Agenda and minutes

There were no apologies.

There were no declarations of interest.

To agree the public minutes and summary of the meeting held on 3 May 2017.

RESOLVED – That the public minutes and summary of the meeting held on 3 May be approved as an accurate record.

Report of the Town Clerk.

The Committee considered a report of the Town Clerk which provided details of outstanding actions from previous meetings.

RESOLVED – That the Committee note the report.

Report of the Town Clerk, Comptroller and City Solicitor, and Director of Human Resources.

The Committee received a joint report of the Town Clerk, Comptroller and City Solicitor and Director of Human Resources presenting the business plans for 2017/18 for the Departments for which the Committee was responsible – these were the Town Clerk’s Department, Corporate Human Resources, and the Comptroller and City Solicitor’s Department.

The report also presented an early draft of the Corporate Plan 2018-23 in order to give Members an opportunity to provide initial feedback before wider consultation on the plan took place in the autumn with staff, partners and other external stakeholders.

Several members referred to the section regarding developing capabilities and highlighted the fact that the recent high turnover of staff in the Town Clerk’s Committee and Members’ Services Team might make this hard to deliver. A Member suggested that it was time to look again at the operational model and review effectiveness as the ‘policy’ function had practically disappeared and the ‘committee’ function took priority, and there was now limited support for Chairmen and Deputy Chairmen. In particular, Officers were asked to look at this in the context of establishing a career path for staff joining the Corporation, possibly as graduates, for whom work as a committee/policy officer could form part of their progression into non-specialist management roles.

It was agreed that the views of both Members and staff be sought and a report be brought back to a future meeting.

RESOLVED - to

1)            Approve the high-level and detailed departmental business plans from:

·         Town Clerk’s Department (Corporate and Member Services)

·         Corporate Human Resources

·         Comptroller and City Solicitor’s Department

2)            Note the draft Corporate Plan 2018-23

3)            Request the Town Clerk and Director of Human Resources to report back to the Committee on the staffing resource concerns identified by Members.

Report of the Director of Human Resources.

The Committee received a report of the Director of Human Resources concerning funding for a Diversity Float in the 2017 Lord Mayor’s Show.

The Committee was advised that the Director of Community & Children’s Services had agreed to provide project management for the Float from within his Department, with the Staff Networks playing a key role, together the support of others with specialist expertise. The Float would also be an opportunity to work with equality and inclusion partners and networks across the City.

The Committee was asked to approve a budget of £10,000 from the Town Clerk’s local risk contingency to finance the costs associated with the Float, however the Committee was of the view that given this would only cover the entry cost, a higher budget should be approved and the possibility of sponsorship be explored.

RESOLVED – That a budget of up to £16,000 from the Town Clerk’s local risk contingency be allocated to fund the Diversity Float, and the possibility of external sponsorship be explored.

Report of the Comptroller and City Solicitor.

The Committee considered a report of the Comptroller and City Solicitor seeking approval for the recruitment of three additional permanent members of staff to the Comptroller and City Solicitor’s Department in 2017/18.  A base budget increase of £140,000 for future financial years had been approved by Policy and Resources Committee on 4May 2017.

RESOLVED – That therecruitment of three additional members of staff at grade E, career grade C/D and at grade C to the Comptroller and City Solicitor’s Department be approved.

Report of the Town Clerk.

The Committee received a report of the Town Clerk concerning approval for a market forces supplement to be paid to the new Strategic Security Director and Counter Terrorism Advisor.

The Committee was advised that following the increase in the UK threat level to SEVERE the Town Clerk had commissioned a security review of all Corporation activity, critical building and assets in early 2016. An outcome of the review was to develop and implement a Security Strategy to establish a corporate wide framework, structure and strategy to provide oversight, ownership and coordination in the quality delivery of security matters.  In order to achieve this, it would be necessary to appoint to a new post of Strategic Security Director and Counter Terrorism Advisor. 

The Committee was requested to approve a market forces supplement which would allow for a salary of up to £95,000 to be paid to the new Strategic Security Director and Counter Terrorism Advisor enabling recruitment to be targeted at candidates with the appropriate level of seniority, gravitas, expertise and skill set. 

Members, in approving the market forces supplement, questioned the grading of the post, which seemed at odds with the importance of the role and the salary required to recruit a suitable candidate.   

RESOLVED – That a market forces supplement of up to £25,360 to be applied to the Strategic Security Director and Counter Terrorism Advisor post to allow a salary offer of up to £95,000 subject to the experience and skills of the successful candidate.

Report of the Director of Human Resources.

The Committee received a report of the Director of Human Resources setting out the workforce profile information for the year 2016-2017 and providing Members with a summary of the main equalities and inclusion initiatives and actions that had taken place over the year.

RESOLVED  - That the report be noted.

Questions were raised as follows –

Use of Volunteers

In relation to the extent of use of volunteers in the workforce a concern was raised with regard to the protocols used across the organisation and how the duty of care towards volunteers was discharged, as this appeared to vary from department to department.

The Director of Human Resources undertook to provide a report comparing and contrasting the approach to paid and unpaid workers, and guidance on how to appoint them, to a future meeting.

Recruitment

A request was made for a report concerning the use of recruitment by Chief Officers to manage the out turn for their departments, including the average time from vacancy to post being filled detailed by month. Further questions were asked concerning the use of consultants and whether or not any employees were paid in any other ways other than payroll and it was agreed that this be included in the paper.

There were no urgent items of business.

MOTION - That under Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the public be excluded from the meeting for the following items of business on the grounds that they involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Part I of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act.

RESOLVED – That under Section 100(A) of the Local Government Act 1972, the public be excluded from the meeting for the following items on the grounds that they involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Part I of the Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act.

To agree the non-public minutes of the meeting held on 3 May 2017.

RESOLVED – That the non-public minutes and summary of the meeting held on 3 May be approved as an accurate record.

Report of the Town Clerk.

The Committee noted a report of the Town Clerk which provided details of non-public outstanding actions from previous meetings.

Report of the Director of Human Resources.

The Committee received a report of the Director of Human Resources concerning the market forces supplement review.

There were no questions.

There were no items of urgent business.

To agree the Confidential minutes of the last meeting held on 3 May 2017.

RESOLVED – That the confidential minutes of the meeting held on 3 May be approved.

Director of Human Resources to be heard.

The Committee considered a report of the Director of Human Resources concerning the 2017/18 Pay Award.

Report of the Town Clerk.

The Committee noted an update from the Assistant Town Clerk.