Deanery Partnership Administrators
As part of Time to Change Together, commitments were made that administrative support would be provided to Deanery Partnerships. This was in order to free up other members of the team for mission. The below section explains the method of funding for these posts, how Deanery Partnerships can access this funding and the mechanisms that will be in place for monitoring and collaborative working.
Funding and recruitment
During the consultation process for Time to Change Together, it was agreed that for the Deanery Partnerships to be able to work well as a wider team for mission they would need appropriate and flexible administrative support.
There was not an appetite for a “one size fits all” method. This is because each DP has a different context and may need a different approach. The DP will be provided with funding to recruit their own administrative support, who will be managed and employed locally.
There are two different models for this, which can be found in detail below. The total amount of financial support available for administration per Deanery Partnership in 2023 is £11,146. Due to the change in our ways of working, the current practice of some Rural Deans claiming up to 6 hours per week in admin support funding from the Diocese will be incorporated into this calculation. For some DPs this may be difficult, but in the spirit of team working and fairness the sum must be calculated together.
In order to access this funding, the DP must sign up to a funding agreement whereby certain minimum requirements for the job description must be met, and the remaining description will be for the DP to set. There will also need to be some interaction and collegial working with the Parish Support admin function, so that information can flow better between DPs and the Parish Support Office. The funding agreement also contains a requirement for regular monitoring and review, as is
typical of any grant funded position.
Templates
In the documents below you will find a template job description for the role of Deanery Partnership Administrator. There are elements in the description which are highlighted in bold which are part of the minimum requirement to access the funding. More detail of this can also be found in the funding agreement. All other elements of the job description can be tailored to suit the needs of the DP, so we would recommend some consideration being given to the skills you think you will most need, as well as any required flexibility in a candidate.
It may be that you already have someone in mind who currently fills a similar role within a Deanery or Parish. It will be very important to be clear about the expectations of the role where you are employing someone already in an admin position for a church within the Deanery Partnership. Please also find a template contract of employment which you may wish to adapt and use for the position.
There are elements of the job description which will vary depending on the employment model you decide to use. Also in the appendices, you will find two example employment models which we recommend in order to fulfil the legal obligations of an employer. Option one (to use the Key Mission Church as employer) is a simpler choice in terms of using existing structures where they are already well established, but option two (of using another parish within the DP) has the benefit of placing the support away from the perceived “centre” of the DP, and perhaps where more assistance is required.
If you are already in role as a Deanery Partnership Administrator, you may find the various resources below helpful to you.
Parish Returns
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Annual Parish Meetings
The rules for the Annual Parochial Church Meeting can be found in full, in section 9…
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Deanery Partnerships
The 9 new Deanery Partnerships (DPs) are roughly mapped to the 9 Local Authorities, and follow…
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Homily Project
The Homilies Project is a resource that originated with the diocesan Liturgical Committee to resource parishes…
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