Agenda item

Report of the Town Clerk.

The Sub-Committee considered a report of the Town Clerk which set out the outstanding actions from previous meetings of the Sub-Committee.

Staff Suggestion Scheme

The Chairman expressed his dissatisfaction that no further report had yet been received regarding the Staff Suggestion Scheme, following consideration of a report in May 2016. The Chairman commented that the Sub-Committee had requested that Officers produce a report to advise Members of how Officers would ensure that staff suggestions are effectively captured and, where appropriate, implemented. The Chairman also commented that the Sub-Committee had requested that Officers identified best practice from Departments which had been effective in using staff suggestions, and ensured that best practice was communicated to all Departments.

The Town Clerk advised that the Staff Suggestion Scheme was currently operated by the Internal Communications Team and had previously been the responsibility of the Deputy Town Clerk. Following her recent departure, that team was now under the management of the Director of Communications.

The Sub-Committee agreed that the Director of Communications should submit a report to the next meeting to provide the requested update on the Staff Suggestion Scheme. The Head of Corporate Strategy and Performance advised that she would ensure that this report also provided information regarding how Staff Suggestions could be incorporated into the Corporate Plan framework which was being developed. The Head of Corporate Strategy and Performance advised that Members would be consulted on this framework, through the Business Planning Working Group.

Efficiency Plan

The Chairman requested that an initial report, providing information of additional savings plans beyond the current Service Based Review, in line with the Efficiency Plan, should be submitted to the Sub-Committee’s next meeting. The Chairman commented that the purpose of this report should be to indicate how the Corporation could aim to embed a process of continuous improvement and associated efficiency savings throughout the organisation, rather than the existing process of periods of specific savings plans every few years, such as the Service Based Review.

RESOLVED – That the Committee:

a)    notes the report;

b)    agrees that the Director of Communications and Head of Corporate Strategy and Performance provide a report regarding the Staff Suggestion Scheme to the Sub-Committee’s next meeting; and

c)    agrees that the Chamberlain provide a report regarding a process of continuous improvement and associated efficiency savings, in line with the Efficiency Plan, to the Sub-Committee’s next meeting.