Issue - meetings

Briefing and answers to questions from Councillor Bob Harris, Cabinet Member for Resources.

The Committee received a briefing and answers to questions from Councillor Harris, Cabinet Member for Resources.

In response to Councillor Butcher’s question (question no. 1) Stuart Young (Assistant Chief Executive People, Organisation & Development) explained that a number of sickness actions had been operating to improve numbers including monthly call-over meetings to ensure actions were on track so that Haringey could move into the upper quartile of London Boroughs in the Capital Ambition Team’s Employment Profile.

Mr Young agreed to provide  the Committee with information on the average cost of suspending an employee (pending investigation) and reasons for such long suspension periods.

Councillor Harris informed the Committee that whilst long term staff were preferred there were some cases where agency staff chose to work on a temporary basis and assured Members that quality was not affected by this.  Mr Young explained that the Council was working on reducing the 620 members of agency staff and agreed to provide Committee Members with a general breakdown of where agency staff were currently placed within the Council and their costs.

The Committee requested that the broad principles of the Council’s policy for property disposals and a list of property disposals for the past three years be circulated to Committee Members.

The Committee challenged the quality of the response to the question on Value for Money (advance question 25)  and requested further details of the “IT Services Value for Money Review” be circulated to Committee Members.

Councillor Newton requested a breakdown of the levels of capability, discipline and grievance (including sickness) procedures taken per department, and whether there was any correlation to stress absence.

Committee Members requested information on support available to local residents who were in Council Tax arrears and the checks that bailiffs were required to conduct before attending a property when acting on behalf of the Council.

Details of the Haringey Guarantee (an additional service to the job centre plus) would be circulated to Committee Members.

RESOLVED

That the briefing be noted.