Agenda and minutes
PDF 205 KBVenue: G30, County Hall, Kingston upon Thames, Surrey KT1 2DN
Contact: Andrew Baird
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APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE AND SUBSTITUTIONS
Minutes: There were no apologies for absence. |
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MINUTES OF THE PREVIOUS MEETING: 17 JULY 2015
To agree the minutes as a true record of the meeting. Minutes: The minutes were agreed as a true record of the meeting. |
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DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST
To receive any declarations of disclosable pecuniary interests from Members in respect of any item to be considered at the meeting.
Notes: · In line with the Relevant Authorities (Disclosable Pecuniary Interests) Regulations 2012, declarations may relate to the interest of the member, or the member’s spouse or civil partner, or a person with whom the member is living as husband or wife, or a person with whom the member is living as if they were civil partners and the member is aware they have the interest. · Members need only disclose interests not currently listed on the Register of Disclosable Pecuniary Interests. · Members must notify the Monitoring Officer of any interests disclosed at the meeting so they may be added to the Register. · Members are reminded that they must not participate in any item where they have a disclosable pecuniary interest. Minutes: There were none. |
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QUESTIONS AND PETITIONS
To receive any questions or petitions.
Notes: 1. The deadline for Member’s questions is 12.00pm four working days before the meeting (23 September 2015). 2. The deadline for public questions is seven days before the meeting (22 September 2015). 3. The deadline for petitions was 14 days before the meeting, and no petitions have been received.
Minutes: There were none. |
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For Members to consider and comment on the Committee’s actions tracker.
Additional documents: Minutes: Declarations of Interest: None
Witnesses: Carmel Millar, Director of People and Development Ken Akers, Strategic HR Relationship Manager
Key points raised during the discussion: 1. In relation to A10/15, (Appraisal Completion Update), information was requested on the percentage of appraisals that had been completed at the time of the meeting on 29 September 2015. The Director of People and Development advised that, excluding Commercial Services, 82% of appraisals had been completed although a potential delay in finalised appraisals being registered on the system could mean that this number would be higher. It was indicated that the hope was to have close to 90% of appraisals completed by the agreed deadline. The Chairman requested that the Director of People and Development take a report to the People, Performance and Development Committee (PPDC) meeting on Thursday 29 October highlighting the final number of appraisals completed by each Directorate. 2. Regarding A13/15 (Pay Policy Exceptions Analysis), the Chairman asked to be forwarded the acknowledgements from the Strategic Director in response to the letter they received from the Deputy Chief Executive about the rules governing pay policy exceptions which had been agreed by PPDC at a previous meeting. 3. In relation to A12/15 (Changes to Conditions of Service), the Chairman requested that the email which provided information on the impact of buying annual leave on the pensionable pay for staff members be re-circulated to Members of PPDC. The Committee gave their endorsement to the approach taken by HR in response to the impact of buying annual leave on pensionable pay.
Actions/further information to be provided: The action tracker will be updated to reflect the points raised during the discussion.
RESOLVED: To note the tracker.
Committee next steps: None.
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FOSTER CARER LEAVE, FRIENDS AND FAMILY CARER LEAVE AND STAYING PUT CARER LEAVE
This report outlines Surrey County Council’s proposed approach to becoming a Foster Friendly Employer. Surrey County Council’s Fostering Service is looking to implement a number of measures to target our own workforce as a source of possible foster carers, friends and family carers, and staying put carers, to support our looked after children and those young people previously in foster care who may be transitioning into Adult Social Care services or in becoming independent.
Additional documents: Minutes: Declarations of Interest: None
Witnesses: HanaAlipour-Mehraban, Commissioning Project Officer, Children’s and Safeguarding Service Linda Johnson, Fostering and Adoption Recruitment Officer, Children’s and Safeguarding Service
Key points raised during the discussion: 1. Discussions took place regarding whether the policy should specify the number of days of special leave that employees would be able to take to ensure that they could fulfil their responsibilities as either foster carers, Friends and Family carers or Staying Put carers. Attention was drawn to employers mentioned in the report many of which had stipulated the number of days of special leave that staff with these caring responsibilities were entitled to. The Committee was informed that the proposed amendments to the leave policy did not include a specific number of days to ensure that there was flexibility in the amount of special leave that foster carers, friends and family carers or Staying Put Carers were able to take. 2. The Chairman requested further information on whether the special leave policy could also be extended to those who are prospective adopters and prospective special guardians. The Committee agreed that this should be given consideration as part of the proposal to change Surrey County Council’s (SCC) Special Leave Policy. It was requested that the recommendations be expanded to include Surrey County Council employees who are prospective adopters and prospective special guardians and that the revised report be considered by PPDC at its meeting on 29 October.
Actions/further information to be provided: The recommendations to be expanded to include Surrey County Council employees who are prospective adopters and prospective special guardians (Action Review ref: A15/15).
RESOLVED: None.
Committee next steps: The Committee will consider the revised report at its meeting on 29 October 2015.
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ENSURING OUR SERVICES ARE ACCESSIBLE AND RESPONSIVE: TELEPHONE AND VOICEMAIL POLICY
To improve resident experience by introducing a new telephone and voicemail policy for officers.
Minutes: Declarations of Interest: None
Witnesses: Mark Irons, Head of Customer Services and Head of Customer and Communities Directorate Support
Key points raised during the discussion: 1. The Committee stated that the telephone and voicemail policy should apply equally to County Councillors in accordance with their responsibility to act on behalf of Surrey residents. 2. Members were advised that SCC’s internal directory, Snet, was in the process of being updated which would ensure that the contact details of individual staff members were current while also instituting a more intuitive search function that would enable searches to be done by job title. Details were also provided of a new callback function which was being introduced by the Contact Centre. This would allow residents to request that their call is returned by a member of the Contact Centre rather than having to wait in a queue therefore enhancing customer experience. 3. Discussions took place regarding school applications and the large volume of calls made by residents to the Contact Centre around the time of the deadline for school applications. The Chairman requested further information on why so many applications were submitted after the deadline.
Actions/further information to be provided: The Head of Customer Services and Head of Customer and Communities Directorate Support to provide the Committee with further information on why so many school application were submitted after the deadline (Action Review Ref: A16/15).
RESOLVED: To Endorse the new telephone and voicemail policy and the approach to embedding this in the organisation.
Committee next steps: None.
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SOCIAL WORKER AND OCCUPATIONAL THERAPIST 'REFER A FRIEND' INCENTIVE SCHEME
To seek endorsement from the Committee to implement an Adult Social Care and Children, Schools and Families incentive scheme to encourage permanent recruitment to Social Worker and Occupational Therapy vacancies within the services.
Surrey County Council employees who refer a friend/acquaintance to a vacancy will receive a ‘reward’, on certain conditions. Additional documents: Minutes: Declarations of Interest: None
Witnesses: Ken Akers, Strategic HR Relationship Manager
Key points raised during the discussion: 1. The Strategic HR Relationship Manager introduced the report and informed the Committee that the Children, Schools and Families Directorate had indicated that there was a need to develop a strategy for embedding the initiative across the Service. 2. The Committee expressed their support for the scheme as a means of improving recruitment amongst social workers and occupational therapists. Members stated that the incentive scheme should be expanded to encompass positions in other areas of the Council where recruitment challenges existed, specifically schools and the district and borough councils. It was agreed by the Committee that the Strategic HR Relationship Manager be given the power to extend the scheme across the Council in order to help address existing recruitment challenges. The Chairman requested that a report be brought to the Committee at a future meeting highlighting where the ‘refer a friend’ incentive scheme had been introduced. 3. The Chairman further requested that a report be considered by PPDC every six months which included details of officers who had helped to fill vacancies to positions where recruitment challenges existed and had subsequently benefitted from the ‘refer a friend incentive scheme’.
Actions/further information to be provided: i. The Strategic HR Relationship Manager to provide a report to the Committee at a future meeting demonstrating where the ‘refer a friend’ incentive scheme has been introduced (Action Review ref: 17/15). ii. The Strategic HR Relationship Manager to update the Committee every six months on the progress of the ‘refer a friend’ incentive scheme (Action Review ref: 18/15).
RESOLVED: i. To endorse the implementation of the ‘refer a friend’ incentive scheme. ii. To support the initial ‘awareness’ launch of the scheme at the Surrey County Council Adult Social Care Social Work Conference on 1 October 2015. iii. To endorse the development, by officers, of transparent conditions for the scheme which maximises benefits to the Council and minimises any potential or inadvertent abuse.
Committee next steps: None.
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This report sets out arrangements for the People, Performance and Development Committee’s (PPDC) Appointments Sub-Committee for appointments to Senior Management positions (pay grades S15 and above) to the Orbis Joint Partnership between Surrey County Council and East Sussex County Council. Minutes: Declarations of Interest: None
Witnesses: Carmel Millar, Director of People and Development
Key points raised during the discussion: 1. The Director of People and Development introduced the report, highlighting that the process outlined in the report had already been adhered to for Orbis senior management appointments but it was felt that it would be to the benefit of both Surrey and East Sussex County Councils if these arrangements were formalised. 2. Concern was expressed by Members regarding Section 13 of the Local Government and Housing Act 1989 which limited potential opportunities for collaboration and partnership working between local authorities particularly in light of the discussions that were taking place in regard to regional devolution in England and Wales. The Chairman, as the Leader of the Council, indicated that he would send a letter to the Secretary of State for the Department of Communities and Local Government suggesting that Section 13 of the Local Government and Housing Act 1989 be reviewed.
Actions/further information to be provided: The Chairman of PPDC to send a letter to the Secretary of State for the Department of Communities and Local Government requesting that Section 13 of the Local Government and Housing Act 1989 be reviewed (Action Review ref: A19/15).
RESOLVED: i. To recommend to the Council that the Constitution be amended to institute a formalised arrangement for the appointment of senior managers to the Orbis Joint Partnership, where Surrey County Council is the authority paying for the post, to allow a Member of East Sussex County Council to sit on and participate in the Appointments Sub-Committee as a co-opted Member without the ability to exercise voting rights. ii. To agree that, pending a decision being made by the County Council at its meeting on 13 October 2015, a Member of East Sussex County Council be invited to attend and participate (but not vote) in Appointments Sub-Committees for appointments to senior manager positions within the Orbis Partnership. iii. To endorse and support the commitment made by East Sussex County Council to institute the same arrangement and to invite a Member of Surrey County Council to attend Appointments Sub-Committees where East Sussex County Council are the authority who pay for the post.
Committee next steps: None.
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EXCLUSION OF THE PUBLIC
Recommendation: That under Section 100(A) 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 under the relevant paragraphs of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Act.
PART TWO IN PRIVATE
Minutes: RESOLVED: That under Section 100(A) 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 under the relevant paragraphs of Schedule 12A of the Act.
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SENIOR PAY PROGRESSION
The People, Performance and Development Committee (PPDC) acts as the Council’s Remuneration Committee under delegated powers, in accordance with the Constitution of the County Council. The purpose of this paper is to ask the Committee to note the Chief Executive’s acceptance of its decision made on 19 March 2014 to implement pay progression for the Chief Executive. Minutes: Declarations of interest: None
Witnesses: Carmel Millar, Director of People and Development
Key points raised during the discussion: 1. The Director of People and Development introduced the report. The Committee asked a number of questions which were responded to by the officers present, before moving to the recommendations.
Actions/ Further information to be provided: None
RESOLVED: The Committee amended and approved the recommendation set out in the confidential report, this recommendation is highlighted in the Part 2 minutes which are attached as Annex 1 to these minutes.
Committee next steps: None.
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PAY POLICY EXCEPTIONS REPORT SEPTEMBER 2015
The People, Performance and Development Committee (PPDC) acts as the Council’s Remuneration Committee under delegated powers, in accordance with the constitution of the County Council. The purpose of this paper is to highlight decisions taken / recommendations on Senior Pay that fall outside the published Pay Policy. Minutes: Declarations of interest: None
Witnesses: Ken Akers, Strategic HR Relationship Manager
Key points raised during the discussion: 1. The Strategic HR Relationship Manager introduced the report. The Committee asked a number of questions which were responded to by the officers present, before moving to the recommendations.
Actions/ Further information to be provided: The actions arising from this item are laid out in the Part 2 minutes.
RESOLVED: The Committee approved all but one of the recommendations set out in the confidential report, these recommendations are highlighted in the Part 2 minutes.
Committee next steps: None.
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ADULT SOCIAL CARE - TRAINEE SCHEME - SOCIAL WORKERS AND OCCUPATIONAL THERAPISTS
The Adult Social Care professional qualification trainee scheme has not been reviewed since 2009. This report proposes some changes to the terms and conditions of the scheme and also the fixed salary offer to ensure that the scheme is consistent with current working arrangements and is cost effective.
The proposals represent a better offer from both the Council’s perspective and the prospective trainee.
We are seeking the agreement of the Committee to the proposed new arrangements.
Minutes: Declarations of interest: None
Witnesses: Ken Akers, Strategic HR Relationship Manager
Key points raised during the discussion: 1. The Strategic HR Relationship Manager introduced the report. The Committee asked a number of questions which were responded to by the officers present, before moving to the recommendations. 2. The recommendations were not approved by the Committee, the reasons for this are highlighted in the Part 2 minutes.
Actions/ Further information to be provided: The actions arising from this item are laid out in the Part 2 minutes.
RESOLVED: None
Committee next steps: None.
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DATE OF NEXT MEETING
The next meeting of People, Performance and Development Committee will be on 29 October 2015. Minutes: The next meeting of People, Performance and Development Committee will be on 27 November 2015. |