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.

It was noted that the meeting was being live streamed on the Council’s website.

To receive any apologies for absence.

An apology for absence was received from Councillor Say.

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 11 below. New items of exempt Urgent Business will be dealt with at agenda item .. below).

None.

None.

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

None.

To approve the minutes of the meetings held on 6 February and 3 March 2020.

To approve the minutes of the Special Staffing and Remuneration Committees held on 19 March, 23 April, 7 May and 24 July 2020.

RESOLVED that theminutes of the meetings held on 6 February and 3 March 2020 were approved as a correct record, subject to the following note:

6 February – Item 13 – Minutes. The previous Chair wished to correct that she had stated that the Trans Equality Policy was due to come to a future meeting and did not confirm the June meeting.

In response to a question regarding the employment reference policy which had been outstanding since March 2020, it was explained that no further work had been done on resolving this, however it was confirmed that this would be looked at.

RESOLVED that the minutes of the Special Staffing and Remuneration Committees held on 19 March, 23 April, 7 May and 24 July 2020 were approved as a correct record.

To inform the Staffing & Remuneration Committee of the non-standard reports detailed on the Forward Plan until the end of the March 2021.

Dan Paul, Chief People Officer, introduced the report, as set out in the agenda.

The report informed the Committee of the non-standard reports detailed on the Forward Plan until the end of March 2021. It was noted that the February meeting had been moved forward to 1 December 2020.

Officers responded to questions from the Committee:

·                    The Schools Pay Policy had not been laid before Parliament in time to come to this committee. It would therefore be reported to the next meeting on 1 December 2020.

·                    It was explained that the redundancy policy may be delayed to the March 2021 meeting as there were some significant changes to the current policy which needed to be taken into account, including the recent changes to the access to pension scheme. It may be that the policy would need to come back to committee more than once.

·                    It was acknowledged that there were quite a few changes that needed to be made to the flexible working policy, following the Covid-19 pandemic, and the need to provide more flexibility. It was explained that the policy may not be fully completed by December and that a wider update may need to be provided at a later date.

In response to a question regarding the teacher’s redundancy policy and the need for this to be urgently updated, it was explained that the redeployment policy was on the forward plan and that the concerns raised had been taken on board.

A question was raised regarding the need for diversity within the recruitment process and how head hunters were engaged to ensure diverse candidates were recruited at a senior level. It was suggested that this data should be monitored on an annual basis, as part of a wider policy.

In response, the Chief People Officer agreed with this point and stated that there was a need to improve on the current workforce data and ensure that it had accurate statistics, which was in progress. The Council was also focusing on insourcing their permanent recruitment and looking at how senior appointments were made. He added that a diversity policy was not currently on the forward plan and would therefore be something that was looked at after March 2021.

The Chair added that his preference was for permanent staff to be recruitment, which promoted confidence and greater accountability.

RESOLVED that the Forward Plan be noted.

To provide the Staffing & Remuneration Committee with an update regarding the running review and revision of HR Policies and Practice Notes.

Ian Morgan, Reward Strategy Manager, introduced the report, as set out in the agenda. The report provided the Committee with an update regarding the running review and revision of HR Policies and Practice notes. It was noted that there had been a slight delay in this process due to the Coronavirus pandemic.

Officers responded to questions from the Committee:

·                    In response to a question regarding the quality of the ethnicity/disability data held by the Council, it was explained that the data was obtained at recruitment stage and there were issues in obtaining this data and therefore being able to produce meaningful statistics. This was reliant on the workforce providing the necessary data and also on self- classification. It was believed that the organisation was in the best position that it could be, given the circumstances.

·                    In response to a question regarding the capability practice notes, it was explained that this captured people that were unable to do a particular job. The current capability procedure was out of date and a commitment had been made to look into this to refresh the language and also identify things that could be done better.

·                    In response to a question regarding the Council employee profile data, dated September 2020, it was confirmed that this data was up to date. It was believed that the data was as good as it would get and robust enough to make decisions.

RESOLVED that the report on the HR Policy Review be noted.

The People Report combines key workforce data and analysis including headcount, the cost of both the permanent workforce and off payroll arrangements, starters/leavers and sickness absence as shown in Appendix A.

Ian Morgan, Reward Strategy Manager, introduced the report, as set out in the agenda.

Officers responded to questions from the Committee:

·                    In response to concern raised regarding the number of agency staff at the Council, it was explained that there had been a cohort of social workers that had been made permanent, however some of these staff were in areas that normally had high levels of agency staff, given the nature of the work. Management were however aware that the levels of agency staff were not where Members wanted them to be.

·                    The Hayes contract was being closely looked at and options were currently being looked into. It was noted that the contract was due to end in July 2021, with an approval given by Cabinet. It was explained that the Council currently had limited options given that the contract was still live.

·                    It was explained that monitoring of the HR contracts was critical and the Chief People Officer assured Members that sufficient resources would be put in place within HR to ensure that this was undertaken.

RESOLVED that the report was noted.

Dan Paul, Chief People Officer, provided the Covid-19 workforce update, as set out in the agenda.

Officers responded to questions from the Committee:

·                    It was explained that there were a host of reasons why the number of agency staff had increased. It was noted that the Council had not paid the agency for those staff that had been fast tracked to a permanent role within the organisation.

·                    Work was currently being undertaken to look at the long term plans for flexible working in the future. A bigger piece of work was being done to look at the Council’s accommodation and workshops were taking place across all services to create a strategic, long-term response.

·                    It was confirmed that free flu vaccinations would be also offered to all staff in maintained and controlled schools and communications had gone out to the head teachers of those schools notifying them of this. It was noted that a paid for scheme was also being offered at the Wittington Hospital for staff in all other schools.

The committee noted the update.

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

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 Item 13 as it contained 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 approve the exempt minutes of the Special Staffing and Remuneration Committees held on 19 March, 23 April, 7 May and 24 July 2020.

RESOLVED that the exempt minutes of the Special Staffing and Remuneration Committees held on 19 March, 23 April, 7 May and 24 July 2020 were approved as a correct record

None.