East Bergholt Parish Council, 13 Oct 2022
Appointment of an Assistant to the Parish Council Clerk
Background:
East Bergholt Parish Council (EBPC) has a number of active caseloads that take up
a great deal of the Clerk’s time and expertise. In addition there are active projects on
the horizon that will involve further work. And of course there is the ongoing day-to-
day residents calls and emails that create further work. This all adds up to a large
workload that I am concerned is more than can be managed by any human being in
the current 20 hours a week that we allow the Clerk.
We have as a Parish Council previously committed in principle to the proposal to
recruit an assistant post to the Clerk. This paper highlights the practical details
involved and asks that the Parish Council agrees to move forward with the
recruitment of an assistant.
Why now:
Our ability to cope with all the active caseloads, entertain new projects and respond
to resident requests is not sufficiently resourced at present.
In addition our current Clerk is undertaking a significant period of study to gain the
Certificate in Local Council Administration. This prepares the ground for EBPC to
gain the general powers of competence which enables us to undertake tasks that,
with our current designation, we are not currently able to undertake. To gain these
powers we will also need to ensure that we have at least 2/3rds of our councillors
elected and not co-opted. For further information see:
https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukdsi/2012/9780111519868. The addition of these
powers will inevitably include more projects from Parish Councillors and therefore
work for the Clerk.
Objectives for the Assistant to the Clerk:
We propose the following outline job description:
Tasks to include IT support: managing advanced technology applications, and news
events on the website and social media; undertaking of Risk Assessments;
managing smaller projects (examples from the past would have included war
memorial refurbishment, bus shelter repairs, cemetery data mapping, trees removal
from the churchyard); funeral business/cemetery keeping records, booking burial
spaces, liaising with funeral directors; helping the Clerk to maintain financial records,
spreadsheets and cash book, monthly balance sheets and cash flow sheets,
schedule of payments, bank reconciliation, CIL tracking and reporting; and
maintaining annual PC policy reviews.
The hours to be 18-20 hours per week (to cover Fridays), the grade to be LC1, spinal
points 7-12, location at the Parish office and on occasion working from home.
Our current Clerk, Graham White, will supervise and train the new post holder.
Graham, as managing Clerk, will continue to manage Overall office management;
major project work, (eg: the `Red Lion Car Park legal issues, Church project); new
projects arising (eg procuring land for sports fields/amenity, traffic management
plan); Council papers, minutes and processes; PC legal advice and regulations and
delegating tasks as required and supervising new post holder.
Resources:
It is proposed that the new post will cost:
Annual
1. Salary for 18-20 hours per week at grade LC1, SP7 £11,055
2. Additional on-costs @ 20% £ 2,211
One-off costs , computer, mobile phone, desk, etc £ 3,000
There may also be small additional revenue costs for network connection.
The Clerk estimates there will be enough underspends in 2022/23 to cover these
costs.
Actions:
The Parish Council is asked to:
1. Approve the recruitment and work description for the assistant to the Clerk
2. Delegate to the Chairman, Vice-Chairman and Clerk the powers to recruit the
assistant to the Clerk, initially for a 2 year fixed term period, the post to be
reviewed at the end of that period to decide if the post is extended.
3. To pay for this additional resource, approve a budget not to exceed £18,000
to be absorbed by the current 22/23 budget and equivalent budget line item
be specifically allocated in 23/24 and in 24/25.
Joan Miller
Chairman of EBPC
3/10/22