Meeting documents
Employment and Appointments Committee
Thursday, 28th June 2007
Present
Chair
IO Coates
Councillors
PL Davies, GJ Ellis, Mrs P M Williams
Deputy
Mrs LA Rennie (for Cllr JE Green)
A Taylor (for Cllr T Harney)
In attendance:
S Foulkes, SA Holbrook, RK Moon, Mrs LA Rennie
Index to Minutes
- Minute 4 - DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST
- Minute 5 - APPOINTMENT OF VICE-CHAIR
- Minute 6 - MINUTES
- Minute 7 - IMPLEMENTATION OF NEW PROVISIONS OF THE COPYRIGHT, DESIGNS AND PATENTS ACT 1988 - CREATION OF A POST FOR AN ASSISTANT TRADING STANDARDS OFFICER
- Minute 8 - FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT STANDARD IN SCHOOLS (FMSIS)
- Minute 9 - RESTRUCTURE OF THE PROCURE TO PAY SERVICE
- Minute 10 - EXTENSION TO THE ROLE OF THE PUPIL REFERRAL MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE OF WIRRAL ALTERNATIVE SCHOOLS PROGRAMME (WASP)
- Minute 11 - RACE EQUALITY SCHEME – EMPLOYMENT DUTY MONITORING REPORT
- Minute 12 - EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES FOR DISABLED PEOPLE
- Minute 13 - POLICIES FOR MANAGING WORKFORCE CHANGE
- Minute 14 - MANAGEMENT OF ATTENDANCE AND PERFORMANCE
- Minute 15 - APPEALS SUB-COMMITTEE
- Minute 16 - APPEALS SUB-COMMITTEE MINUTES
- Minute 17 - EXEMPT INFORMATION - EXCLUSION OF MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC
- Minute 18 - ALLEGATIONS AGAINST EMPLOYEES
Minute 4 - DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST
Minute Text :
The members of the Committee were requested to declare whether they had an interest, either personal or prejudicial, in any item on the agenda and, if so, to declare it and state the nature of such interest. No declarations were made.
Minute 5 - APPOINTMENT OF VICE-CHAIR
Minute Text :
Pursuant to minute 5(8) (Cabinet - 16/5/07), it was
Minute Decision :
Resolved - That Councillor PL Davies be appointed Vice-Chair of this Committee.
Minute 6 - MINUTES
Minute Text :
The minutes of the previous meeting, held on 19 March 2007, having been received by the Council on 16 April, it was
Minute Decision :
Resolved - That the minutes be received.
Minute 7 - IMPLEMENTATION OF NEW PROVISIONS OF THE COPYRIGHT, DESIGNS AND PATENTS ACT 1988 - CREATION OF A POST FOR AN ASSISTANT TRADING STANDARDS OFFICER
Minute Text :
The Committee was asked to approve the creation of an additional post of Assistant Trading Standards Officer (Scale 4-6, £22,293 - £27,866 including on costs) in the Regeneration Department. The post-holder would implement additional statutory responsibilities concerning copyright falling to the Trading Standards Division and would be funded by the allocation of additional funds by Specific Grant in 2007/08 and subsequently through Revenue Support Grant.
Minute Decision :
Resolved - That the establishment of a post of Assistant Trading Standards Officer, Scale 4-6, be approved on the basis set out in the Director's report.
Minute 8 - FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT STANDARD IN SCHOOLS (FMSIS)
Minute Text :
The Committee was advised that, under the Education Act 2002, schools had to comply with the Financial Management Standard & Toolkit, which had been introduced from June 2004. The DfES has since extended the requirement of the FMS to primary and special schools and they would have to meet the Standard by March 2010. The Internal Audit Section was already providing an efficient and effective service in undertaking the external assessment of the secondary schools, and the Director of Finance's report sought approval for the establishment of a post of Senior Auditor to carry out the necessary work in accordance with their appointment as external assessors for primary and special schools, as approved by the Cabinet on 24 May. The recommended grade for the post was SO1/PO1, and the cost of the post would be met from the fees charged to schools.
Minute Decision :
Resolved - That the post of Senior Auditor be established on the basis set out in the Director's report.
Minute 9 - RESTRUCTURE OF THE PROCURE TO PAY SERVICE
Minute Text :
Further to minute 294 of the Executive Board on 12 April 2007, which approved a review of the procurement and payments services to enable better working practices, achieve savings and facilitate the delivery of a key element of the three-year efficiency plan, the Director of Finance put forward a revised staffing structure for the Procure to Pay Section (P2P) in the light of the implementation of the electronic procurement system and the development of the Procurement Cornerstone project under the Efficiency Plan. The proposed structure was expected to realise an initial net saving on the investment of £55,000, with further savings, estimated at £200,000, to be made from a reduction in the staffing requirements of other departments.
Minute Decision :
Resolved - That the detailed staffing structures as set out in the establishment charts in Appendices 2 and 3 to the Director's report be approved, subject to further review after 12 months of operation.
Minute 10 - EXTENSION TO THE ROLE OF THE PUPIL REFERRAL MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE OF WIRRAL ALTERNATIVE SCHOOLS PROGRAMME (WASP)
Minute Text :
The Director of Children's Services reported that currently it was necessary for alterations to the staffing structure of the Wirral Alternative Schools Programme (WASP) to be agreed with the Employment & Appointment Committee (although other matters relating to the running of the former Pupil Referral Unit were scrutinised and agreed by its management committee). The budget of the PRU was met through the Direct Schools Grant.
Minute Decision :
Resolved -
(1) That he Director of Children’s Services be granted the responsibility to create posts and appoint staff to the posts in question in consultation with the Pupil Referral Unit Management Committee.
(2) That the establishment of posts for the PRU be delegated to the Director of Children’s Services in consultation with the PRU Management Committee.
(3) That the Director of Children’s Services submit annual reports on the establishment of posts within the PRU to this Committee.
Minute 11 - RACE EQUALITY SCHEME – EMPLOYMENT DUTY MONITORING REPORT
Minute Text :
The Director of Corporate Services reminded the Committee that the first Employment Duty Monitoring Report had been submitted in November 2006 outlining the Council's responsibilities under the Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000. The latest report described the current position within the Race Equality Scheme 2005-2008. Paul Bradshaw, Head of Human Resources, explained that all departments had commenced an equality review of their policies and functions through equality impact assessments (EIAs), as part of which all existing Council policies would be assessed as to any adverse impact they might have in relation to race or on promoting race equality. For organisations with more than 150 full-time staff there were specific duties in relation to employment. Monitoring by racial group had to be undertaken in respect of the numbers of staff, under the following employment aspects:
- those receiving training;
- benefiting or suffering from performance appraisals;
- involved in grievances;
- those subject to disciplinary action;
- ending their service with the authority;
- in post;
- ceasing employment with the Authority;
- applying for employment.
Arrangements were in place to collate the information required, and the appendices attached to the report detailed the latest statistics (for 1 January to 31 March 2007). He referred to the action being taken to collate the necessary information on a small proportion of the workforce that had so far not been included in the statistics.
In response to a query by Councillor Ellis as to why no disabled applicants had been appointed over the statistical period, he stated that they either had not met the essential criteria for the posts in question or had not scored the highest at interview. However, applicants who do not meet the essential criteria were offered a discussion to assess their suitability for other vacancies within the department, and he drew attention to the proposal in minute 9 below. Also, disabled applicants, if they wished, were afforded the right of being accompanied at interview.
Minute Decision :
Resolved - That the report be noted.
Minute 12 - EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES FOR DISABLED PEOPLE
Minute Text :
The Director of Corporate Services reported on an initiative to establish additional employment opportunities in the Council for disabled people. The Chief Officers Management Team had proposed that one established post in each department be identified for a training placement for a disabled person. In that way six disabled people would be offered a training opportunity for a period of up to 12 months in a permanent post. At the end of the training placements the Council would then explore whether the employees had the potential to be employed through a competitive recruitment process or could be supported in their employment via Workstep. Members of the Committee indicated their support for the initiative.
Minute Decision :
Resolved - That the report be noted.
Minute 13 - POLICIES FOR MANAGING WORKFORCE CHANGE
Minute Text :
The Director of Corporate Services informed the Committee of the Council’s policies for managing workforce change, which comprised policies for redeployment and restructuring, together with a statement of intent to re-skill and retrain employees for change and an over-reaching policy statement about how the Council would support workforce change. Policies were attached as appendices to the report: A - Managing Workforce Change Policy, B - Restructuring Policy, C - Redeployment Policy and D - Re-skilling statement of intent.
The Committee was advised that there were currently 52 employees on the redeployment register. A temporary post of Corporate Redeployment Officer had been established with the aim of reducing the numbers on the register, particularly those that had been registered for a long period. In the first instance all job vacancies would be referred to that officer to check if there were any obvious matches; if not, the post would be advertised.
Minute Decision :
Resolved - That the report be noted.
Minute 14 - MANAGEMENT OF ATTENDANCE AND PERFORMANCE
Minute Text :
The Director of Corporate Services reported on the management of attendance and performance throughout the authority: the best value performance indicator for absence showed a level at March 2007 of 8.98 days per employee per year, which was below the target set for 2006/07 of 9.4 days and below the national target for metropolitan authorities of 11.40 days. His report also provided an update on occupational health and stress management.
Minute Decision :
Resolved -
(1) That the report be noted and the general downward trend in sickness absences be welcomed.
(2) That the next report on this topic include a breakdown of the reasons for sickness absences, including cases where it might have been necessary for staff to be kept off work to avoid potential infections, and information on initiatives within the Adult Social Services Department to deal with its sickness levels.
Minute 15 - APPEALS SUB-COMMITTEE
Minute Text :
Minute Decision :
Resolved -
(1) That the Appeals Sub-Committee comprise the following members: Councillors Coates (Chair), Ellis and Mrs Williams.
(2) That, in relation to the list of deputies for 2006/07 now submitted, Councillors George Davies, S Brown, J Cocker and D Roberts be added to the list of Labour deputies, Councillor Pritchard to the Conservative deputies and Councillors Sarah Quinn and Holbrook replace Councillors Bob Moon and Isabel Moon.
Minute 16 - APPEALS SUB-COMMITTEE MINUTES
Minute Text :
The minutes of Appeals Sub-Committee meetings held on 13 October and 20 November 2006 and 19 March, 17 April and 23 May 2007 were submitted for information. The first and the latest of those meetings had dealt with grievance appeals, the others with disciplinary appeals.
Minute Decision :
Resolved - That the minutes be noted.
Minute 17 - EXEMPT INFORMATION - EXCLUSION OF MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC
Minute Text :
Minute Decision :
Resolved - That, under section 100(A)(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the public be excluded from the meeting during consideration of the following item of business on the grounds that it involves the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined by the relevant paragraphs of Part 1 of Schedule 12A (as amended) to the Act.
Minute 18 - ALLEGATIONS AGAINST EMPLOYEES
Exempt :
NOT FOR PUBLICATION - Exempt by virtue of paragraph 1 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A (as amended) of the Local Government Act 1972
Minute Text :
The Director of Corporate Services provided details of allegations of serious misconduct made against employees and advised of the action taken in each case. In response to members' queries, Paul Bradshaw, Head of Human Resources, explained the action being taken to reduce the period of time for which an employee might be suspended and the issue of obtaining Criminal Records Bureau checks.
Minute Decision :
Resolved -
(1) That the report be noted.
(2) That enquiries be made of the Criminal Records Bureau as to how stringent checks might be in relations to workers from abroad.
(Minutes Published: 12 July 2007)