Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence were received from Jamie Ingham Clark, Jeremy Mayhew, and Richard Regan.

Before proceeding with the rest of the agenda, the Chair took the opportunity to provide an explanatory statement with regards to the confidential status of the Barbican Centre HR Audit Report (ITEM 27 on today’s agenda):

Members will be aware that today’s meeting is due to consider a confidential item on an HR Audit of the Barbican Centre. That same report is due to be considered by the Barbican Centre Nominations, Effectiveness and Inclusion (NEI) Committee tomorrow in the same way.

I wanted to explain for the benefit of anyone watching this committee today and for the minutes why this is the case.

The HR Audit has been completed by the Corporation’s Executive Director of HR and a report with recommendations has been drafted which we will consider today.

It is currently going through a process of consideration where there may be factual corrections or amendments.

Both this committee and the Barbican Centre’s NEI Committee will want to discuss the report in detail and to consider the large number of recommendations with in it.

For that reason – and in consultation with my fellow Chair – we have decided that, for now, the report is considered in private session for now.

It is our intention to disclose the report and any supporting information as public documents in the near future.

There were no declarations of interest.

To agree the public minutes of the meetings held on 23^rd June and 22^nd July.

RESOLVED – That the public minutes of the meetings held on 23^rd June and 22^nd July 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.

The Chair requested that the update Report outlining metrics around the mental health and wellbeing of employees is submitted to the Establishment Committee in Q1 2022.

RESOLVED – that the Committee noted the Report.

Report of the Chamberlain.

The Committee received a Report of the Chamberlain concerning the Savings Tracker for the Target Operating Model (TOM).

The Chair requested that an additional column is inserted in the table to indicate when departments are due to present their Reports to Establishment Committee (i.e. October, November (special meeting) or January 2022).

A Member sought clarification about the exact savings target for the Department of Community and Children’s Services. The Chamberlain would respond to the Member after the meeting.

Responding to a Member, the Chair agreed that the deep dive due at the October Establishment Committee meeting would be very important to ascertain where we stood in relation to the run rate for savings.

In response to a Member raising concerns about the outlook for securing permanent savings, the Chamberlain reiterated that the 12% overall savings target was a permanent reduction. The challenge across this financial year was that many departments were reliant on achieving savings through reductions in staff costs; however, given the impact of the pandemic, full implementation of the Target Operating Model had been delayed. The likely consequence of this delay is that, whilst progress was being made on the run-rate, a greater proportion of 2021/22 savings will be made up of short term, one-off cost reductions than originally anticipated; with permanent savings now likelier to be achieved in 2022/23.

Responding to a Member, the Chair agreed that, in addition to a deep dive on savings, a separate focus at the October Establishment Committee should be a stock take on the delivery and current effectiveness of the organisational design principles.

In addition, the Chair confirmed that the January meeting of the Committee would be TOM focused.

RESOLVED – that the Committee noted the Report.

Report of the Executive Director of Human Resources.

The Committee considered a Report of the Town Clerk concerning the recruitment of a new Assistant Town Clerk & Members Services Director.

The Chair confirmed that Ruby Sayed would join the recruitment panel.

RESOLVED – that the Committee:

 • Noted that the Chair of Establishment Committee and the Chair of Policy and Resources Committee are to agree who will chair the Recruitment Panel;

• Agreed that the seven members of the Recruitment Panel for the new Assistant Town Clerk and Executive Director of Governance and Members Services, are as follows:-

? Chair of the Establishment Committee

? Deputy Chair of the Establishment Committee

? Chair of the Policy and Resources Committee

? Deputy Chairman of the Policy and Resources Committee

? Town Clerk and Chief Executive

? Deputy Town Clerk and Chief Executive

? Another member of either Policy and Resources or Establishment Committee if required (Ruby Sayed as per above)

• Agreed the principle that all recruitment panel members will have undertaken the City of London Corporation’s recruitment and selection training in the past 12 months;

• Authorised the recruitment panel, in conjunction with the Deputy Town Clerk and Chief Executive, to make the necessary arrangements for the appointment to the role.

Report of the Executive Director of Human Resources.

The Committee received a Report of the Executive Director of Human Resources concerning the Register of Interests

The Deputy Chair pointed out that, in the interests of transparency and good governance, the register of interest should be in the public domain (the registers were issued in the confidential agenda for today’s pack), the Chair asked the Town Clerk to publish the Register of Interests with signatures etc redacted.

The Chair also asked that any outstanding returns for the Register of Interests were circulated to her and the Deputy Chair for reference. The Executive Director responded that the final three outstanding registers were expected to be received shortly.

Reflecting on the Register, a Member expressed his hope that officers would volunteer as school governors, the Deputy Chair added that the Corporation does have a policy that encourages officers to volunteer for governor roles (and other similar positions).

RESOLVED – that the Committee noted the Report.

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

The Committee received a Joint Report of the Town Clerk, the Chamberlain, and the Comptroller & City Solicitor.

RESOLVED – that the Committee noted the Report.

Joint Report of the Chamberlain, Managing Director, Bridge House Estates, Director of Innovation and Growth, and Director of Community & Children’s Services.

The Committee received a Joint Report of the Chamberlain, the Managing Director, Bridge House Estates, the Director of Innovation and Growth, and the Director of Community and Children’s Services concerning the combined annual strategies for Responsible Business, Social Mobility, Digital Skills and Climate Action for 2020-21.

Members encouraged officers to liaise with the Communications Department to ensure that the Report was as widely disseminated as possible. 

Members were keen that officers captured the data on who was viewing the Report online and asked that an update on this metric was presented to them when next year’s iteration of the Report was submitted to the Committee.

A Member noted that, whilst succinctness was important, the two programmes alluded to briefly in the Report did not have any further information on their aims and remit and asked that the Report be amended to include some more detail.

A Member asked whether some of the terminology in the Foreword of the Report was appropriate, namely: ‘…. The COVID-19 epidemic has had disproportionate health and economic impacts on certain groups, including black people, people from some Asian Backgrounds’. Officers would liaise with the Head of Equality, Diversity & Inclusion to ensure that the wording throughout the Report was appropriate and amended as necessary. 

Members asked the Report author to make any changes as required and update the Policy & Resources Committee (meeting 16/09) on the issues identified.

RESOLVED – that the Committee noted the Report. 

RESOLVED – that the Committee noted the Report.

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 meetings held on 23rd June and 22nd July.

RESOLVED – That the public minutes of the meetings held on 23rd June and 22nd July 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 non-public actions from previous meetings.

Report of the Executive Director of Human Resources.

The Committee considered a Report of the Executive Director of Human Resources concerning the exit strategy from the recruitment moratorium.

There were no questions.

There were no items of urgent business.

To agree the confidential minutes of the meetings held on 23rd June and 22nd July.

RESOLVED – That the confidential minutes of the meetings held on 23rd June and 22nd July be approved as an accurate record.

Report of the Town Clerk.

The Committee received a Report of the Town Clerk which provided details of outstanding confidential actions from previous meetings.

Report of the Principal, Guildhall School of Music & Drama.

The Committee considered a Report of the Executive Director of Human Resources.

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Report of the Executive Director of Human Resources.

The Committee considered a Report of the Executive Director of Human Resources.

Report of the Chief Operating Officer.

The Committee considered a Report of the Chief Operating Officer.

Joint Report of the Town Clerk and the Commissioner of the City of London Police.

The Committee considered a Joint Report of the Town Clerk and the Commissioner of the City of London Police.

Report of the Chamberlain.

The Committee considered a Report of the Chamberlain.

Report of the Executive Director of Human Resources.

The Committee considered a Report of the Executive Director of Human Resources.

Report of the Executive Director of Human Resources.

Please see Item 7 in Public Minutes.

Report of the Executive Director of Human Resources.

The Committee received a Report of the Executive Director of Human Resources.

Chief Operating Officer to be heard

The Chief Operating Officer updated Members on a staffing matter.

The Town Clerk to be heard.

The Town Clerk had no further update.