Agenda and minutes

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Contact: Louise Cook  Democracy Officer

Webcast: video recording

Items
No. Item

33.

Appointment of Chair

To formally appoint a Chair for this meeting.

Minutes:

The Head of Civic & Democratic Services invited Members to nominate a Chair for this meeting.

 

Resolved: That Councillor Widdowson be appointed as Chair.

34.

Declarations of Interest

At this point in the meeting, Members are asked to declare:

 

·        any personal interests not included on the Register of Interests

·        any prejudicial interests or

·        any disclosable pecuniary interests

 

which they may have in respect of business on this agenda.

Minutes:

At this point in the meeting, Members were asked to declare if

they had any personal interests not included on the Register of

Interests or any prejudicial or disclosable pecuniary interests

that they might have had in the business on the agenda. None were declared.

35.

Exclusion of Press and Public

To consider the exclusion of the press and public from the meeting during consideration of the following:

 

Annexes A, B and C to Agenda Item 6 (Pension or Exit Discretion) on the grounds that they contain information relating to individuals, information which is likely to reveal the identity of individuals and information relating to the financial or business affairs of particular persons (including the authority holding that information). This information is classed as exempt under paragraphs 1, 2 and 3 of Schedule 12A to Section 100A of the Local Government Act 1972 (as revised by The Local Government (Access to Information) (Variation) Order 2006).

 

Report and Annexes A, B C and D to Agenda Item 7 (Complaints Investigation) on the grounds that they contain information relating to individuals and information which is likely to reveal the identity of individuals. This information is classed as exempt under paragraphs 1 and 2  of Schedule 12A to Section 100A of the Local Government Act 1972 (as revised by The Local Government (Access to Information) (Variation) Order 2006).

Minutes:

Resolved:

(i)         That the press and public be excluded from the

meeting during the consideration of annexes A, B and C to Agenda Item 6 (Pension or Exit Discretion) on the grounds that they contained information relating to individuals and the financial affairs of particular persons. This information was classed as exempt under Paragraphs 1, 2 and 3 of Schedule 12A to Section 100A of the Local Government Act 1972 (as revised by the Local Government (Access to Information)(Variation) Order 2006).

 

(ii)        That the press and public be excluded from the

            meeting during the consideration of the report and annexes A, B C and D to Agenda Item 7 (Complaints Investigation) on the grounds that they contained information relating to individuals and information which was likely to reveal the identity of individuals. This information was classed as exempt under paragraphs 1 and 2  of Schedule 12A to Section 100A of the Local Government Act 1972 (as revised by The Local Government (Access to Information) (Variation) Order 2006).

36.

Minutes pdf icon PDF 88 KB

To approve and sign the minutes of the meeting of the Staffing Matters & Urgency Committee held on Monday 7 October 2019.

Minutes:

Resolved: That the minutes of the Staffing Matters and Urgency Committee held on Monday 7 October 2019 be approved and then signed by the Chair as a correct record.

 

It was noted that a work plan for this Committee was in process and would be made available at the next meeting.

37.

Public Participation

At this point in the meeting members of the public who have registered to speak can do so.  The deadline for registering is on Friday 1 November 2019 at 5.00pm. Members of the public can speak on agenda items or matters within the remit of the committee.

 

To register to speak please contact the Democracy Officer for the meeting, on the details at the foot of the agenda.

 

Filming, Recording or Webcasting Meetings

Please note that, subject to available resources, this meeting will be filmed and webcast, or recorded, including any registered public speakers who have given their permission.  This broadcast can be viewed at http://www.york.gov.uk/webcasts. or, if recorded, this will be uploaded onto the Council website following the meeting.

 

Residents are welcome to photograph, film or record Councillors and Officers at all meetings open to the press and public. This includes the use of social media reporting, i.e. tweeting.  Anyone wishing to film, record or take photos at any public meeting should contact the Democracy Officer (whose contact details are at the foot of this agenda) in advance of the meeting.

 

The Council’s protocol on Webcasting, Filming & Recording of Meetings ensures that these practices are carried out in a manner both respectful to the conduct of the meeting and all those present.  It can be viewed at http://www.york.gov.uk/download/downloads/id/11406/protocol_for_webcasting_filming_and_recording_of_council_meetings_20160809.pdf

 

 

 

Minutes:

It was reported that there had been one registration to speak at

the meeting under the Council’s Public Participation Scheme.

 

Gwen Swinburn, a local resident, raised concerns relating to a number of complaints she had made against chief and statutory officers. She referred to:

        The delay and process in handling her complaints.

        The lack of responses from officers.

        The lack of a public covering report to Agenda Item 7 (Complaints Investigation), due to be considered at this meeting.

        The delay in introducing a work plan for this Committee, giving some suggested items of business.

 

The Chair thanked Ms Swinburn for her comments.

 

The Chair stated that Committee Members had received a copy of a written representation submitted by Michael Hammill, as he had been unable to attend and speak at the meeting. The written representation addressed a complaint Mr Hammill had made against a chief officer. It referred to the circumstances which had led to his complaint and questioned the process and length of time taken to deal with it.

 

 

38.

Pension or Exit Discretion pdf icon PDF 112 KB

This report advises the Staffing Matters and Urgency Committee of the expenditure associated with pension or exit discretions in accordance with council policy.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Members considered a report which detailed expenditure associated with pension or exit discretions in accordance with Council policy.

 

Members considered the background and detail surrounding the proposal, which was contained in the business cases attached as confidential annexes to the report.

 

Resolved:  That the expenditure associated with the proposed pension or exit discretion, as detailed in Annex A, B and C of the report, be considered and approved.

 

Reason:     In order to provide an overview of expenditure and to consider whether the Council should exercise its discretionary powers to make enhancements.

39.

Complaints Investigation

Staffing Matters and Urgency Committee are asked to consider the complaints received individually and to confirm the next steps on each complaint.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Members considered an exempt report and annexes, under paragraphs 1 and 2  of Schedule 12A to Section 100A of the Local Government Act 1972 (as revised by The Local Government (Access to Information) (Variation) Order 2006), relating to complaints received against individual senior officers.

 

The Head of HR was in attendance to present the report and advise Members.

 

Representations were also made at the meeting on behalf of relevant officers, or received in writing. 

 

Members considered the background and detail surrounding each individual complaint, in accordance with Council policy and the options available to them.

 

Following detailed consideration on each individual complaint it was:

 

Resolved:

 

(i)          That further information be requested in relation to the complaint at Annex A, to be considered at a future Staffing Matters and Urgency Committee and that the relevant parties (Officers affected and complainants) be informed accordingly.

 

(ii)         That no further action be taken in relation to the complaints set out in Annex B, C and D of the report, in accordance with Council policy and that the relevant parties (Officers affected and complainants) be informed accordingly.

 

(iii)        That further training and support be given to the relevant parties, appropriate to the complaints set out in Annex B, C and D of the report.

 

Reason: To enable complaints to be considered and next steps determined.   

 

 

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