Agenda and minutes

Venue: Westbury Room, George Meehan House, 294 High Road, Wood Green, N22 8JZ

Contact: Jack Booth, Principal Committee Co-ordinator 

Items
No. Item

1.

FILMING AT MEETINGS

Please note that this meeting may be filmed or recorded by the Council for live or subsequent broadcast via the Council’s internet site or by anyone attending the meeting using any communication method. Although we ask members of the public recording, filming or reporting on the meeting not to include the public seating areas, members of the public attending the meeting should be aware that we cannot guarantee that they will not be filmed or recorded by others attending the meeting. Members of the public participating in the meeting (e.g. making deputations, asking questions, making oral protests) should be aware that they are likely to be filmed, recorded or reported on.  By entering the meeting room and using the public seating area, you are consenting to being filmed and to the possible use of those images and sound recordings.

 

The chair of the meeting has the discretion to terminate or suspend filming or recording, if in his or her opinion continuation of the filming, recording or reporting would disrupt or prejudice the proceedings, infringe the rights of any individual or may lead to the breach of a legal obligation by the Council.

Minutes:

Members noted that the meeting was recorded by the council for live and subsequent broadcast via the council’s internet site.

2.

APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE AND SUBSTITUTIONS

To receive any apologies for absence.

Minutes:

There were no apologies for absence.

3.

URGENT BUSINESS

The chair will consider the admission of any late items of urgent business. Late items of urgent business will be considered under the agenda item 16.

Minutes:

It was noted that there was one item of exempt urgent business. This would be considered by the Committee in the exempt part of the meeting under item 16.

4.

DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST

A member with a disclosable pecuniary interest or a prejudicial interest in a matter who attends a meeting of the authority at which the matter is considered:

 

a.    Must disclose the interest at the start of the meeting or when the interest becomes apparent; and

 

b.    May not participate in any discussion or vote on the matter and must withdraw from the meeting room.

 

A member who discloses at a meeting a disclosable pecuniary interest which is not registered in the Register of Members’ Interests or the subject of a pending notification must notify the Monitoring Officer of the interest within 28 days of the disclosure.

 

Disclosable pecuniary interests, personal interests and prejudicial interests are defined at Paragraphs 5-7 and Appendix A of the Members’ Code of Conduct.

Minutes:

None.

5.

DEPUTATIONS/ PETITIONS/ PRESENTATIONS/ QUESTIONS

To consider any requests received in accordance with Part 4, Section B, paragraph 29 of the Council’s constitution.

Minutes:

None.

6.

MINUTES pdf icon PDF 270 KB

The committee are asked to:

 

a.    Confirm and sign the minutes of the previous Staffing and Remuneration Committee meeting held on 27 June 2022 as a correct record; and

 

b.    Confirm and sign minutes of previous Special Staffing and Remuneration Committee meetings held on 17 March 2021, 19 April 2021, 13 April 2022, 19 April 2022, 8 September 2022, 22 September 2022, and 29 September 2022.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

RESOLVED

 

The committee resolved the following:

a.    That the minutes of the Staffing and Remuneration Committee meeting held on 27 June 2022 were agreed as a correct record; and

 

b.    The minutes of the Special Staffing and Remuneration Committee meetings held on 17 March 2021, 19 April 2021, 13 April 2022, 19 April 2022, 8 September 2022, 22 September 2022, and 29 September 2022.

7.

HOMES FOR HARINGEY INTEGRATION UPDATE pdf icon PDF 331 KB

To note the report.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Director of Housing, Regeneration and Planning gave a report on the update on the progress of the insourcing of the council ALMO service, previously known as Homes for Haringey. The following was highlighted:

-       The insourcing of the ALMO service was one of the biggest endeavours the council had undertaken in recent times, with over 740 staff being transferred into the council. Insourcing had taken place due to overwhelming resident support;

-       The senior management staffing structure had been consulted on. A decision had been made to create the role of Operational Director of Housing Services and Building Safety. This role would have oversight on landlord functions. The creation of the post was in recognition of the need to improve services for residents;

-       The housing needs function had gone into Adult Services. This had occurred through staff feedback. To preserve the links with housing needs and landlord services there was a cross council housing board;

-       Staff were prepared about the transfer into the council through a series of staff engagements such workshops, welcome to the council events, and ‘meets-and-greets’ with the CEO; and

-       Insourcing had brought greater integration of housing services with other services across the council. This meant that services to residents could be improved. Overall, the integration process had been positive, the council had worked well with trade unions.

 

In response to questions the Director of Housing, Regeneration and Planning gave the following answers:

-       Staff satisfaction would be monitored through a future staff survey, which would be compared with Homes for Haringey data. In response to Homes for Haringey staff feedback, the council’s Housing Services team were considering setting up a dedicated channel for Housing Services staff to receive targeted news;

-       The council were committed to building capacity in the Housing Services where possible. There was increasing competition from external providers for services such as repairs. There were creative ways to create additional capacity; for example, upskilling single trade operatives to become multi trade operatives. A piece of work would have to take place around reviewing job descriptions and assessing which roles could be upskilled. The Chief People Officer added that HR would be supporting Housing Services in creating additional apprenticeships in the service. This would be done through advertising apprenticeships in this service extensively, particularly through doing outreach in local schools and colleges; and

-       The post of Operational Director of Housing Services and Building Safety was in the process of being filled.

 

RESOLVED

 

To note the report.

8.

PEOPLE REPORT pdf icon PDF 420 KB

To note the report.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Chief People Office presented the People Report. Explaining that it was designed to give members relevant workforce data in an easy-to-understand format in order to support informed strategic decision making. Chief People Officer highlighted salient points such as:

-       That the workforce had increased by 27% meaning that base pay had increased by 25% due to the insourcing of Homes for Haringey;

-       Agency workers had decreased due to the insourcing of Homes for Haringey;

-       There were 73 off payroll workers on a day rate of over £500; and

-       Sickness rates had reduced, this was not a trend continuing trend as the sickness rate had gone back up. This was set to increase in future months due to the way that sickness was recorded for Homes for Haringey employees.

 

In response to questions the Chief People Officer gave the following answers:

-       The off-payroll workforce had increased from 64 to 73. This was due to Homes for Haringey being insourced. As a proportion of the total workforce in the council, this group of workers had decreased. This was due to proportion of off payroll employees earning over £500 at Homes for Haringey being less than that of the council;

-       51% of starters were under 40 and 43% of leavers were under 40. While the council hoped that the number of leavers under 40 would be less, this ratio, of leavers to starters, still indicated a positive trend. Younger employees were encouraged to work at the council through apprenticeships. The council were looking at increasing apprenticeships in the council in a sustainable way; and

-       Vacancies at the council were currently high. As the council’s aim of reducing agency staff had created more permanent posts. The volume of posts being advertised was likely to decrease due the financial position of the council.

 

RESOLVED

 

To note the report.

9.

PAY POLICY pdf icon PDF 280 KB

The committee are asked to:

 

a.    Approve the draft Pay Policy Statement 2023/24, attached at Appendix A;

 

b.    To authorise the Director for Culture, Strategy and Engagement in consultation with the chair of the committee to make such amendments to the Pay Policy Statement as considered minor; and

 

c.    That the Committee remits the Pay Policy Statement (as amended if applicable) for endorsement by Full Council on 2 March 2023.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Chief People Officer outlined that the Council was required to produce an annual Pay Policy Statement to comply with the requirements of the Localism Act 2011. The Council approved its last Pay Policy Statement at Full Council on 1 March 2022.

 

In response to questions the Chief People Officer gave the following answers:

-       The Pay Award 2022 was still awaiting union response. If agreed this would be automatically implemented.

 

RESOLVED

 

The committee resolved the following:

a.    Approve the draft Pay Policy Statement 2023/24, attached at Appendix A;

 

b.    To authorise the Director for Culture, Strategy and Engagement in consultation with the chair of the committee to make such amendments to the Pay Policy Statement as considered minor; and

 

c.    That the Committee remits the Pay Policy Statement (as amended if applicable) for endorsement by Full Council on 2 March 2023.

10.

SCHOOLS PAY POLICY pdf icon PDF 190 KB

To approve the updated Haringey Schools Model Teachers Pay Policy for September 2022.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Chief People Officer highlighted that the report provides the committee with the updated Haringey Model Teachers Pay Policy.

 

In response to questions the Chief People Officer gave the following answers:

-       The responsibility of headteacher pay was for the school governors to consider. Schools were entitled to choose where they buy their HR support. A percentage of schools did not use the council’s HR service, meaning that there was limited scope for the schools HR service to influence all schools in Haringey.

 

RESOLVED

 

To approve the updated Haringey Schools Model Teachers Pay Policy for September 2022 and recommend its adoption to Haringey maintained.

11.

RECRUITMENT POLICY pdf icon PDF 192 KB

To approve the revised wording in the Recruitment Policy as set out in the report. 

 

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Chief People Officer explained that on 16 March 2021, Staffing and Remuneration Committee received a report on the Council’s Recruitment Policy. The Committee did not approve the wording proposed in relation to advertising posts and approved the policy subject to the wording being altered to require all posts to be advertised externally and internally in the first instance. Trade Unions have subsequently raised this issue with Officers and with Elected Members. At the Council and Employee Joint Consultative Board (CEJCB) on 11 October 2022, Members agreed that a report should be brought to Staffing and Remuneration Committee to consider this issue again. The two main suggested changes to the policy were:

-       Rather than advertising roles internally and externally, managers could select the most appropriate recruitment approach to roles; and

-       Allow the Head of Paid Service to implement temp-to-perm arrangements where applicable.

 

In response to questions the Chief People Officer gave the following answers:

-       The Recruitment Policy would not apply to schools; and

-       It was clarified that the Head of Paid Service would authorise the circumstances in which a temp-to-perm arrangements could happen, rather than authorising individual cases.

 

Councillor Davies proposed that the committee reject the first part of the rewording and accept the second part. The suggested wording being (strikethrough refers to previous wording of the recommendation):

 

‘The Council recognises that the choice of recruitment approach will vary depending on role and circumstances. Hiring Managers, with advice from Human Resources, will select the most appropriate recruitment approach for their role(s). This may include, for example, internal advertising, local advertising, external advertising, search and selection or a combination of the above. Internal advertising in the first instance is preferred if it is reasonable to expect that there will be suitable internal candidates. The Council does not routinely use temp-to-perm arrangements, but there are circumstances where this could be appropriate, and the Head of Paid Service must authorise such arrangements.’

 

Councillor Davies also proposed that the committee meet with unions to discuss the first part of the rewording:

 

‘The Council recognises that the choice of recruitment approach will vary depending on role and circumstances. Hiring Managers, with advice from Human Resources, will select the most appropriate recruitment approach for their role(s). This may include, for example, internal advertising, local advertising, external advertising, search and selection or a combination of the above. Internal advertising in the first instance is preferred if it is reasonable to expect that there will be suitable internal candidates.’

 

This was seconded by Councillor Ali and was unanimously agreed. The chair noted that it was important to understand their reasoning for this change, particularly as the wording they wanted to change had recently been agreed in March 2021.

 

The Chief People Officer confirmed that the Practice Notes which would accompany the Recruitment Policy would be circulated to the Committee in due course.

 

RESOLVED

 

1.    To approve the revised wording in the Recruitment Policy for Section 6, Advertising, as follows:

 

The council is committed  ...  view the full minutes text for item 11.

12.

HR POLICY UPDATE pdf icon PDF 228 KB

To consider and approve each of the following polices, attached at appendices A-D:

-      Ill Health Retirement Policy;

-      Honorarium, Acting Up and Secondment Policy;

-      Sickness Absence Policy; and

-      Disability Leave.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Head of Employment, Reward, & Transformation gave a HR Policy update.

 

In response to questions the Chief People Officer and the Head of Employment, Reward, & Transformation gave the following answers:

-       All policies had been through extensive trade union consultation, as well as staff network groups.

-       Job sharing an act up position was conducted through specifying certain roles of the job to an individual.

-       Secondments and those acting up, would be managed by services in conjunction with Human Resources. Secondment and an act up could go up to three years in exceptional circumstances. The recommended length of a secondment or an act up was up to two years.

-       Employee stress was dealt with in a variety of ways. For example, occupational health might recommend an internal stress risk assessment. These risk assessments could be escalated. There was also the employee assistance programme mechanisms to assist with workplace stress. Managers were encouraged to do early referrals to occupational health where work related stress was being reported. There was also a variety of organisations that employees were signposted to. Additionally, there was several mental health first aiders internally who could assist fellow employees.

 

RESOLVED

 

The committee approved each of the following polices, attached at appendices A-D:

-       Ill Health Retirement Policy;

-       Honorarium, Acting Up and Secondment Policy;

-       Sickness Absence Policy; and

-       Disability Leave.

13.

EXCLUSION OF THE PRESS AND PUBLIC

Items 14-15 are likely to be subject to a motion to exclude the press and public from the meeting as they contain exempt information as defined in Section 100a of the Local Government Act 1972 (as amended by Section 12A of the Local Government Act 1985); paras 1, 2, 3, namely information relating to an individual, information which is likely to reveal the identity of an individual, information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the authority holding that information), and information in respect of which a claim to legal professional privilege could be maintained in legal proceedings.

Minutes:

RESOLVED

 

That the press and public be excluded for the consideration of items 16-22 as they exempt information as defined in Section 100a of the Local Government Act 1972; Para 3 - information relating to the business or financial affairs of any particular person (including the authority holding that information).

14.

EXEMPT MINUTES

To confirm and sign the exempt minutes of the Special Staffing and Remuneration Committee meeting held on 13 April 2022, 19 April 2022, 8 September 2022, 22 September 2022, and 29 September 2022.

 

Minutes:

RESOLVED

 

That the exempt minutes of the Special Staffing and Remuneration Committee meeting held on 13 April 2022, 19 April 2022, 8 September 2022, 22 September 2022, and 29 September 2022 were agreed as a correct record.

15.

DELEGATED DECISIONS, SIGNIFICANT ACTIONS AND URGENT ACTIONS

To inform the committee of non-executive delegated decisions and significant actions taken by directors (if any).

Minutes:

There were no delegated decisions, significant actions, and urgent actions to report to the committee.

16.

NEW ITEMS OF URGENT BUSINESS

To consider any new items of urgent business admitted by the chair under agenda item 3 above.

Minutes:

The Committee considered the exempt information.

17.

DATES OF FUTURE MEETING

Monday, 21 February 2022 at 7pm, location to be confirmed.

 

Minutes:

The date of the next meeting was Tuesday, 21 February 2023 at 7pm.