Issue - meetings

This report provides the Executive Member with an update on the current position of the City of York Council (CYC) Health and Safety (H&S) Service following the secondment of the current five staff members from CYC H&S Team to North Yorkshire County Council (NYCC).

Resolved:         (i)The progress of closer working between North Yorkshire County Council and City of York Council Health and Safety Teams operating under a single Head of Health and Safety be noted.

(ii)          The continued working arrangements for the short term be endorsed whilst an options paper and business case be developed for submission to the Executive for a more long term arrangement.

Reason:     To ensure that the Executive Member and residents are informed of the City of York Council/North Yorkshire County Council approach to ensuring the Health and Safety services are resilient and are better able to support the two organisations.

The Executive Member considered a report which provided him with an update on the current position of the City of York Council (CYC) Health and Safety Service (H&S) following the secondment of the current five staff members from CYC H&S Team to North Yorkshire County Council (NYCC).  The current arrangements would be in place until April 2017 and the Executive Member was asked to endorse the continued working arrangements for the short term whilst an options paper and business case was developed for submission to the Executive for a more long term arrangement.

Officers reported that the monitoring of the Service Level Agreement (SLA) to support these arrangements had been informed by comments raised by the Executive Member. They highlighted that there had been no noticeable reduction in service through the arrangements and it had a positive effect, for example increased capacity had led to a spread of knowledge. In addition, efficiencies could be made as it was no longer necessary to buy two sets of literature.

In response to a question about delays in one of the performance standards in the SLA, this was due to a contract not being finalised. It was noted that there may be inevitable delays in such arrangements when bringing two organisations together operating to different timescales. 

The Executive Member felt it was important to review what both sides were bringing to the deal, to ensure parity. He stated that he could see that bringing together both City of York Council and North Yorkshire County Council Health and Safety teams would be of mutual benefit and would allow for best practice to be shared.

Resolved:  That the Executive Member:

·        Noted the progress of closer working between North Yorkshire County Council and City of York Council Health and Safety Teams operating under a single Head of Health and Safety.

·        Endorsed the continued working arrangements for the short term whilst an options paper and business case was developed for submission to the Executive for a more long term arrangement.

Reason:     To ensure that the Executive Member and residents are informed of the City of York Council/North Yorkshire County Council approach to ensuring the Health and Safety services are resilient and are better able to support the two organisations.