Who can clerk a meeting in the absence of the parish clerk?

Question

I belong to a small parish council that has three office staff: a parish clerk, a deputy parish clerk and an office assistant. The cost of the two senior posts is exorbitant - like nearly £80k per year. I am of the view that we do not need a deputy parish clerk but more experienced councillors are telling me we cannot function without a deputy as there would be no one to clerk meetings when the parish clerk took holiday or was off sick for example. I hold a view that any competent person can clerk a meeting - it doesn't have to be a deputy parish clerk. I would be interested in others thoughts and to hear what other councils do when their clerk is either sick or takes annual leave.

Answer 1

I also hold a view that any competent person can clerk a meeting in absense of proper officer. What I would say is Its impossible for anyone to assess the operational requirements of your council detatched from it. Like I know for exampple my Deputy works flat out bringing in signficant money in grants & income alongisde her other roles. These are invaluable and help drive forward our strategic plan (rather than it just been a never to be achieved wish list).  

Answer 2

Its a common misconception that all a clerk does is write agendas and take minutes at meetings.  For most clerks that is a very small part of their overall role.  I'd suggest a professional staffing review if you have concerns as this will look at the entire organisational requirements.  Whilst the basic response to you question is that anyone can take minutes (some better than others!), there is so much more that is needed.

Answer 3

Whilst it maybe considered (by some) a "small part" of a clerk's role to issue summons, agenda and to record and compile minutes for approval by the council - it is a fundamental element of the role which is variously, specifically, detailed within the NALC model contract:

Overall responsibilities - The Clerk to the Council/Town Clerk will be the Proper Officer of the Council and as such is under a statutory duty to carry out all the functions, and in particular to serve or issue all the notifications required by law of a local authority's Proper Officer.

Specific responsibilities:

- to ensure that statutory or other provisions affecting the running of the council are observed

 - to prepare, in consultation with appropriate members, agendas for meetings of the council and committees, to attend such meetings and prepare minutes for approval

  - to attend all meetings of the council and all meetings of its committees and sub committees

Thus it may be seen that, despite what a self aggrandised clerk may consider their role to be, any supplementary function is in addition rather than as opposed to, the core function as 'should' be laid out similar to the NALC model contract.

Firstly, it is surprising to hear that a 'small parish' would have a clerk and a deputy clerk role since most would be a single part time flexi hours situation.  Second it is even more surprising to hear that between the 2 of them they are unable to arrange their Flexi hours to ensure cover for the fundamental role of being available for a council meeting.

So the issue seems to be compounded at several levels.

Neither of the 2 staff appear, from the OP, to be able to fulfil their core function.

2 staff seems excessive - are they both part time?

They are unable through regular sickness or poorly planned absence to coordinate essential cover within a flexi time contract which should ensure availability for core functions.  

If they cannot manage themselves to deliver core output, is the council deficient in managing them?

"More experienced councillors" is an often misused term which frequently translates to "those that have been there longer." 

'Time served' is a very poor measure of 'experience.'  'Experience' is born from meaningful exposure to challenging and changing scenarios where knowledge is gained through adaptive behaviour.  'Time served', in isolation, more often results in a stovepiped mentality of entrenched resistance to change leading to habitually poor outcomes.        

Any person appointed by the council may record and present draft minutes (on a single or multiple occasions) of a council meeting.  The purpose of the clerk and proper officer is to advise on the lawfulness of council actions.  

It very much sounds like you have members within your council that dance to what ever tune the employees' whistle and that their 'experience' would more accurately be described as 'habits' and bad ones at that.

 

Comments

In the first instance, nobody suggested that the clerking of a meeting is an unimportant role but, depending upon how active the council is and the very many other functions it can undertake, in terms of time spent it can be a smaller element of a clerk or staff's day than the remainder combined.
Secondly, a parish that is spending £80K on staff costs is not a "small parish".
The original question was not questioning whether the clerk and deputy can manage their "core activities" but the author asked how other councils manage with or without a deputy if the clerk is sick or on annual leave.  The responses indicate that the role of the deputy is not only to clerk a meeting but may incorporate a range of other duties depending upon the nature of the council and it's functions; information none of us have actually been made aware of.
Might I suggest you actually read the original post before launching into yet another of your attacks against staff/councillors and just about anybody else who has the audacity to ask a question.

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The irony of the closing sentence ):o)

But to start at the beginning...

Similarly, nobody suggested 'other tasks' are unimportant - the point highlighted - by referencing the NALC model contract - was that attending and clerking a meeting is the subject of multiple references within the model contract and 'other tasks' are not.
Ergo, a reasonable interpretation of that model contract would indicate where priorities 'should' lay and that 'other tasks' should be considered as supplementary to fundamental tasks.  If this is not the case, it may be that either personal or corporate staff management is failing.  QED.

You know what they say about assumptions?  The OP states that it is a small parish and the OP states that there is an £80k salary bill.  I make no assumption in regard to the size of the parish since it is unknown, the salary bill however is stated.  It is equally possible that the parish may not be 'small' or that the salary bill may be excessive if the parish is small.
To repeat the original point in my comment, supplementary tasks are just that - supplementary.  Fundamentals must come before supplementals.
If you find anything (other than the interpreted counter point to that which you have presented) an 'attack' rather than an informed presentation of referenced personal opinion in response to an open question, please do enlighten us.

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So, if the size of the council was known, what would be a reasonable figure for the "administrative" staff, e.g. Clerk, Deputy, Assistant, secretary, reception, etc? Let's say, in simple terms, for a council precepting, a) £50k, b) £100k, £250k and £500k. What would be considered small, medium and large?