Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence were received from Deputy Stephen Haines (Chairman), Deputy Richard Regan, Deputy Elizabeth Rogula, Angela Starling and Philip Woodhouse.

There were no declarations of interest.

To agree the public minutes and summary of the meeting held on 12 July 2016.

RESOLVED – That the public minutes and summary of the meeting held on 12 July 2016 be approved as a correct record.

Report of the Town Clerk.

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

The Deputy Chairman informed the Committee that a Member’s briefing on unconscious bias had taken place on 7 September 2016. In response to a Member’s query, the Town Clerk agreed to look into scheduling a second briefing on unconscious bias.

RESOLVED – That:

a)    the Committee note the report; and

b)    a future briefing on unconscious bias be scheduled.

Report of the Town Clerk.

The Committee considered a report of the Town Clerk which provided the Committee with information on the Accommodation and New Ways of Working Programme.

This Committee having been asked to consider the impact on the Corporation’s workforce,Members referred to two matters which they believedhad to be in place for the programme to be delivered successfully: significantly improved IT provision and the role of leadership in the delivery of the programme.

Members therefore asked that the following be looked at in more detail:

• the Corporation’s IT infrastructure, and whether it could deliver the agile working environment envisaged in the report;
• the location of Chief Officer accommodation and whether they would be part of the open environment;
• that lessons from other organisations had been considered;
• the definition of agile working;
• that legal minimum spaces had been considered; and
• that the health benefits referenced in the paper were defined.

With a further report to come back to this Committee responding to the points raised, prior to implementation of the Scheme. 

Members agreed that the benefits of such a programme were enormous if carried out properly.

A Member stated that his employer had implemented an agile working scheme and invited Members to a site visit.

RESOLVED – That the Committee:

a)    note with approval the Accommodation and New Ways of Working Programme; 

b)    records its views on the implications for the City of London Corporation Workforce; and

c)    instructs officers to report back to this Committee on the points raised during discussion.

Report of the Comptroller and City Solicitor.

The Committee considered a report of the Comptroller and City Solicitor which provided the Committee with a summary of progress towards achieving the strategic aims and objectives of the Comptroller and City Solicitor’s Departmental Business Plan 2016-19.

The Committee congratulated the Comptroller and City Solicitor’s Department on the re-accreditation of the Law Society’s LEXCEL quality assurance standard.

RESOLVED – That the Committee note the report.

Report of the Comptroller and City Solicitor.

The Committee considered a report of the Comptroller and City Solicitor which provided an update on the Comptroller and City Solicitor’s departmental risks as at 30 August 2016.

Members highlighted that the report contained details of IT issues which had impacted the results and acknowledged the importance of a functioning IT infrastructure.

Members congratulated the Comptroller and City Solicitor on the reduced risk rating.

RESOLVED – That the Committee note the report.

Report of the Town Clerk, the Chamberlain and the Comptroller and City Solicitor.

The Committee considered a joint report of the Town Clerk, Chamberlain and the Comptroller and City Solicitor which provided an update on the revenue outturn for 2015/16.

RESOLVED – That the Committee note the report and budgets.

Joint report of the Comptroller and City Solicitor, the Director of Human Resources and the City Surveyor.

Members considered item nine after item ten.

Members considered a joint report of the Comptroller and City Solicitor, the Director of Human Resources, and the City Surveyor which explained the current practices of the Staff Appeal Committee.

The report presented the Committee with two options to present information from Staff Appeal Committee meetings; a case summary to be included in the decision letter or a free standing report. The Comptroller and City Solicitor expressed a preference for the second option of the free standing report.

Members queried the appropriateness of continuing to receive information from individual Staff Appeal Committee meetings, but confirmed that they would like to maintain a role in the Staff Appeal Committee.

Members endorsed the second option of the free standing report to be submitted to the Establishment Committee, following Staff Appeal Committee meetings.

RESOLVED – That:

a)    the Committee considered the report; and

b)    a free standing report be submitted to Establishment Committee following Staff Appeal Committees.

Joint report of the Comptroller and City Solicitor, the Director of Human Resources.

Members considered item ten before item nine.

Members considered a joint report of the Comptroller and City Solicitor and the Director of Human Resources which set out the Corporation’s Disciplinary Procedure.

Members asked that the security of any technology used during interviews be scrutinised with regards to recording meetings and discussions.

RESOLVED – That the Committee considered the report and in noting with approval the Disciplinary Procedure, invited Officers to review time scales for submission and review of documents and ensure that the paragraph numbering was correct.

Director of Human Resources to be heard.

The Director of Human Resources gave an oral update to the Committee on Member/Officer protocol. A query had been raised at the July Court of Common Council on whether the Member/Officer protocol training that had been offered to all Members had also been offered to Officers.

The Director of Human Resources informed the Committee that Member/Officer protocol had not been part of the Employee Code of Conduct and would subsequently be added into it, relevant information would also feature in the Corporate Induction and online training would be provided. The Director of Human Resources added that briefings would be offered to staff who worked closely with Members. 

Members confirmed that this had been covered by the Standards Committee Chairman in the Annual Report to the Common Council.

RESOLVED – That the Committee note the oral update.

Report of the Director of Human Resources.

The Committee considered a report of the Director of Human Resources which outlined the Attracting Talent programme. The programme aimed to review and update the City of London Corporation’s employer brand, reduce barriers to entry and support workforce plans and succession planning.

The Director of Human Resources informed the Committee that as part of their review, Human Resources had conducted an exercise whereby a sample of recently recruited to positions were re-shortlisted by a panel of HR Staff experienced in shortlisting and interviewing but with the removal of personal information from the application forms. This included the removal of names, addresses, and educational establishments. The exercise found that the chances of BME candidates being shortlisted increased by around 40%. Further roles were being re-examined, but so far the review indicated a need to address the potential for unconscious bias in the recruitment process. The Director of Human Resources confirmed to the Committee that there would be a move from mandatory training to nudge behaviour in order to mitigate the effects of unconscious bias.

RESOLVED – That the Committee note the report, and commend the steps being taken by Officers to eliminate unconscious bias in the recruitment process.

Report of the Director of Human Resources.

The Committee considered a report of the Director of Human Resources which provided information on redundancies, early retirements and ill health retirements from 1 April to 30 June.

The Committee noted that the appendix had been included with the public papers and should in fact be considered as a confidential item. The appendix would therefore be considered during the confidential section of the meeting. 

RESOLVED – That the Committee note the actions taken under delegated authority.

Report of the Director of Human Resources.

The Committee considered a report of the Director of Human Resources which provided information on the external audit that had been carried out by the British Safety Council.

The Committee praised the audit rating of four stars that had been achieved by the City of London Corporation.

RESOLVED – That the Committee note the findings of the report.

The Committee noted that this would be the final meeting attended by Oliver Sanandres who would shortly be moving to New Zealand. The Committee thanked him for his contribution to the Corporation, in particular in improving its approach to health and safety.

There were no questions.

There were no urgent items.

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 12 July 2016.

The non-public minutes of the meeting held on 12 July 2016 were approved.

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 Chamberlain.

The Committee noted a report of the Chamberlain which sought approval at the July Finance Committee for the recommended evaluation criteria to be used in the selection of a preferred supplier for the provision of Temporary Agency Resources.

There were no questions.

An item of urgent business was raised by the Director of Human Resources.

To agree the Confidential minutes of the last meeting held on 12 July 2016.

The confidential minutes of the meeting held on 12 July 2016 were approved.

Report of the Comptroller and City Solicitor.

The Committee noted a report of the Comptroller and City Solicitor which provided information on Employment Tribunal cases from March 2016.

Following a discussion at Item 13, the Committee considered and noted the confidential appendix.

Town Clerk to be heard.

The Town Clerk provided the Committee with an oral update on the reconfiguration of the Town Clerk’s Department.