How do we discuss matters regarding the Clerk when she is always present at the meetings?

Question

There are certain issues that need to be raised about our Clerk's employment and performance but it is impossible to raise them at our monthly PC meeting as she is present.

How do we handle this? I have tried to contact YLCA on the matter but they will only correspond with the Clerk!

Thanks in advance

Answer 1

Do you not have a personnel committee?  That would be the first place to discuss the Clerk's employment.  You should also have a disciplinary and grievance procedure that states how issues are dealt - I presume that you are unhappy with their performance or methods and therefore need to take this route?

Also, the YLCA should be speaking with Councillors and not just the Clerk - it is an association for Parish Councils and the Parish Council pays the membership.  The SLCC is the association for Parish Clerks...

Comments

Unfortunately it is a fact that YLCA normally only deals with the clerk, but there is an exception in that they will deal with the chairman on matters that affect the clerk. The refusal of YLCA to offer any assistance to individual councillors was one of the reasons for the creation of this site! The individual councillor has few resources available to them, especially in circumstances where the problem involves both clerk and chairman.

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Thanks very much for the replies. The problem is that the Clerk, shall we say, needs some guidance, and the Chair doesn't seem interested in making sure she gets it. I come from a corporate background with a belief in solid systems and procedures and the rest of the Councillors, lovely as they are, see me (only a year into my term) as somewhat of a pain for bringing these things to their attention. A case of 'it's worked fine up to now so why should we change'. We don't have a Personnel Committee and the last time I raised it there was a lot of eye rolling and sighing.
The Clerk has only been in the roll for a year herself and although she works for a couple of other PCs, she's very inexperienced and unqualified. Her grammar and spelling is atrocious and the minutes often don't represent fully what was agreed.

I've suggested in a private email to the Chair that I'm concerned we may not be fulfilling all our duties as an Employer (appraisals, line manager etc) and that he may want to put it onto the agenda.

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I think your final paragraph is correct and should be pressed firmly. It's not always easy, but a parish council that employs a clerk has to cope with all the responsibilities of being an employer, in both its own interests and the interests of the clerk. It can be extremely expensive to get it wrong.

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Thanks. Fingers crossed. :)

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It is good to know that I am not alone, that others are experiencing the same difficulties and similar stone walling by the YLCA.

Good luck and persevere!