringwood Town Council. 1.2 If you have previous continuous service with an organisation covered by the Redundancy

Payments (Local Government) (Modification) Order (which covers local authorities and related bodies) this will be included in calculating your entitlement to a redundancy payment, sickness allowance and annual leave.

1.3 In this case, your date of continuous service is ………..…. subject to confirmation from

your previous employers. 2. CONDITIONS OF SERVICE 2.1 The National Agreement on Pay and Conditions of Service of the National Joint Council (“the

NJC”) for Local Government Services (“the Green Book”) applies to your employment save as amended by this contract.

3. JOB TITLE 3.1 Your appointment is to the post of: ………..…. 4. PLACE OF WORK AND DUTIES 4.1 You will be employed at ………..…. but as a term of your employment

you may be required to work at or from any other Ringwood Town Council facilities or establishments, from time to time.

4.2 Ringwood Town Council reserves the right at any time during your employment, upon

reasonable notice, to require you to undertake duties which fall within your capabilities and to move your work location from one department to another within the Ringwood Town Council boundary. Where however in the course of time there is a substantial and permanent change in the duties and responsibilities, the post may be subject to re-evaluation.

Annex B

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5. HOURS OF WORK (Basic Week) 5.1 Your normal hours of work will be………..…. hours per week. With shifts of 6 hours or over

you must adhere to the Working Time Regulations to take a 30 minute unpaid rest break. 5.2 Any time to be worked outside of the contractual hours must be authorised by your line

manager and is taken as time in lieu, unless payment is agreed as in exceptional circumstances, and will be at the rate applicable to your basic hourly rate of pay. Ringwood Town Council supports principles of work-life-balance, and operates a flexible approach to employment where reasonable and appropriate, excess hours are therefore taken as time in lieu unless payment is exceptionally agreed by the Town Clerk.

6. REMUNERATION 6.1 The salary band for the position is SCP point ………..…. to SCP point ………. You will

initially be on point ………..…. and paid a basic salary of ………..…. per annum. 7. METHOD OF PAYMENT 7.1 You will be paid on or before the 25th of each month by credit transfer to your account.

When this falls on a weekend you will be paid on the preceding Friday. Salaries are reviewed annually with your first review in .

8. SICKNESS PAYMENTS 8.1 If you are absent on account of sickness or injury you must inform your Manager of the

reason for your absence as soon as possible and no later than 09.30am on each working day that absence occurs.

8.2 In respect of absence lasting seven calendar days you must on the eighth day of absence

provide the Council with a Statement of Fitness of Work (“Fit Note”) from your medical practitioner stating the reason for the absence. You must provide a new certificate each week to cover any further period of absence. The Council reserves the right to ask you to undergo a medical examination by a medical practitioner nominated by the Council at any stage, subject to the provisions of the Access to Medical Reports Act 1988 where applicable. Any costs associated with the examination will be met by the Council.

8.3 You will be paid your agreed basic remuneration in line with the scale of allowances for any

one year that runs from 1 April to 31 March (see Scale of Allowances section below). Entitlement to payment is subject to notification of absence and production of self-certification forms and/or Statements of Fitness for Work as detailed above.

8.4 For the purposes of calculating your entitlement to Sick Pay “qualifying days” are those on

which you are normally required to work. 8.5 Scale of Allowances

The Council has a sickness benefit scheme providing payment to employees who are absent from work due to genuine sickness or injury. To be entitled to payment employees must fulfil certain requirements in the Sickness Absence procedure (as detailed above). Provided the procedures are adhered to, you will be immediately eligible for sickness benefit calculated on an hours worked basis, as follows:-

During 1st year of service 1 months full pay and (after completing 4 months service) 2

months half pay

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During 2nd year of service 2 months full pay and 2 months half pay

During 3rd year of service 4 months full pay and 4 months half pay

During 4th & 5th years of service 5 months full pay and 5 months half pay

After 5 years’ service 6 months full pay and 6 months half pay

8.6 The Council shall have discretion to extend the application of the foregoing scale in

exceptional cases and should review the position of employees at an early opportunity and before their entitlements to paid sick leave expires.

8.7 Service in a temporary capacity shall be recognised. 9. STATUTORY SICK PAY - QUALIFYING DAYS 9.1 For the purposes of the Social Security Contributions and Benefits Act 1992 (as amended)

(“the Act"), for all full time and part time employees, the days of the week agreed in accordance with the Act to be qualifying days shall be calculated on a Monday to Friday basis.

9. ANNUAL LEAVE 9.1 The annual leave year runs from 1 April to the following 31 March. Annual leave entitlement

in a full year is 22 working days leave in each leave year, increasing to 27 days per year when you have completed not less than 5 years' continuous service immediately prior to the commencement of the leave year. In addition to this, you will be entitled to 1 extra statutory days (the timing of the extra statutory day will be decided by the Council and is usually taken when the office is closed at Christmas).

9.2 Holiday entitlement may not be carried over to the following holiday year without prior

approval. The maximum that may be carried forward is five days. 9.3 Part-time employees are entitled to leave on a pro-rata basis. Based on your contractual working hours, your annual leave entitlement will therefore be ………..…. per annum. 9.4 The dates of your holidays must be agreed and authorised in advance with your line

manager. 10. PUBLIC AND EXTRA-STATUTORY HOLIDAYS 10.1 Full-time employees will receive paid holiday on or in respect of each of the public and extra

statutory holidays. 10.2 Part-time employees will be entitled to pro-rata paid leave in respect of each of the public and extra statutory holidays irrespective of their work pattern. 10.3 On termination of employment any holiday that has:

a) been taken in excess of entitlement, will be deducted from salary b) accrued but not taken, will be paid in lieu of any holiday

10.4 If either party has served notice to terminate employment, the Council may require you to

take any accrued but unused holiday entitlement during the notice period.

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10.5 Special leave Additional leave without pay may be granted in special circumstances by the Town Clerk.

10.6 Leave for Jury Service

An employee receiving a summons to serve on jury duty must report the fact to her/his line manager who shall grant her/him leave of absence unless exemption is secured. An employee serving as a juror shall claim the allowance for loss of earnings to which he/she is entitled under the Jurors' Allowance Regulations currently in force. The Council shall then deduct from the member of staffs full pay an amount equal to the allowance received.

10.7 Maternity/Paternity/Adoption Support Leave

The Town Council fully supports the requirements for maternity and paternity support leave as defined by legislation and as detailed in the Employee Handbook. Time for antenatal care will also be provided.

10.8 Other Leave

At the discretion of the Town Clerk, other leave will be considered for: 1. training and development activities 2. other public duties 3. attendance at fellow-workers grievance and disciplinary hearings 4. trusteeship duties 5. professional activities that relate to your employment 6. military reservist duty

11. LIEU TIME 11.1 Lieu time may be taken for agreed hours worked in excess to that to which the employee is

contracted to work. This lieu time must be entered onto the staff leave/absence record card and authorised by the line manager to be valid.

11.2 Hours accumulated should not become excessive so as to cause concern that the Town

Council may not be complying with its obligations under Health and Safety Regulations e.g. stress, therefore a manager's reasonable request to reduce such accumulation must be reasonably followed.

11.3 All lieu time must be used within 3 months of accrual. 11.4 Lieu time can be accumulated and rolled over to the following holiday year subject to a

maximum of 5 days. 11.5 Lieu time will only be paid in exceptional circumstances as agreed by the Town Clerk. 12. ADDITIONAL EMPLOYMENT 12.1 In order that the Council can comply with its Health and Safety obligations, it needs to be

aware of any additional paid employment to which employees are committed, either at the time of first employment, or at a later date. Employees must therefore complete and sign the employment consent form.

12.2 Line managers can refuse you permission for other declared employment on the basis that it

is written, giving the reasons why, e g. conflict of interest, insufficient rest time, safety concerns.

12.3 This document will be kept on your personnel file and must be completed again at a future

time should employment commitments outside of the Town Council change.

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13. DISCIPLINARY

13.1 The Council has a formal disciplinary procedure. Any breach of the Council's rules will render the employee liable to the processes referred to in this procedure, which in some cases (for example, gross misconduct) may carry the potential penalty of dismissal. In instances when disciplinary action is taken and an employee is unhappy with the decision they may appeal, in writing, to the Town Clerk.

13.2 A copy of the disciplinary procedure is included in your Employee Handbook. 14. GRIEVANCE 14.1 The Council has a formal grievance procedure so that an employee can raise a grievance

with which he/she is directly and personally concerned. To resolve a grievance employees should first speak to their line manager or, if the grievance is directly with their line manager, to another senior member of the management team. You may then apply to the Town Clerk for redress of any grievance not resolved to your satisfaction.

14.2 Full details of the grievance procedure are included in your Employee Handbook.

15. TERMINATION OF EMPLOYMENT 15.1 Minimum periods of notice to be given by the employer are governed by the Employment

Rights Act 1996. Other than dismissal as a result of gross misconduct the minimum periods of notice to which you are entitled are: -

One month or more but less than two years 1 week Two years or more but less than twelve years 1 week for each year of continuous service Twelve years or more Not less than twelve weeks 15.2 The minimum period of notice which you are required to give the Town Council for the

termination of your employment is one calendar month, or less by agreement. 16. MATERNITY / PATERNITY / ADOPTION 16.1 Under the provisions of the Employment Rights Act 1996 (as amended by the Employment

Act 2002 and regulations there under) you will be entitled to apply for Maternity/Paternity/Adoption leave — details of which are contained in the Council's Maternity, Paternity and Adoption Schemes.

17. PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL 17.1 You will be required to participate in any appraisal scheme operated within the Council for

employees at your grade or level. For this purpose participation means being involved in the scheme as an appraisee, an appraiser, or both.

18. PENSION 18.1 The Town Council has admitted status to Hampshire Council's Superannuation Scheme. Full

details may be obtained from the Finance Officer, however this is only open to employees during the first year of service.

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19. DISCLOSURE BARRING SERVICE

19.1 To indicate your suitability to work with children young people and/or vulnerable adults you will be required to undergo a check by the Criminal Records Bureau (DBS). In the event of the DBS disclosure highlighting any convictions, criminal charges or bind over orders that were not disclosed at the application stage your employment may be terminated or disciplinary action may be taken against you.

20. AMENDMENTS 20.1 Any amendments or variations to the terms of your employment following consultation will be

notified to you in writing within one month of the change. 21. DATA, COPYRIGHT AND CONFIDENTIALITY 21.1 The Town Council retains all ownership rights for the work and data that its employees

create during the course of their employment. Therefore it is fundamental to this contract of employment that the work undertaken by an employee throughout their employment, in whatever format, becomes a valuable asset to the Council. Therefore all such work and any records, in whatever format, must remain in the ownership of Ringwood Town Council and must continue to be accessible for business continuity. Any move to remove such work or records, that may be deemed to be of value to the Council in its undertakings, or the removal of other assets to which the employee has access, could be in breach of this contract of employment and could render the employee liable for disciplinary action. Also using the Council's assets to make personal gain from such information and access without permission, could again lead to disciplinary action, this also applies at the time of leaving or at a future date thereafter. The Town Council may seek redress by whatever means are appropriate in such cases.

21.2 Also, matters of confidentiality or business practice that have been accessed by the

employee throughout their employment remain confidential to the Town Council and will not be revealed or used externally.

22. COUNCIL POLICY AND PROCEDURES 22.1 The Town Council's operations are governed by English Law. The Council develops from

time to time Policy and Procedures that also give further employee direction into how the Council operates; employees are bound to work to these Policies and Procedures. Where there is no Council guidance in place then the Council will refer directly to statute or best practice.

23. TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT 23.1 You will be required to attend any training that is necessary to comply with Health and Safety

Regulations applicable to your job. The fee for the training will be paid for by the Town Council and your expenses for attending such training will be reimbursed at the rate in force at the time. Any training undertaken outside of normal working hours to be taken as ‘time off in lieu’ hours only.

24. MEDICAL FITNESS 24.1 Your employment is subject to you being medically fit to undertake the duties of the post.

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25. HEALTH AND SAFETY 25.1 You are required to observe the Town Council's Health and Safety Policy, a copy of which

can be found in the Employee Handbook. 26. EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES 26.1 Ringwood Town Council is committed to providing equal opportunities and to recognising the

business advantages of diversity. It is a condition of your employment that you comply with the Council's policy statements, and that your actions support the values of the organisation. A copy of the Council's Equal Opportunities policy can be found in the Employee Handbook.

27. RETURN OF COUNCIL PROPERTY 27.1 On the termination of your employment, or at the Town Council's request, you will

immediately return to the Town Council all property belonging or relating to Ringwood Town Council that is in your possession or control.

28. GOVERNING LEGISLATION 28.1 This contract will be governed by and is interpreted in accordance with English Law and you

submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of the English courts and tribunals in relation to any claim or matter arising in connection with this contract.

29. ACCEPTANCE I acknowledge receipt and acceptance of the written statement of particulars of terms and conditions of employment. I confirm I have received a copy of the Employee Handbook. Signed ……………………………………………………………….. Date ……………………… Employee Signed ……………………………………………………………….. Date ……………………… Town Clerk & Proper Officer

Employee Handbook Appraisals Procedure __________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Appraisals Procedure 1

Ringwood Town Council

Appraisals Procedure 1. INTRODUCTION Ringwood Town Council (“the Council”) is committed to Appraisals taking place on an annual basis, with line managers and employees being encouraged to hold regular 1-2-1 meetings throughout the year to review progress.

The procedure gives guidance on the implementation and recording of appraisals and should be followed for the appraisal of all permanent full and part time employees. Temporary and casual employees and volunteers may undergo an appraisal, as considered appropriate (see section 2.3).

Appraisal forms are listed in the Appendices. Appraisers and appraisees are encouraged to complete forms electronically providing as much information as possible. All electronic copies must be saved to the appraisees/appraisers personal drive to ensure the information remains confidential. 2. ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES The implementation and management of this procedure will be the responsibility of the Town Clerk and Deputy Town Clerk, reporting to the Policy and Finance Committee.

2.1 Policy & Finance Committee The Council’s Policy & Finance Committee represents the Council’s interest in staffing matters. The Town Clerk will be appraised by a panel of up to two Councillors.

2.2 The Town Clerk The Town Clerk will:

agree any variations to the normal annual timetable of appraisals and set a target date for their completion and return of necessary records

notify the timetable for forthcoming appraisals to senior managers

confirm the responsibilities for appraisals to line managers

ensure that each appraiser has received adequate training to enable them to undertake appraisals effectively

arrange for the Deputy Town Clerk to coordinate a training programme if required

arrange for the Deputy Town Clerk to maintain a central record to ensure that priorities, training plans and data protection legislation are addressed

act as a reviewer of the process to ensure consistency

address any breaches of confidentiality, which could amount to gross misconduct, as high priority

provide a list of appraisers and their appraisees (Appendix 4)

2.3 The Deputy Town Clerk The Deputy Town Clerk will:

arrange appraisal training as instructed by the Town Clerk

when notified of appraisal timetables by line managers, issue:

appraisees with personalised review forms (Appendix 1), detailing objectives and training set at last appraisal

appraisers with completed Review of Objectives (Appendix 2) and Objectives & Personal Development (Appendix 3) for all their reporting staff

Annex C



On receipt of completed appraisal paperwork:

Record all identified training onto the annual training record

Update Employee Personal Reviews (Appendix 1) and Review of Objectives (Appendix 2) in preparation for next year’s appraisals

2.4 Appraiser (line manager) Once appointed as appraiser the line manager will notify the Deputy Town Clerk and their reporting staff of the appraisal timetable.

Managers can decide on a local basis whether they wish to extend the process to volunteers and/or casual/temporary employees, but for consistency this must be agreed with the Town Clerk and documented.

Appraisers should ensure that they:-

Give appraisees at least 5 working days to prepare for their appraisal

give adequate time and thought to preparation and the appraisal meeting, including a review of the current job description of the appraisee

provide appraisees with any supporting documentation to help them contribute to an effective appraisal e.g. job description, copy of previous year’s appraisal

ensure that appraisals are carried out before the target date and all paperwork is completed and signed off as appropriate

treat all appraisees equitably, keeping the meeting friendly but professional

maintain confidentially throughout, limiting discussions regarding appraisals to their senior line managers and the Town Clerk and not communicating any issues in a public way without the consent of the appraisee

support the Town Clerk in resolving any matters needing referral

manage aims and objectives affectively, by holding regular 1-2-1 meetings with the appraisee throughout the year

2.5 Appraisee (employee) As well as providing the opportunity for both Council and employee to comment on the employer/employee relationship, the appraisal gives employees the right to raise issues which relate specifically to their personal current/future development.

As an appraisee they should ensure that they:-

give full support to the process, attending for the appraisal meeting as requested

prepare adequately by completing the employee personal review and returning it to their appraiser at least 2 working days before the appraisal

plan ahead, ensuring that they know what they wish to discuss

be open, honest and constructive; focussing on themselves not other people make full use of the opportunity to discuss the job role and future

development but not entering into discussions regarding remuneration (an area not covered by the appraisal process)

ensure and respect the need for confidentiality in all matters relating to the appraisal

take joint responsibility with their line manager to enable their agreed objectives to be met and training to be achieved



3. SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS

3.1 Training The Council will, through its training review, give sufficient and timely

consideration to the training of those nominated to be appraisers

The Town Clerk will ensure that training on the appraisal process is offered to all appraisers on an annual basis and before the appraisal programme beings. Managers who have joined the Council since the last round of appraisals and are therefore likely to be an appraiser will be encouraged to attend training

The Deputy Town Clerk will coordinate the training sessions in consultation with the Town Clerk

3.2 Record keeping Appraisals are a key component of the employee’s personnel record and

completed and signed records will be filed on the appraisee’s personal file

Line managers may keep copies of their reporting staff on record, but only in a secure and confidential location, and by agreement with the Town Clerk

In line with the Data Protection Act, the Council will only hold records that are relevant, other records will be securely destroyed in line with the Council’s document retention and archive framework

3.3 Confidentiality Appraisal records should be kept confidential and should not be accessible in any format to any member of staff other than:

the appraiser the respective appraisee the appraiser’s senior manager (if applicable) the Town Clerk the Deputy Town Clerk

Care should always be exercised to avoid breaching confidentiality.

4. APPRAISAL MEETINGS Appraisal meetings should take place in a private room which is light, spacious and, barring emergencies, free from distractions/interruptions.

Appraisals should follow the format of:-

1) Review of previous year’s performance (with reference to Appendices 1 & 2) to establish areas for improvement by the employee, their manager and the Council in general

2) Setting of objectives for the year ahead (Appendix 3), remembering that they should be: Specific - clear about what is actually required, trying to avoid too much detail

and jargon Measurable - tasks need to be linked to quantifiable measure Achievable - consideration should be given to training/competencies Realistic - neither too difficult nor too easy Timed - anticipated timeframe and targets, phased through the year

3) Identifying training and personal development for the year ahead (Appendix 3). Personal development should;

commit the employee to a series of career path training and development activities

maximise an employee’s ability to achieve service objectives in the medium and long term

reflect the balance between the Council’s view of the employee’s development needs in their current and possible future role, and the employee’s own view of their long term career goals



be realistic, with appropriate resources being available and within budget

be jointly agreed by the employee and his/her line manager

Note: objectives and training should, wherever possible, be measurable against the Council’s overall strategy

4.1 Appraisal Paperwork On completion of appraisal forms the appraisee should be given the opportunity to provide their own comments and to sign acceptance of the content. If they do not agree with the content they should indicate their concern/issue in the space provided.

In cases of dispute the appraiser should attempt to resolve any issues. If this is not possible they should refer the matter to their Senior Manager (if applicable) or the Town Clerk. Any referrals should be dealt with and a response given to the appraisee within 10 working days. Referrals for senior managers appraised by the Town Clerk should be made to the Chairman of the Policy and Finance Committee.

When appraiser and appraisee have signed the documentation papers should be forwarded to the departmental senior manager (if applicable) followed by the Town Clerk.

4.2 Infrequent appraisal meetings The Town Clerk may instigate an appraisal which has not been programmed on the annual timetable. In such cases the decision of the Town Clerk is final and, as with timetabled appraisals, the role of the appraiser will be decided by the Town Clerk. The Chairman of Policy & Finance Committee will be informed of any such appraisals.

Infrequent appraisal meetings are regarded as exceptional occurrences, and are usually based on one of the following:

an employee undertaking a significant change in responsibilities requesting an appraisal

a new starter who may have just missed a planned appraisal but feels that one is necessary

an appraisal being undertaken incorrectly as indicated from a consistency review

where, due to unforeseen circumstances, e.g. sickness, the timetabled appraisal has not taken place at the correct time

5. CONSISTENCY The appraiser will ensure that all appraisees are treated equitably at all times and will record all discussions with the appraisee on the appraisal forms. Any queries raised by appraisees will be recorded and a response given by the appraiser.

Queries that cannot be answered will be escalated to the line manager, in the first instance, then to the Town Clerk and, if necessary, a Personnel Panel (see section 2.1). The response will be given as soon as is practicable and should be recorded on the appraisee’s personal file. The manager will take a view on whether queries and their responses should be brought to the attention of other appraisees.

The Town Clerk will ensure that all appraisals passed for review have been completed correctly and fully. 6. FORMAL REVIEWS Following each appraisal program a formal review will be undertaken and a summary from the Town Clerk given to Senior Managers.

Any changes identified will then be implemented for the appraisals the following year.



Areas for consideration are: appraisals being completed on time, fairly and consistently forms being completed correctly language being clear and not discriminatory performance issues being addressed promptly and with clear action plans will challenges to the process stand up to scrutiny structure / content of forms

APPENDICES Appendix 1 Employee’s Personal Review (for completion prior to appraisal) Appendix 2 Review of Objectives and Approach to Job Appendix 3 Objectives & Personal Development Appendix 4 List of Appraisers and their Appraisees (to follow)

Steve Nash – Town Clerk and Proper Officer

Signed:……………………………………………. Date:……………………………………..

This procedure is effective from It will be reviewed and updated on an annual basis.

Appendix 1 Appraisal: Employee’s Personal Review This form should be completed and returned to your line manager at least 2 working days before your appraisal. Please feel free to complete the form electronically, using use as much space as necessary to provide any relevant information (which will be discussed at your appraisal)

Name Job Title

1. Below are the objectives you were set at last year’s appraisal

Do you feel that you achieved them?

Did you receive adequate support in achieving them?

_________________________________________________________________________ Please answer here:

2. If you did not achieve your objectives why do you think that was?

3. Overleaf is the training/development highlighted for the year

Did you complete the training?

Were you encouraged to undertake the training?

If you did not complete the training please explain why you think this was

3.

_________________________________________________________________________ Please answer here:

4. Did you have regular 1-2-1 meetings with your line manager?

If meetings took place, did they help in achieving your targets for the year?

If no meetings took place, why do you think that was?

5. Is there anything that you would like to raise at your appraisal?

e.g Do you require any further training / support in specific areas which would make your job easier?

Do you think you have any particular skills which could assist other areas of the Council?

Do you consider any changes to your job description are needed?

(NB: Issues concerning salaries are not covered under the appraisal process)

Signature: Date:

Appendix 2 Appraisal: Review of Objectives and Approach to Job Whenever possible this form should be completed electronically, using as much space as is necessary to record all appropriate details discussed at the appraisal.

Name & Job Title:

Review period dates (this is review of the previous year)

Appraiser / line manager Date of Meeting:

OBJECTIVES (Set at previous appraisal)

RATING 1 = Not attempted 2 = Attempted, not achieved 3 = Achieved in part 4 = Achieved in full 5 = Exceeded Expectations

TO BE COMPLETED BY HR PRIOR TO ISSUING

1 2 3 4 5

1 2 3 4 5

1 2 3 4 5

1 2 3 4 5

1 2 3 4 5

Summary of approach to job, in relation to expected Council standards

KEY AREAS RATING 1 = Poor 3 = Standard met 2 = Acceptable 4 = Exceeds Expectations

Flexibility in assisting outside normal duties & hours when needed 1 2 3 4

Co-operation with other team members and line manager

1 2 3 4

Degree of initiative shown in making decisions to complete tasks (within limits of authority) 1 2 3 4

Attitude to completing tasks/objectives to agreed standards

1 2 3 4

Managers Comments:

Appendix 3 Appraisal: Objectives & Personal Development Whenever possible this form should be completed electronically, using as much space as is necessary to record all appropriate details discussed at the appraisal.

The appraisee should be given the opportunity to write any comments they have in the space provided before signing the completed appraisal.

Name & Job Title:

Length of time in current position

Appraiser / line manager Date of Appraisal

OBJECTIVES Objectives should be Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, Timed

TARGET DATE

DEVELOPMENT & TRAINING Consider future potential and development, in particular highlight areas for training

(which may be attendance on a course or “in-house” training) TARGET DATE

FUTURE DEVELOPMENT

Do any aspects of performance need improvement? If so, please give details on how this can be achieved.

Has an interest been expressed in any other areas of the department or the Town Council? If so, please give details on how, if possible, they can be achieved.

JOB DESCRIPTION Are any major changes required to the current job description? If so, please give details

APPRAISER'S COMMENTS

APPRAISEE’S COMMENTS

SIGNATURES: By signing this document you are indicating that you consider the contents of Appendices 2-3 to be a fair summary of the discussions which took place.

If you do not consider the information to be correct, please sign, but give your reasons in “Appraisee’s Comments” above.

Signature (Employee/Appraisee)

If you would like to receive a copy of your appraisal please tick the box (Admin Officer to arrange)

Signature (Appraiser)

Senior Manager / CEO and Clerk to complete page 3

Senior Manager Comments: (if applicable)

Please enter employee name:

Signature (Senior Manager):

Town Clerk Review / Comments (if applicable)

Signature

When complete copies to: 1) Personnel file 2) Employee if requested (see above)

jo.hurd

Annex D

jo.hurd

Annex E

jo.hurd

Annex F

Ringwood Town Council

Full Council - Wednesday, March 26th, 2014

Councillor’s Report - Cllr Michael Thierry

NFDC Planning CommitteeWednesday, March 12th, 2014

There were no planning applications related to Ringwood

Constituent Work

Resident reported an alleged case of council land grab by home owner.

Resident questioned, not the amount of Town Council Tax increase, but whymore effort was not made to make savings or reduce expenditure to bringin a zero town increase

Resident was concerned about the lack of town signage. Felt that the MarketPlace and High Street was ignored

Linden Homes project. Discussions with ABetterRingwood group

Resident expressed concern oveer the lack of progress in respect of safetymeasures for the A31

jo.hurd

Annex G

minutes council 26.3 - ringwood town council€¦ · page 1 of 4 open session: there were no...

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