NALC publishes new advice note on staffing changes after community governance reviews

We have published a vital new advice note to help parish and town councils navigate staffing implications when their responsibilities change as a result of a community governance review.

The new advice note covers how to assess future service delivery needs and the staffing structure required to support them, key considerations when reviewing existing roles and drafting new or amended job descriptions, the potential impact on current staff and when formal consultation becomes necessary, risks associated with redundancy situations and fire and rehire practices, best-practice steps to minimise risk, including early and open communication, seeking staff consent wherever possible, and exploring flexible alternatives, and the importance of taking specialist HR and legal advice at the earliest stage.

Community governance reviews often lead to parish and town councils taking on new or enhanced services, from running additional facilities to delivering devolved responsibilities. While these changes create exciting opportunities for local communities, they can also require adjustments to staffing structures, roles, working hours or contracts. Getting this process wrong carries significant legal and reputational risks, including unfair dismissal or constructive dismissal claims.

The advice produced by our employment law, HR and health & safety services partner WorkNest, provides clear, practical headline guidance on how parish and town councils can assess future staffing needs, manage organisational change fairly, and stay compliant with UK employment law.