Agenda item

The Committee to consider proposals for the future delivery of this service. Report to Follow

The Committee were asked to agree the staffing restructure of children’s centres. The Cabinet had agreed the model for delivery of children’s centres in July and following this there had been a consultation period with staff and school governing bodies on the staffing changes arising from this new model. The job descriptions had been compiled with the input of the Children’s Centre Task Group and issued with the consultation documents for comment.  It was important to note that the staffing restructure involved staff working in the community based services  run from the children’s centres and not  staff working in the childcare provision element of the centres.

• Members questioned how the relationship between children centres and the council was being driven by outcomes as required by a standard commissioning process as this was not fully set out in the report. Members noted that as part of this arrangement the individual children’s centres continued to be responsible for the services that they delivered from the centre.  The Service Level Agreement (SLA) would outline what services could be delivered with this funding allocation. The performance of the each centre to their SLA agreement would be monitored as part of the performance management framework by the Early Years service.  Members noted that the service had a relatively short period of time to compile proposals for the delivery of children’s centres with the reduction in funding needing to be acted upon in 2011/12 and therefore the service was continuing to meet with partners to work out the joint commissioning outcomes for the children’s centres. The service would be following DFEE guidance when commissioning services.

• Members sought clarification about the political representation on the Local Advisory Boards and their reporting lines. Officers advised that the governance arrangements for these groups still required further work. The Steering Group at the strategic level would monitor the delivery and the working to the early year’s policy.  The oversight of this group lay with the Cabinet. The Corporate Committee requested a response from the Cabinet or the Cabinet Member about what the plans were for democratically elected members to sit on this Steering group and what its reporting lines would be.

• In respect of the new staffing structure Chair asked that a simple guide to the management structure of the children’s centres be issued to Committee Members to aid understanding of their roles and reporting lines.

• The Employee side conveyed concerns raised by staff at South Grove centre on recruitment to roles; particularly that Information and Administration officers were being recruited at scale 4, in the second Cluster instead of to scale 5 as the case in all the other Clusters.  The Head of Early Years explained that the difference in the scale grading would have been worked out according to the level duties attached to this role with its pay scale having been part of the cost package for delivering the services at the centre. Having the scale 4 information officer at this grade would allow them to keep to their resource allocation.  The Chair questioned how a similar job description at two different children’s centres but on different pay scales could happen and asked the Head of Human Resources to examine this in terms of the duties of an employer for equal pay. 

• In response to questions concerning potential for SLA agreements to not be adhered to if the children centres in the cluster were not in agreement with aspects of it, officers advised that there were plans to review how the model was working with the engagement of the Children’s Centre Task Group. The work with Human Resources and trade unions would continue as there was a commitment to make the model work.

 RESOLVED

1. That it be noted the formal consultation on these proposals with trades unions and staff directly employed by the council began on 14 September 2011 and was concluded on 13 October 2011.

2. It be noted that all schools that employ staff who are affected by these proposals have also undertaken formal consultation with their staff and trades unions over the same period.

3. That the comments received from staff (both school and council-employed) and trades unions and the management response to these (Appendices 4 and 5) be noted.

4. That the Equalities Impact Assessments relating to this proposal (Appendices 2 and 3) be noted.

5. That the proposed staffing restructure as set out in the consultation document at Appendix 1 and in the revised service structure and posts at Appendix 6, taking into account the outcome of the staff and trade union consultations and management response (Appendices 4 & 5) be agreed. This decision is taken in due regard to the Council’s public sector equalities duties.