Agenda and minutes

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.

The meeting was not filmed or recorded.

To receive any apologies for absence.

None.

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 where they appear. New items of Urgent Business will be dealt with under agenda item below. New items of exempt Urgent Business will be dealt with at agenda item below).

There were no items of urgent business.

None.

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

None.

To confirm and sign the minutes of the meeting held on 6 February 2020 (to follow).

To confirm and sign the minutes of the Special Staffing and Remuneration Committee held on 31 January 2020 and 6 February 2020.

The minutes of the meeting held on 6 February 2020 were deferred to a future meeting.

The minutes of the Special Staffing and Remuneration Committee meetings held on 31 January 2020 and 6 February 2020 were approved as a correct record of the meeting.

The purpose of this paper is to provide an update on the current recruitment and retention strategies for qualified Social Workers within Children’s Services.  This report was requested by the Chair of Staffing & Remuneration Committee.

Daksha Desai introduced the report as set out.  The purpose of the report was to provide an update on the programme devised for the recruitment and retention of social workers.   The turnover of staff was high, but this was not unusual for these types of roles.  Page 8 outlined the strategies in place.  The Director was doing an excellent job in trying to turn around the service.  There were regular meetings with Hayes, and signposting to specialist agencies to fill social worker posts, however this was a slow process.

In response to a question, Ms Desai advised that she would ask for further information from the service in relation to monitoring the key benchmarks.

Members requested that a further update be brought to the next meeting.

RESOLVED that the report be noted, and that a further update be brought to the next meeting.

This report sets out the rationale for amending the calculation of the pay rate to align with the London Living Wage.

Ian Morgan introduced the report as set out.  The Staffing and Remuneration Committee had agreed the calculation of the apprentice pay rate in 2015.  The purpose of the report was to amend the calculation of the pay rate to align it with the London Living Wage (LLW).

Officers responded to questions from the Committee:

·                There were currently 14 apprentices within the Council.

·                There was no bottom age limit for receiving the LLW, so all apprentices would be paid at this rate.

·                The 200 target was set out in the Borough Plan, and whilst it was acknowledged that the Council could do further work in using the apprenticeship levy, it was not anticipated that the target would be reached. 

Councillor Berryman disagreed with the suggestion that under 18s should be paid LLW for an apprenticeship, when there may be other members of staff in the Council on permanent contracts who earned the same amount, or slightly higher for a full time role.  Daksha Desai explained that the Council’s view was that if apprenticeships were used correctly then the organisation would gain a valuable member of staff for a longer career – and in order to do this, investment was required in order to attract people for careers rather than entry level admin roles.

RESOLVED that the proposal to change the calculation of the apprentice pay rate as set out in the report, with effect from 1 April 2020.

Councillor Berryman wished his comments as above to be recorded in the minutes.

This report is designed to give officers and members relevant workforce data in an easy to understand format in order to support informed strategic decision making.

Ian Morgan introduced the report as set out.  Appendix B contained information previously requested by the Committee and it was important to note that this information was available on the Council’s website and had not been produced by HR.

Officers responded to questions from the Committee:

·                Agency staff could not be employed for longer than 12 weeks without authority from an Assistant Director.  Teams have been asked to create permanent team structures if there were permanent roles available which were covered by agency staff.

·                London Councils carried out an annual survey on agency use – Haringey was in the 2^nd quartile (2^nd lowest use of agency staff). 

RESOLVED that the report be noted.

This report informs the Staffing & Remuneration Committee of upcoming reports detailed on the Forward Plan until the end of the next municipal year. 

Councillor Berryman asked whether it was within the remit of the Committee to monitor the progress of the Hayes contact and was advised by the Legal Officer that it was the responsibility of the Cabinet Member, not the Committee.

RESOLVED that the Forward Plan be noted.

None.

Items 12-13 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); paragraph 1.

RESOLVED that the press and public be excluded from the meeting for the consideration of items 12 and 13 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); paragraph 1.

To confirm and sign the exempt minutes of the Special Staffing and Remuneration Committee held on 31 January 2020 and 6 February 2020.

The exempt minutes of the Special Staffing and Remuneration Committee meetings held on 31 January 2020 and 6 February 2020 were approved as a correct record.

None.