Agenda and minutes

Venue: The Craven Room - Ground Floor, West Offices (G048). View directions

Contact: Louise Cook  Democracy Officer

Webcast: video recording

Items
No. Item

51.

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.

 

At a later stage in the meeting, during consideration of Agenda Item 6 (Appointment of Sub-Committee for Appointment of Assistant Director of Housing and Community Safety),  Cllr D’Agorne declared a prejudicial interest in that his partner would be a panel member and he abstained from the discussion. 

 

There were no further declarations of interest.

52.

Exclusion of Press and Public

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

 

Annexes A and B to Agenda Item 9 (Redundancy) on the grounds that they contain information relating to individuals and the financial affairs of particular persons. 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).

Minutes:

Resolved:

 

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

meeting during the consideration of Annex A and B to Agenda Item 9, (Redundancy) on the grounds that they contained information relating to individuals and the financial affairs of particular persons. 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).

 

(ii)    At a later stage in the meeting Members agreed that the press and public be excluded from the meeting during the consideration of  Agenda Item 6, (Appointment of Sub-Committee for Appointment of Assistant Director Housing and Community Safety) on the grounds that the discussion regarding the recruitment of an agency to support the Sub-Committee contained exempt Information as described in Paragraph 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972 (as amended) in that information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the authority holding that information).

53.

Minutes pdf icon PDF 81 KB

To approve and sign the minutes of the meeting of the Staffing Matters & Urgency Committee held on Monday 9 December 2019.

Minutes:

Resolved: That the minutes of the Staffing Matters and Urgency Committee held on 9 December 2019 be approved and then signed by the Chair as a correct record.

54.

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 17 January 2020 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 with the Chief Officer recruitment process, (Agenda Item 6, Annex C of the report) and she also thanked Officers for including the workforce profile as an agenda item. She suggested that the forward plan should include:

      An update on the current position of all staff who were employed through an agency, consultants, Work With York or on interim arrangements, particularly staff that had been working under these conditions for over 12 months.

      A report that highlighted City of York Council’s recruitment model, as jobs advertised were very rarely seen on social media, particularly twitter.

 

She concluded by questioning if a report to monitor the sickness absence consultancy process would be provided bi-annually?

 

55.

Interim cover for the Chief Executive pdf icon PDF 154 KB

Further to the original decision Staffing Matters and Urgency Committee made in August and further consideration in October 2019, this report provides an update and recommendations on the continued provision to cover the Head of Paid service duties in the ongoing absence of the Chief Executive.

Minutes:

Further to the original decision Staffing Matters and Urgency Committee made in August 2019 and further consideration in October 2019, Members considered a report that provided an update and recommendations on the continued provision to cover the Head of Paid Service duties in the ongoing absence of the Chief Executive.

 

The Head of HR gave an update and confirmed that should the Chief Executive return to work the interim arrangements would cease with immediate effect or be reviewed again in April 2020, if the Chief Executive remained absent.

 

Resolved:

 

(i)           That Option 1, as detailed in the report, be agreed and arrangements with the current interim be continued.

 

(ii)         That the additional supplements for Interim Head of Paid Service and Section 151 Officer, as detailed in Option 1 of the report, be paid.

 

(iii)        That all interim arrangements would cease with immediate effect upon the return of the Chief Executive, be noted.

 

(iv)        That the interim arrangements in April, if the Chief Executive remains absent, be reviewed.

 

 

Reason: To provide suitable cover in the absence of the Chief Executive.

56.

Appointment of Sub-Committee for appointment of Assistant Director Housing and Community Safety pdf icon PDF 143 KB

Following the resignation of the current post holder this paper makes proposals to permanently recruit to the post of Assistant Director Housing and Community Safety.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Cllr D’Agorne abstained from the discussion for this item.

 

Following the resignation of the current post holder Members considered a report that made proposals to permanently recruit to the post of Assistant Director of Housing and Community Safety.

 

The Corporate Director of Health, Housing and Adult Social Care was in attendance and she informed Members that this Chief Officer appointment required an executive search facility and the establishment of an Appointments Sub-Committee, to enable them to conduct the recruitment process, select and appoint a candidate.

 

In answer to Members questions the Head of HR confirmed that the Appointments Sub-Committee generally enlisted which recruitment agency should support them but that this Committee could consider the perimeters of the budget and agree an agency to recruit.  It was agreed that this discussion would take place under exclusion of press and public and be considered as exempt Information as described in Paragraph 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972 (as amended) in that the information relates to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the authority holding that information).

 

The Chair confirmed that 2 Liberal Democratic and 1 Labour representatives should form the panel and not a member from each main party as stated in recommendation (i) of the report. The Chair also confirmed that one Liberal Democratic place would be nominated to the Green Party to allow Cllr Craghill, as Executive Member for Housing and Safer Neighbourhoods, to Chair the Appointments Sub-Committee.

 

Resolved:

 

(i)           That the filling of this post and remuneration package for the Assistant Director posts at a job evaluated salary of £71,521 to £79,459 be approved.

 

(ii)         That an Appointments Sub-Committee consisting of three members, (2 Liberal Democrat (1 to be nominated to the Green Party) and 1 Labour) be established.

 

(iii)        That the Appointments Sub-Committee consists of Cllrs Waller, Craghill and Pavlovic and that the Executive Member for Housing and Safer Neighbourhoods (Cllr Craghill) acts as Chair.

 

(iv)        That a recruitment agency be engaged, subject to the agreement of Staffing Matters and Urgency Committee, to support the Appointments Sub-Committee with the recruitment and selection process.

 

(v)         That the Appointments Sub-Committee be authorised to conduct the final interviews, select a successful candidate and make an offer of employment subject to the necessary employment procedures

 

Reason: To allow appointment to the Assistant Director post to be made.

57.

Workforce Profile as at 30 September 2019 pdf icon PDF 78 KB

This report provides the Staffing Matters and Urgency Committee with the workforce profile, as at the end of quarter two of 2019/2020.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Committee considered a report that provided the workforce profile, as at the end of quarter two of 2019/2020.

 

The Head of HR and Head of Business Intelligence presented the report and informed Members of the key performance indicators and it was noted that this data would be provided to the Committee bi-annually.

 

Members discussed the statistics in relation to reasons for leaving, sickness days and Work With York total and long term assignments, where Officers confirmed that the next Workforce Profile could also include the following narratives:

 

    Further statistical data regarding the TUPE transfer out figure that was reported as a reason for leaving in 2017/18.

    Further data analysis and comparator data around age, and sickness absence, including the continued ongoing work across the Council and from the external contract that provided the new day one absence service.

    Long term Work With York assignments data and the Council’s ongoing response to reduce the numbers.

 

Following discussions, Officers stated that the Customer & Corporate Services Scrutiny Management Committee received a quarterly attendance and wellbeing dataset update and in answer to Members questions they confirmed that: 

  Work With York total and long term assignment figures did include casual staff.

  Advice would be sourced from the Monitoring Officer and from the Council’s Constitution, which was currently under review, regarding this Committees terms of reference.

  Constructive conversations would take place with employees to encourage more equalities data to be provided.

 

Members thanked Officers for their report.

 

 

Resolved:

 

(i)  That the workforce profile be noted, received on a bi-annual basis and updated to include the narratives stated above.

 

(ii)  That advice be obtained from the Monitoring Officer regarding referrals to Customer & Corporate Services Scrutiny Management Committee and this Committees terms of reference, subject to the Council’s Constitution review.

 

Reason:  In order to provide an overview of the workforce profile.

58.

Work Plan pdf icon PDF 132 KB

To consider the Committee’s draft work plan for the municipal year 2019-20.

Minutes:

The Committee considered its draft work plan for the municipal year 2019/20.

 

Resolved: That the work plan be approved.

 

Reason: To keep the Committee’s work plan updated.

59.

Redundancy pdf icon PDF 78 KB

This report advises the Staffing Matters and Urgency Committee of the expenditure associated with the proposed dismissal of a number of employees on the grounds of redundancy.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Members considered a report which detailed the expenditure associated with the proposed dismissal of three employees on the grounds of redundancy.

 

The background and detailed case surrounding the proposals were contained in the individual business cases, attached as confidential annexes to the report.

 

Resolved:  That the expenditure associated with the proposed dismissal of three employees on the grounds of redundancy, as detailed in Annexes A and B of the report, be noted.

 

 

Reason:     In order to provide Members with an overview of the expenditure.

 

 

 

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