The Glen Waverley Uniting Church PSALTERLink to > PeopleAndCultureCommittee > CouncilAgenda20250313 > CouncilMinutes20250313
People & Culture report March 2025
1. Update as to Recruitment process and Timelines for Welfare Coordinator role.
9th March 2025
Update as to Recruitment process and Timelines for Welfare Coordinator role. Following the recent resignation, completion of the Review process and approval by Church Council we commenced the processes to initiate the recruitment and replacement.
A draft advertisement was prepared and agreed and circulated between the People & Culture committee, then an advert was placed with Seek.com for the period of 30days with daily updates and presentation of responding individuals and their covering letters and resume. The decision was taken not to avail of alternate posting opportunities primarily due to cost considerations and in the hope that we would generate enough quality. The Seek advert cost $465.
Response to date has been pleasing. We have received 26 total applications and of that number we will commence interviews on Wednesday, 12th March and Thursday 13th of March with 2 candidates each day. Interviews to be covered by JohnMuir and KenCoutts using a structured interview format. We would hope to find a preferred candidate from these 4 candidates although there are another 2 or 3 who would be potential candidates. We will then decline the remaining candidates thanking them for submitting their resumes and particulars.
Assuming we find a preferred candidate, we will then arrange for Joanne to coordinate a meeting and discussion with FayeMcDougall and RevIanFerguson at the church.
At that stage, following confirmation, we would finalise reference Checking and then draft a Letter of Offer, discuss remuneration rates given the positioning of the role and grade within the Award. Agree a commencement date and complete admin functions.
We will keep you informed.
Welfare Volunteers.
We also sought, through the Weekly Bulletin, advice and input from Congregation members who may be willing to join the Welfare team as “volunteers” and provide a regular input to work with and support our team.
To date we have received positive inquiries from 2 well known members who have expressed interest, and each is to speak further to Faye before planning. A pleasing initial result and Faye will come back to us. I have indicated that we will preserve confidentiality until these processes have been completed.
2. Performance & Development Reviews
10 Mar 2025
2.1. Performance Reviews 2024 - Ministry Team and Staff.
I thank Alison and David for their counsel. The update as to the likely agreed processes for the review of our new Ministers was appreciated.
I confirm my understanding and support that the completion of Reviews through the JNC and / or through the College for Chris would meet the need for Performance Reviews. This assumes that these reviews are completed and recorded and available for future needs (as covering the firstyear). That still requires the adoption of processes,consistent with Synod requirements for subsequent years and I elaborate later in this document.
The intention throughout has been two-fold (for Katie and me) as follows:
Church Council and Synod are aware of the need for annual Reviews for the requirement to enable feedback and discussion and if necessary remedial actions both as to performance, development and behaviour of our individual ministers. These Reviews have been known as Performance Reviews and the latest iteration from Synod P & C refers to the documentation and process as Performance and Development Reviews, based upon a full competency-based review (copy attached)
To provide to GWUC, through our professional experience across all areas of HR andPeople & Culture, through a framework of actions and behaviours consistent with Synod and Presbytery HR requirements. Consequently, the documentation should be strong enough to meet the needs of Presbytery and Synod, withstand any potential legal repercussions and permit us to have confidence in the framework adopted and implemented with P & C support.
Therefore, we believe the performance review format whilst purposefully encouraging and aiding development, should also reflect the circumstances and performance in a traditional performance model, irrespective of what it is called, and what may satisfy peoples feelings. The technical aspects demand professional capability and integrity of the process. This is reinforced by the model form received from P & C in my recent query and attached.
In historical terms, we developed the current Performance Review methodology several years ago at a time where we were not convinced of the appropriateness of a Competency Based Performance Review model. We remain of that view, whatever it might be called.
Historically, there was a view advanced by one or two Church Council members, that the role of Minister requires a more sensitive alignment of terms and should not be aligned to usual or normal business practices where Performance Reviews are mandatory. We are all entitled to a view but that isn’t necessarily supported or advanced by Synod P & C or through Presbytery. We acknowledge the differences in the roles and offer no further comment or discussion.
2.2. Recommendations
We (P&C Committee) recommend that Church Council endorse the proposed Reviews by JNC. Consequently, with the finalised Staff Performance Reviews, we will have met our obligations for 2024.
- We continue to use the GWUC Performance Review documentation for 2025 for all staff members (Pastor Di Paterson, Joanne Boldiston, Office Manager and Welfare Coordinator).
- We review the Performance Development Review document for alignment and Review with our documents to ensure we are technically correct for consideration of subsequent Ministerial review (Ian and Chris).
Need to review, who within GWUC, can complete these documents should we move to a full competency-based review and who will set the competencies to be used and reviewed.
It would normally be the Congregation through Church Council in setting objectives. We are not supportive of KPI driven approaches.
KenCoutts
GWUC Treasurer and P&C Convenor