Present: Alison Burnley, Sue Buxton (in part), Anthony Buxton (in part), Madeleine Harding, +Phil Lucas, Brian Mayes, Laurie Naumann +Eileen Schott, Henry Thompson (in the clerk's chair)
Prevented: Rufus Reade
SB began by showing us the Staff Handbook—57 pages of guidance for +our staff, as a counterweight to suggestions that we don't need staff, or that +volunteer staff could do as well as paid staff.
SB shared her view of what her tasks were, although a 'typical' day doesn't +really exist. Although the Manager role is notionally a job-share, it is often the +case that both SB and AB are here, along with Tom Nisbet sometimes. Rough +distribution of responsibilities is
Through the day with SB: 0745: open up, check kitchen if hot water needs to be turned on; +0800 Early-bird meeting; +0830 Prepare for 0900 entries (some days three groups, some days none); +0900 Group arrival, catering (catering drinks for a group takes a number of +tasks, at roughly 1.5/2 hour intervals. +[Caterers may arrive any time after 0900 for 1300 lunch, in which case stuff +may need refridgerated and then taken out and served.]
Also during the morning, with help from assistant, work through booking +requests from phone, email overnight.
Trying to close between end of day lettings and evening staff opening is +rarely possible.
Post-group cleanup has been simplified since no food in Meeting Room, but +even there sometimes hovering is required/usually done.
The evening staff like to have a set of tasks, e.g. ironing, for when they have a lull, +but if a group keeps them busy they don't get to them.
The bookshop takes time, as we are now recognised as a bookshop by +Friends House bookshop
SB cleans the kitchen on a regular basis.
Window displays: we do try to put a topical display up for a big group, and sometimes that +needs staff help, for instance finding materials: Jane Angel does a lot, but +sometimes gets help.
Kitchen stock taking, and ordering. Similarly for cleaning and toilet supplies.
BM reported that Sheffield meeting has 4--6 full-time staff, plus +part-timers. What is the right full staffing level for 7VT? S & A said the +flexibility of the part-timers works well, because it allows them to balance +staffing with demand from lettings. HST suggested to clarify that it's the +full-time appointment that matters. AB said that in fact they are both working +full-time 8 1/2 hours a day for four days (M--Th). Originally they were working +alternate Sundays to make it up to 36, but that has been stopped, and SB said +that has improved her engagement as a member of the Meeting. Using temporary +staff as primary staff on Sunday.
There is one paid cleaner in 6 days a week early in the mornings, mostly +toilets and floors, but not the kitchen.
AB spends most of his time in the office: email takes a lot of time (30+ +a day, more on Mondays). Some is forwarded, but a lot is enquiries. This is +where all the Festival stuff comes in. At certain times of year that can be a +very time-consuming task. Fringe admin involves a lot of liaison work with both companies and +volunteers, as well as liaison 'upwards': with the Fringe committee and the +association of independent venues. Oversight of all the maintenance work, and, +for work that TN doesn't do, dealing with quotes/contractors/etc. CCTV, Lifts, +Doors, Dishwashers,. . . are all on contract. Recycling (which we pay for). Financial work: bills and invoices for the running of the Meeting +House. During building work, AB was involved with a lot of co-ordination. Chases all late payers for lettings. All the general practical correspondence.
While AB and SB are on holiday, some things are suspended (including most +email processing), but most work +gets done by the Assistant Manager. Obviously there is both preparation in +advance and extra work on return.
Quaker presence: Displays in the Foyer, keeping the website up-to-date, brochures.
We came back to the FTE question. 9am to 10pm 6 days a week open, plus 5 +hours on a Sunday. HST pointed out that between SB&AB working roughly +34/wk each, and TN doing 3 days a week, we are well over two 'permanent' staff, +in addition to the casual labour which is adjusted to meet demand. Cathy, +McCarron, Andrew +Farrar, Lee Marlow, Emma Dumment, Mike Stokes, Amy Naumann, Philip Davis are +all in for differing amounts of time.
MH asked if this was substantially different from how things were before +the Buxtons arrived. There is more staff, somewhat less lettings/other us, transfer of work +from Treasurer. Under-staffing does not seem to be directly responsible for any +reduction in lettings.
We will have to return to this when we come to the report, as the +question of sustainability of our current lettings/staffing/usage policy for +our discussion of options and their costs and benefits.
A general feeling was expressed that the meeting went well, with a good +atmosphere.
PL and MH reported that the outlying meetings were generally positive, +appreciate the building and what was offered, +but not terribly engaged with the issue.
"We may be impartial, but we're not neutral".
We see no need for Monday's arrangements to be any different than +originally planned:
HST to circulate via email a proposal for report-writing responsibilities.
Our next meeting will be at 7 Victoria Terrace at 5:30pm on Friday 15 May +[RR apologies]. We +tentatively agreed on Friday 29 May 5:30pm [apologies MH, ML] for our next (and final) meeting after that.
We currently expect HST, PL, BM, ES, AB, MH at Area Meeting in Fife on 6 June
Present: Alison Burnley, Sue Buxton (in part), Anthony Buxton (in part), Madeleine Harding, +Phil Lucas, Brian Mayes, Laurie Naumann +Eileen Schott, Henry Thompson (in the clerk's chair)
+Prevented: Rufus Reade
+SB began by showing us the Staff Handbook—57 pages of guidance for +our staff, as a counterweight to suggestions that we don't need staff, or that +volunteer staff could do as well as paid staff.
+SB shared her view of what her tasks were, although a 'typical' day doesn't +really exist. Although the Manager role is notionally a job-share, it is often the +case that both SB and AB are here, along with Tom Nisbet sometimes. Rough +distribution of responsibilities is
+Through the day with SB: 0745: open up, check kitchen if hot water needs to be turned on; +0800 Early-bird meeting; +0830 Prepare for 0900 entries (some days three groups, some days none); +0900 Group arrival, catering (catering drinks for a group takes a number of +tasks, at roughly 1.5/2 hour intervals. +[Caterers may arrive any time after 0900 for 1300 lunch, in which case stuff +may need refridgerated and then taken out and served.]
+Also during the morning, with help from assistant, work through booking +requests from phone, email overnight.
+Trying to close between end of day lettings and evening staff opening is +rarely possible.
+Post-group cleanup has been simplified since no food in Meeting Room, but +even there sometimes hovering is required/usually done.
+The evening staff like to have a set of tasks, e.g. ironing, for when they have a lull, +but if a group keeps them busy they don't get to them.
+The bookshop takes time, as we are now recognised as a bookshop by +Friends House bookshop
+SB cleans the kitchen on a regular basis.
+Window displays: we do try to put a topical display up for a big group, and sometimes that +needs staff help, for instance finding materials: Jane Angel does a lot, but +sometimes gets help.
+Kitchen stock taking, and ordering. Similarly for cleaning and toilet supplies.
+BM reported that Sheffield meeting has 4--6 full-time staff, plus +part-timers. What is the right full staffing level for 7VT? S & A said the +flexibility of the part-timers works well, because it allows them to balance +staffing with demand from lettings. HST suggested to clarify that it's the +full-time appointment that matters. AB said that in fact they are both working +full-time 8 1/2 hours a day for four days (M--Th). Originally they were working +alternate Sundays to make it up to 36, but that has been stopped, and SB said +that has improved her engagement as a member of the Meeting. Using temporary +staff as primary staff on Sunday.
+There is one paid cleaner in 6 days a week early in the mornings, mostly +toilets and floors, but not the kitchen.
+AB spends most of his time in the office: email takes a lot of time (30+ +a day, more on Mondays). Some is forwarded, but a lot is enquiries. This is +where all the Festival stuff comes in. At certain times of year that can be a +very time-consuming task. Fringe admin involves a lot of liaison work with both companies and +volunteers, as well as liaison 'upwards': with the Fringe committee and the +association of independent venues. Oversight of all the maintenance work, and, +for work that TN doesn't do, dealing with quotes/contractors/etc. CCTV, Lifts, +Doors, Dishwashers,. . . are all on contract. Recycling (which we pay for). Financial work: bills and invoices for the running of the Meeting +House. During building work, AB was involved with a lot of co-ordination. Chases all late payers for lettings. All the general practical correspondence.
+While AB and SB are on holiday, some things are suspended (including most +email processing), but most work +gets done by the Assistant Manager. Obviously there is both preparation in +advance and extra work on return.
+Quaker presence: Displays in the Foyer, keeping the website up-to-date, brochures.
+We came back to the FTE question. 9am to 10pm 6 days a week open, plus 5 +hours on a Sunday. HST pointed out that between SB&AB working roughly +34/wk each, and TN doing 3 days a week, we are well over two 'permanent' staff, +in addition to the casual labour which is adjusted to meet demand. Cathy, +McCarron, Andrew +Farrar, Lee Marlow, Emma Dumment, Mike Stokes, Amy Naumann, Philip Davis are +all in for differing amounts of time.
+MH asked if this was substantially different from how things were before +the Buxtons arrived. There is more staff, somewhat less lettings/other us, transfer of work +from Treasurer. Under-staffing does not seem to be directly responsible for any +reduction in lettings.
+We will have to return to this when we come to the report, as the +question of sustainability of our current lettings/staffing/usage policy for +our discussion of options and their costs and benefits.
+A general feeling was expressed that the meeting went well, with a good +atmosphere.
+PL and MH reported that the outlying meetings were generally positive, +appreciate the building and what was offered, +but not terribly engaged with the issue.
+"We may be impartial, but we're not neutral".
+We see no need for Monday's arrangements to be any different than +originally planned:
+HST to circulate via email a proposal for report-writing responsibilities.
+Our next meeting will be at 7 Victoria Terrace at 5:30pm on Friday 15 May +[RR apologies]. We +tentatively agreed on Friday 29 May 5:30pm [apologies MH, ML] for our next (and final) meeting after that.
+We currently expect HST, PL, BM, ES, AB, MH at Area Meeting in Fife on 6 June
+