Minutes for Employment Panel meeting, Nov 18 2008, 5.30PM official page

To approve as a correct record the Minutes of the meeting held on 16^th September 2008.

The Minutes of the meeting held on 16th June 2008 were approved as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.

To receive from Members declarations as to personal and/or prejudicial interests and the nature of those interests in relation to any Agenda Item.  Please see Notes 1 and 2 below.

No declarations were received.

To consider a report by the Leisure Centre’s Co-ordinator. (TO FOLLOW)

Further to Minute No. 08/13 and with the assistance of a report by the Leisure Centre’s Co-ordinator (a copy of which is appended in the Minute Book) the Panel were acquainted with the results of the staff consultation on proposed changes to the management structure within the Leisure Centres, together with the results of the Job Evaluation Panel which had met recently to grade all Leisure Centre posts under the assimilation exercise using the latest Inbucon evaluation criteria.

Having been acquainted with the views of the Employees’ Side representatives who had expressed some concerns about the financial implications of the proposals for a number of employees affected, it was

RESOLVED

               that the proposed re-structuring of the  Leisure Centres management arrangements be approved for implementation by 1^st April 2009.

To consider a report by the Head of Policy & Strategic Services outlining proposals for a review of all HR policies and procedures.

The Panel considered a report by the Head of Policy and Strategic Services (a copy of which is appended in the Minute Book) outlining a proposal to establish a three-year rolling programme for the review of all HR policies and procedures. 

Having been acquainted with the background to the proposal which would ensure that the Council complies with legislative requirements and best practice, the Panel noted that there were currently just over 50 policies identified within the review schedule although it was anticipated that some would be consolidated as the review programme progressed. Whereupon and having noted that revised policies would submitted be forthcoming to future meetings, it was

RESOLVED

               that the proposed schedule of policy reviews as attached to the report now submitted be endorsed.

To consider a report by the HR Manager and Head of Policy & Strategic Services seeking approval for the introduction of a fully reviewed Attendance Policy.

With the assistance of a report by the HR Manager and Head of Policy and Strategic Services (a copy of which is appended in the Minute Book) the Panel considered the content of a revised Attendance Policy for the Council which had been designed to reflect national provisions and to provide a measure of clarity across the Council for managers and employees. 

Having noted that employee absence rates for the District Council compared favourably to both the public sector and national averages reported by the Chartered Institute of Personnel Development, comments were made about the need to differentiate between long-term and short-term absences in any subsequent reporting procedures. 

Whereupon, it was

RESOLVED

a)      that the draft Attendance Policy as attached to the report now submitted be endorsed; and

b)      the information relating to the attendance statistics for District Council employees be noted.

To receive a verbal report by the Head of Policy & Strategic Services.

Having been advised of the receipt of a recent consultation paper by the Department for Communities and Local Government seeking the authority’s views on the proposed introduction of a Model Code of Conduct for local government employees by 24th December 2008, it was

RESOLVED

               that the Director of Central Services in consultation with the Panel Chairman and a representative of the Employees Side, be authorised to agree the content of the Council’s response to the consultation paper.

To consider a report by the HR Manager and Head of Policy & Strategic Services seeking approval to recruit to vacant posts.

(The Chairman announced that she proposed to add one further post to the schedule of vacancies as a matter of urgency in accordance with Section 100B (4) of the Local Government Act 1972 in view of the need to fill the vacant post at the earliest opportunity)

The Panel received a report by the HR Manager and Head of Policy and Strategic Services (a copy of which is appended in the Minute Book) listing vacancies across the Council’s three Directorates.

RESOLVED

a)      that the HR Manager be authorised to commence recruitment to the posts of Auditor and Environmental Health Officer as identified in the amended Schedule now submitted, together with any subsequent posts vacated as a result of internal promotion from these posts; and

b)      that a decision in respect of recruitment to the post of Head of Policy and Strategic Services be deferred to a future meeting.

To resolve:-

That the public be excluded from the meeting because the business to be transacted contains information relating to an individual.

RESOLVED

               that the public be excluded from the meeting because the business to be transacted contained exempt information relating to an individual.

To consider a report by the Head of Policy & Strategic Services concerning the extension of sickness pay to an individual and seeking delegation of future decisions when they need to be taken between meetings of the Panel.

The Panel considered a report by the Head of Policy and Strategic Services (a copy of which is appended in the annex to the Minute Book) concerning a proposal to extend sickness pay to an individual currently employed by the Council and, seeking approval for the delegation of future decisions, where they need to be taken between meetings of the Panel.  Whereupon, it was

RESOLVED

a)      that the decision taken by the appropriate Head of Service to extend full-time pay to the employee identified within the report be endorsed pending the determination of an application for ill health retirement; and

b)      that, subject to such decisions being reported to its next ensuing meeting, the Director of Central Services after consultation with the Panel Chairman be authorised to determine variations to the national terms and conditions for sickness pay where they cannot reasonably be determined by the Panel within the relevant timescale.