Members are asked to consider whether they have any disclosable pecuniary or non pecuniary interests in connection with any item(s) on this agenda and, if so, to declare them and state the nature of the interest.

Members were asked to consider whether they had any disclosable pecuniary or non pecuniary interests in connection with any items on this agenda and, if so, to declare them and state the nature of the interest.

No such declarations were made.

To receive the minutes of the meeting held on 12 July, 2012.

The Committee was requested to receive the minutes of the meeting held on 12 July, 2012.

Resolved – That the minutes of the meetings held on 12 July, 2012, be approved.

The Acting Director of Law, HR and Asset Management submitted a report updating the Committee on the current attendance management position.

A breakdown of sickness absence figures for quarter one and comparative data for 2009/10, 2010/11 and 2011/12 by quarter and by full year, was shown in appendix 1 to the report. Although sickness absence figures for 2011/12 had improved significantly, quarter one figures for 2012/13 were disappointing (2.46 days) showing an increase on last year’s figure of 2.14 days but an improvement on the previous two years (2.52, 2.49). 

The report also contained information on reasons for absence, benchmarking data across other local authorities in the North West, details of a range of initiatives introduced and being introduced to improve levels of attendance, particularly in relation to stress management.

Resolved – That the content of the report and the current sickness absence data be noted.

The Acting Director of Law, HR and Asset Management, submitted a report providing an update on the on-going management of workforce change and outlined progress on the successful redeployment of employees throughout the Council. There were currently 14 people on the redeployment register. An exempt appendix to the report gave further information on the employees on the register.

Responding to comments from Members, the Head of HR and Organisational Development reported that the sudden increase in the figures from 1 to 6 redeployees in the Law, HR and Asset Management Department was due to the forthcoming end of the graduate placement programme. She would be happy to provide a more regular update regarding redeployees on a monthly basis especially as the impending senior management restructure could mean more potential redeployees on the list.

Resolved – That the report be noted and monthly updates on redeployees be provided for Party Leaders and Committee members.

The Acting Director of Law, HR and Asset Management submitted a report which gave a summary of the monitoring and analysis of the Council’s workforce for 2012/13 quarter one and the proposed outcomes and actions to be taken as a result. Appendices to the report fulfilled the Council’s specific employment duties in relation to employment for race, gender and disability.

The Head of HR and Organisational Development informed the Committee that the Employee Relations Report would be brought to the next meeting of the Committee and would provide more details in respect of grievance and disciplinary appeals.

Resolved – That the report be noted.

The Acting Director of Law, HR and Asset Management submitted a report on the proposed restructure of Human Resources and Organisational Development (HR/OD) and sought approval for the departmental restructure to move the human resources functions (currently located in departments) to form one central unit. 

The Cabinet had received a report on 6 September 2012 (minute 81 refers) outlining restructuring proposals for Human Resources and Organisational Development to re-align staff, staffing budgets and training budgets to the Head of Human Resources and Organisational Development. Cabinet had resolved the following:

·  Re-structure of Human Resources and Organisational Development from their substantive departments to one centralised function. 

·  Alignment of 34.46 FTE of staffing and £1,144,900 budget from their substantive departments to the Head of Human Resources and Organisational Development.

·  £200,000 budget from the Corporate Efficiency fund for the additional resources necessary which will help the Department to meet the organisational challenges and business requirements to deliver the required budget savings.

·  Alignment of £476,400 Training budgets from their substantive departments to the Head of Human Resources and Organisational Development.

·  £50,000 budget from the Improvement fund for an additional OD management post to meet organisational development requirements of the Improvement plan.

Cabinet had recommended that the Employment and Appointments Committee approve the re-alignment of staff, and the establishment of the Management structure and the posts that were above spinal column point 49.

The report gave details of the proposed management structure and also comparator details for the HR function with other similar authorities. The breakdown of the 12 posts above spinal column point 49 was as follows:

• 4 were redesignations of existing posts
• 2 senior managers were currently acting up
• 4 new posts were on a fixed term basis of 2 years
• 2 new permanent posts

Two of these posts, Business Partners, had previously been approved by this Committee at its meeting on 11 August, 2011 (minute 15 refers).

The Council was facing unprecedented challenges in terms of both the financial challenge and the improvement agenda. Significant transformational change needed to be supported through HR and OD. The risk to the Council of an under resourced service at this time was significant. Given the change required it would be a risk for the council to continue with an HR/OD function that was under resourced in comparison with other organisations. The request for additional funding over the next two years sought to address this risk, but also gave flexibility within the function with a number of fixed term contracts proposed.

Responding to comments from Members the Head of HR and Organisational Development acknowledged the need to look at new service delivery models. HR and OD was one of the first services which needed to be in place to drive forward and support the changes taking place across the organisation. With the increased establishment, the HR and OD function would still be below the average of comparator authorities. In respect of the fixed term contract posts it was difficult to estimate any redundancy costs due at the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 27.

Further to minute 86 (23/4/12), the Acting Director of Law, HR and Asset Management submitted a report which gave details, in an exempt appendix, of the settlement of compromise contracts which had been entered into since 23 April, 2012.

Resolved – That this Committee notes the information provided about the use of compromise contracts.

The Committee is invited to review the position in respect of the Appeals Sub-Committee’s membership following the Council decision on 16 July, 2012 not to approve minute 10 of the Committee on 7 June, 2012.

Attached are:

·  Minute 10, Employment and Appointments Committee – 7 June, 2012

·  Council agenda item – 16 July, 2012

·  Minute 27, Council – 16 July, 2012

The Acting Director of Law, HR and Asset Management will report verbally on the position.

The Acting Director of Law, HR and Asset Management invited the Committee to review the position in respect of the Appeals Sub-Committee’s membership following the Council decision on 16 July, 2012 not to approve minute 10 of the Committee on 7 June, 2012. The Committee decided that the matter be referred back to Council and it was -

Resolved (unanimously) – That this Committee recommends to Council:

(1) That a pool of 21 Members be appointed, in the ratio 12:7:2, from which an Appeals Sub-Committee of any 3 Members, preferably in the ratio 1:1:1, whenever possible, will be drawn as and when required, with the Chair being appointed at each meeting, for the municipal year 2012/13 and until such time as a new Appeals Sub-Committee is appointed.

The membership of the pool be as follows:

Conservative (7 Members)

Councillors Lesley Rennie, Andrew Hodson, John Hale, David Elderton, Eddie Boult, Cherry Povall and Mike Hornby

Labour (12 Members)

Councillors George Davies, Paul Doughty, Adrian Jones, Ann McLachlan, Brian Kenny, Anne McArdle, Moira McLaughlin, Chris Meaden, Denise Roberts, John Salter, Harry Smith and Jean Stapleton 

Liberal Democrat (2 Members)

Councillors Mark Johnston and Dave Mitchell

The minutes of the Employment and Appointments Sub-Committee meetings held on 14 June (two meetings) and 28 June and 4 and 5 July, 2012, are submitted for information.

The minutes of the Employment and Appointments Sub-Committee meetings held on 14 June (two meetings) and 28 June and 4 and 5 July, 2012, were submitted for information.

Resolved – That the minutes be noted.

The public may be excluded from the meeting during consideration of the following items of business on the grounds that they involve the likely disclosure of exempt information.

RECOMMENDED –

That in accordance with section 100A (4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the public be excluded from the meeting during consideration of the following items of business, on the grounds that they involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined by the relevant paragraphs of Part 1 of Schedule 12A to that Act. The public interest test has been applied and favours exclusion.

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 items of business on the grounds that they involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined by paragraph 1 of Part I of Schedule 12A (as amended) to that Act. The public interest test has been applied and favours exclusion.

Appendix 2 to agenda item 4, exempt by virtue of paragraph 1.

Further to minute 25 ante, the Committee noted the exempt appendix to the Acting Director of Law, HR and Asset Management’s report.

 Appendix to agenda item 7, exempt by virtue of paragraph 1.

Further to minute 28 ante, the Committee noted the exempt appendix to the Acting Director of Law, HR and Asset Management’s report.

In respect of meetings of the Employment and Appointments Sub-Committee (Compromise Contracts) a Member sought clarification as to the attendance of other Members and right to speak.

The Acting Director of Law, HR and Asset Management referred to the Council’s Standing Orders, in particular 25 (5) and 27 which stated that any Member of the Council could attend Cabinet, Committees, Sub-Committees and Panels and the Leaders and Deputy Leaders of all three groups had the right to speak at any meeting only at the Chair’s invitation. In respect of the sensitivities relating to meetings of this particular Sub-Committee he would issue guidance for all potential Chairs to ensure a consistent approach at future meetings.