West Midlands Community Branch
Annual General Meeting Minutes
Wednesday 15th March 2023
Teams Virtual Meeting
1. Welcome –
Lynn welcomed the attendees.
No apologies received
2.Minutes from 2022
Presented to the meeting, Members agreed minutes,
Matters outstanding
No Matters raised as outstanding
3. Video Message
Rebecca (lead BSO) asked Christina McAnea UNISON General Secretary to either attend our AGM or if not able to do a video addressed to all our members in the community branch.
Christina Thanked everyone at the branch for the ongoing support that is shown to all in our community branch.
Chair Lynn, and Branch Secretary James Thanked Rebecca for her enthusiasm and effects to be able to arrange for Christina to spend the time addressing our members.
4. Branch Reports
Appendix 1 – Branch Chair report, Members agreed it was read before the meeting.
Matters arising.
None
Appendix 2 – Branch Secretary report, Members agree it was read before the meeting. Debra Mackellar was welcomed as our newly appointed case worker, The amount of case work is still a consent stream, James thanked case workers and BSO’s for their continual support for the members.
Matters arising.
None
Appendix 3 - Lead Case worker report, David (lead case worker) Thanked his team of case workers and informed the meeting that the branch had logged 1079 cases, of which 916 closed 163 remain live.
Matters arising.
None
Appendix 4 – Lead BSO informed the meeting that at this time she has recruited several new reps, some which have already completed their training, some that are currently on training courses, and others that are booked on courses.
Matters arising.
None
5.Branch Accounts
Appendix 3 – 2022 Income & Expenditure – Members agreed read before meeting.
Lynn raised questions about
1. Other Income 2022 showing £196.30 2021 showing £8705.24.
2. Conferences and group meetings 2022 showing £19070.47 2021 showing £186.17
3. Other Expenditure 2022 showing £3224.41 2021 showing £613.75
James offered explanation.
1. The accounting system has been updated with more options of cost centres, During 2021 the branch was given an uplift each month due to our members lower the average salaries, 2022 this figure is now showing directly in branch funding figures
2. The system now gives the options of the cost centre for conference costs.
3. We have had some expenses that currently there isn’t a direct cost centre to allocate this spend.
6. Election of Officers/Stewards
Elected unopposed.
Chair – Lynn Gillespie
Branch Secretary – James Hawker
Treasurer – Clive Adgie
International Officer – Salim Perager
Retired Members Officer – Andrew Wood
Welfare Officer – Sonia Cooper
Communication Officer & membership – Laura Hiller
Disabled Members Officer – Jude Rogers
Lifelong Learning Coordinator – Linda Hutchings
Labour Link Officer – Luke J Davies
Equality Officer – Jennifer Hemmingway
Womens Officer - Jaclyn Nunes
Vacant
Young members Officer
Education Co-Ordinator
Health & Safety Officer
Social Secretary
Staffing Committee member - The branch needs to set up a staffing committee, which is to support branch staff. - Members of this committee cannot be branch officers.
ACTION - Members were asked to consider this.
Workplace Stewards/H&S rep form received
Salim Perager – WHG
Phil Griffin - WHG
James Hawker – MAT
Lynn Gillespie – Citizen Housing
Sonia Cooper – Citizen Housing
Clive Adgie – Greensquare Accord
Jude Rogers – Aspire Living
Bill Newnes – Trident
Luke J Davies – Royal College of Surgeons Edinburgh
Temitope Omutunde – Dimensions
Victor Aluko – Shaw Healthcare
Jennifer Hemmingway – The Co-Operative Party
Regional Positions
Regional council officer – Meets 4 times a year, its is a gathering of all branches across the Region.
1. Jennifer has expressed an interest to stand for this position – James will discuss with Jennifer.
Regional Committee officer – meets to discuss to take to regional council officer.
Service Group committee officer – one place to be filled
7 Video Message – Vicki Foxcroft – Shadow minister for disabled people
Rebecca (lead BSO) asked Vicki Foxcroft – Shadow minister for the disabled, Vicki’s message was addressed to all members and staff to have a clear understanding of the Labour party vision for creating a better, healthier life for disabled people. Vicki thanked our members for the support and care they give to their clients.
Chair Lynn, and Branch Secretary James Thanked Rebecca for her enthusiasm and effects to be able to arrange for Vicki to spend the time addressing our members.
8 Motions
None Received for this AGM
Motion agreed for 2022 AGM – Membership support – Dropin/Advice monthly meetings
The branch arranged a face to face drop in days, Branch staff with several committee officers attended these events, unfortunately no members turned up.
The branch then arranged several virtual meetings, giving a months’ notice, advertising on social media, email, web site, several members agreed to attend but on the days of the events once again no one attended.
James suggested that due to the vast area we cover in the West Midlands and many of our members work shifts it is difficult to get members involved in these types of events.
Two motions raised at branch committee meeting.
1. Recruitment – To purchase more materials to hand out at recruitment drives, including T- Shirts and Hoodies for our Officers, Stewards, and Representatives. This was agreed.
2. Mens mental health – our members that attended the disabled members conference had a meeting with a charity, who deliver half day training, The charity have agreed to this, the training can take place morning, afternoon and evening, The hope is to get this into place before the summer break. The motion for sponsoring an event and to include other branches was agreed.
9 AOB
Update 2022 AGM -
Request for financial donation
This donation was agreed and given to the charity.
Conferences
Branch have had a good turnout of members attending the conferences.
Rebecca attends also attends them to gather information for social media. Also brings back valuable information, actions, motions to keep branch officers up to date of what is going on within UNISON
AW – Retired members conference – Andrew attended this conference, Andrew informed the meeting that this was not a good conference at all, he gave his feed back to James (Branch Secretary) who passed the concerns to Regional Council.
All other conferences have had a very positive response from attending members.
Ray Salmon – Regional Officer
Ray informed the meeting that the branch is working really well, The branch is one of the best community branches set up through out the UK.
Simon Holder is working with the branch with organizing, currently working through data cleanse, this should show if branch have members that should be in other branch’s also checking that members that should be in this branch our transferred in.
Ray thanked all for the work done.
Industrial action
Some discussion took place about the current unrest and strike action that is taking place in many sectors of UNISON. James felt that our branch members at this time haven’t discussed taking action, many of the pay offers are currently being negotiated. It is very difficult for our members in our sector, because we have very few recognized employers. We do have an industrial action funding cost centre, although we do not have a great deal of funding in it, if needs be we have adequate funds that at any time can be transferred in to the industrial action funding.
Vouchers
Once the branch has all the names of attendees, the names will be drawn as soon as possible.
10Meeting closed 19:15