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Relation of HR to other functions

  1. How is the professional Human Resources advice role distinct from that of Ministry Division?

  2. How should appropriate legal advice be obtained that fits in with the function of professional Human Resources advice? Won't bishops and archdeacons need to seek professional Human Resources advice rather than contact the registrar in future?

  3. How closely will bishops work with and consult with diocesan secretaries? Won't this need to be on a day-to-day basis?

  4. How will the professional Human Resources advice for clergy relate to that for lay staff?

 

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1. How is the professional human resources advice role distinct from that of Ministry Division?

At the moment, the National Church Institutions (NCI) Human resources Department and the Ministry Division work closely together where ‘professional human resources advice’ can provide guidance on issues relating to clergy.

Ministry Division has specific responsibility for supporting DRACSC (the Deployment, Remuneration and Conditions of Service Committee) in its policy making responsibilities.  It sees its work on clergy conditions of service in the context of its other work in supporting the selection, training and formation of the Church’s ministers.  How the Ministry Division will relate to human resource support for dioceses in the future will depend on the local or national model the Church chooses.

 

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2. How should appropriate legal advice be obtained that fits in with the function of professional human resources advice? Won’t bishops and archdeacons need to seek professional human resources advice rather than contact the registrar in future?

Yes although employment law advice will, on occasions, need to be taken by the professional human resources adviser. It is yet to be agreed whether there should be a national/regional etc contract with firms of employment lawyers. In the main, registrars will not have the expertise to deal with ‘employment’ questions, but where they do, they will, no doubt, be utilised.

The EIG have undertaken to develop liability insurance proposals which DBFs could purchase. This is likely to require compliance with certain procedures to limit liability.

 

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3. How closely will bishops work with and consult with diocesan secretaries? Won’t this need to be on a day-to-day basis?

The responsibility for the delivery of the terms of service regulations has been assigned to diocesan bishops.  It is for them to decide who they chose to seek advice from and who will assist them in this task.  As each diocese concludes on the mode of operation it favours, the questions about which individuals will undertake which roles and how they will relate to each other will need to be addressed.

 

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4. How will the professional human resources advice for clergy relate to that for lay staff?

Whilst there will be distinct differences between clergy terms of service and employment, it will be possible for those individuals who are providing professional advice for clergy work to do the same for lay employees, given their professional background.  It will be for dioceses to decide on the benefits of doing so.

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