Agenda and minutes
PDF 211 KBVenue: Committee Room G, County Hall, Kingston upon Thames, Surrey KT1 2DN
Contact: Andrew Baird
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APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE AND SUBSTITUTIONS
To receive any apologies for absence and substitutions.
Minutes: None received. |
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MINUTES OF THE PREVIOUS MEETING [25 SEPTEMBER 2016]
To agree the minutes as a true record of the meeting. Additional documents: 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 October 2017). 2. The deadline for public questions is seven days before the meeting (20 October 2017). 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:
Ken Akers, Head of HR & OD Andrew Baird, Democratic Services Officer ProdromosMavridis, Senior HR Adviser (Policy)
Key points from the discussion:
1. Members sought clarity on when the People, Performance and Development Committee would receive a report outlining proposed changes to Surrey County Council’s (SCC) policy on annual leave accrual and carry forward arrangements as detailed at A29/17 on the Committee’s actions tracker. Officers explained that the outcomes of a recent employment tribunal had impacted on the law regarding annual leave accrual and carry forward arrangements. It would be necessary to update the policy with this information once the implications of the Employment Tribunal were fully understood. Members were informed that advice would be sought from the Legal Team on this and that a new date would be found to bring the updated policy to PPDC for decision.
2. Members noted that some of the actions listed on the tracker had been there for some time and concern was subsequently expressed regarding the pace at which actions agreed by the Committee were being progressed by officers. Members agreed that a time period should be assigned to each actions to ensure that they were progressed and concluded promptly.
3. Attention was drawn to action A43/17 listed within the Part 2 section of the tracker. Members agreed that consideration of this item should be postponed until a new Chief Executive was in post.
Actions/ further information to be provided:
1. All actions agreed by the People, Performance and Development Committee to be given clear timescales for completion by officers. 2. Consideration of Action A43/17 to be postponed to a date when Surrey County Council will have a new Chief Executive in place. 3. The Committee to be advised of the date when it will consider the updated policy on the annual leave accrual and carry forward arrangements for Council Staff outlined in Action A29/17. 4. Committee Members to be informed of the date that it will receive information on the number of staff who have taken up the Council’s new Learning Agreement as requested by the Committee at its meeting on 25 September and recorded as Action A 39/17.
RESOLVED:
The People, Performance and Development Committee noted progress on the implementation of actions from previous meetings. |
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Forward Work Programme
For Members to review and comment on upcoming items due for consideration by the People, Performance and Development Committee.
Additional documents: Minutes: Declarations of interest:
None
Witnesses:
Ken Akers, Head of HR & OD Andrew Baird, Democratic Services Officer
Key points raised during the discussion:
1. Attention was drawn to the summary provided for the item on Honoraria for Children’s Social Workers due to be considered at the PPDC meeting on 30 November 2017. Members further highlighted that no summary had been provided for the item on the Severance Review Group also due to be considered at the PPDC meeting on 30 November 2017. Officers provided a brief overview on what each of these items was about and stated that a summary would be included for each of these within the appropriate section on the Committee’s Forward Plan.
2. Members highlighted that the Staff Survey would conclude in November 2017 and asked why it was necessary for PPDC to wait until its meeting in March 2018 to consider the outcomes arising from it. It was agreed that consideration of SCC’s Staff Survey results should be brought forward for consideration at Committee’s meeting on 29 January 2018.
Actions/ further information to be provided:
1. Summary for the item on Honoraria for Children's Social Workers to be included on the Committee’s Forward Plan. 2. Summary for the item on the Severe Review Group to be included on the Committee’s Forward Plan. 3. Staff Survey Results to be considered at the People, Performance and Development Committee meeting scheduled for 29 January 2018.
RESOLVED:
The People, Performance and Development Committee reviewed items that it is due to consider at future meetings. |
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Surrey County Council Pay Policy Statement 2017 - 2018
The People, Performance and Development Committee is invited to recommend the revised Pay Policy Statement for 2017/18 to the next meeting of Full Council on 5 December 2017 for publication on the Council’s external website. The People, Performance and Development Committee is the Council’s remuneration Committee and so this report has been brought for consideration by Members in accordance with the Scheme of Delegation.
Additional documents: Minutes: Declarations of interest:
None
Witnesses:
Ken Akers, Head of HR & OD Jonathan Essex, Local Member for Redhill East
Key points raised during the discussion:
PPDC considered a motion submitted by Mr Jonathan Essex, Local Member for Redhill, which had been referred to the Committee by Full Council at its meeting on 10 October 2017. The motion referred to PPDC is attached to these minutes as Annex 1. Mr Essex read the following statement in support of the motion:
‘Thank for the opportunity to present this motion today to propose that Surrey County Council formally review and set a target for a maximum pay ratio between the Chief Executive and lowest paid. I suggest supporting for this motion for two reasons:
Firstly, there is a lot of support for introducing pay ratios into pay structures, in addition to reporting the current pay ratios, as set out in item 7 of this agenda. For example, the head of research and advocacy for the Chartered Management Institute says that pay ratio targets should be set. And our Prime Minister, Teresa May promised to make companies publish their pay ratios in July. While this is nothing like the pay ratio differences in the private sector (in August the Financial Times reported that the average pay of chief executives of Britain’s biggest listed companies fell by nearly £1m, to £4.5m, in 2016) surely there should be an equal focus on public sector pay. This would be a sign that we as a Council wish to signal to Teresa May that she should honour the manifesto and introduce a bill to reform executive pay. Secondly, this is a good time for us to review pay ratios and commitments as we seek to balance our budget in Surrey. Derby County Council have removed the post of Chief Executive entirely in their efforts to balance their council budget. However, what is proposed here is not the removal of this post but a reassessment of pay ratios through adopting a policy for this. Especially as we are currently recruiting for a new Chief Executive Officer - while at the other end of the pay scale Surrey County Council recently advertised for new staff to join as an apprentice working in the Chief Executive’s Office at around £11,000, as set out in Annex 1, Table 6 of this report. And Surrey is currently recruiting full time apprentice roles to work in the Blue Badge Customer Relations Team at the same level, around £6.11 per hour. So how does Surrey stack up now in terms of pay ratios? Surrey County Council’s pay ratio from lowest to highest salary was reported as having recently rose – from 15:1 in 2015-16 to 16:1 last year and 15:1 again this year. But this reports the minimum Surrey pay as some £4,000 above what appears to be the minimum Surrey pays, to apprentices, who are not featured on our pay scale. Comparing it to the lowest advertised post the current Surrey County Council pay ... view the full minutes text for item 85/17 |
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Family Leave Policies
The People, Performance and Development Committee is asked to consider and approve changes to Surrey County Council’s (SCC) Human Resources policies related to maternity, adoption, shared parental leave and associated matters. The Committee are further asked to endorse the proposal to consolidate family leave policies into a single document.
Additional documents: Minutes: Declarations of interest:
None
Witnesses:
Ken Akers, Head of HR & OD ProdromosMavridis, Senior HR Adviser (Policy)
Key points raised during the discussion:
1. The report was introduced by officers who highlighted that the Committee was being asked to approve some changes to the Council’s family leave policies that would help SCC to better support its staff.
2. Members sought clarity on the role of the Policy and Reward Board mentioned in the report. They were advised that this was an officer committee which reviews HR policies to understand how they will work in practice.
Actions/ further information to be provided:
None
RESOLVED:
The People, Performance and Development Committee:
i. agreed to the proposed change to the Council’s policy with regards to maternity, adoption, paternity, parental/shared parental leave; ii. agreed to the proposed change concerns the consolidation of the ‘returner’s payment’ for new mothers/adopters into the Council’s Occupational Maternity/Adoption Pay; and iii. noted that the revised policy incorporates a provision to allow term-time only employees to be paid for the equivalent of contractual annual leave accrued during maternity/adoption leave. This is a practice that has been adopted in 2016 following the receipt of relevant legal advice. |
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Leadership Expectations Guide
To introduce the People Performance and Development Committee to Surrey County Council’s new Leadership Expectations guide (Annex 1) which has been created to set the standards for leadership at Surrey. This report is being brought to People, Performance and Development Committee for information and endorsement in accordance with the Council’s Scheme of Delegation.
Additional documents: Minutes: Declarations of interest:
None
Witnesses:
Ken Akers, Head of HR & OD
Key points raised during the discussion:
1. The report was introduced by officers who highlighted that SCC wished to introduce expectations around the approach and behaviours of those with staff management responsibilities.
2. The Committee expressed concern regarding recommendation ii which asked that Members model the leadership expectations that were outlined within the report as this was already enshrined within the Members’ Code of Conduct as outlined within SCC’s Constitution. The Committee indicated their intention not to vote in accordance with recommendation ii.
Actions/ further information to be provided:
None
RESOLVED:
The People, Performance and Development Committee noted Surrey County Council’s Leadership Expectations.
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Staff on the Maximum of the Non-School Surrey Pay bands
At its meeting on 14 June 2017, the People, Performance and Development Committee asked to receive a report detailing the number of to Surrey Pay non-school staff who are on the maximum of their pay band who will therefore not receive a pay increase in the 2017/18 annual pay review. Minutes: Declarations of interest:
None
Witnesses:
Ken Akers, Head of HR & OD
Key points raised during the discussion:
1. Members expressed the view that staff shouldn’t get an incremental pay increase if they had reached the top of their pay band as they should be seeking to gain promotion.
2. Concern was expressed regarding the figure that 42% of staff within the Adult Social Care Directorate were within the upper tier of their pay band. It was advised that there was a perception of a lack of opportunity within this directorate which would lead to employees leaving in an area that was already suffering from staff shortages.
Actions/ further information to be provided:
None
RESOLVED:
The People, Performance and Development Committee note that 465 staff are currently at the top of their pay band for grades PS7 and above, excluding grades PS12 and PS12SC, who will not receive a pay increase. |
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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 Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Act. |
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Organisational Change and Impact
At its meeting on 14 June 2017, the People, Performance and Development Committee asked to receive a report providing an overview of the staffing changes that have been made in the last financial year and those currently being planned or implemented. To show the proportion of staff experiencing change, including the number of redundancies, both voluntary and compulsory, and the steps taken to support staff members impacted by change.
Minutes: Declarations of interest:
None
Witnesses:
Ken Akers, Head of HR & OD
Key points raised during the discussions:
The report was introduced by officers. The Committee asked a number of questions which were responded to by the officers present before moving to recommendations.
Actions/ further information to be provided:
The Committee agreed a number of actions which are recorded in the Part 2 minutes.
RESOLVED:
The Committee approved the recommendations set out in the confidential minute |
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Pay Policy Exceptions October 2017
The People, Performance and Development Committee 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 and recommendations on pay that fall outside the published Pay Policy and amendments to existing Surrey Pay policies. This report includes a range of pay exceptions and staff related decisions that require the Committee’s decision.
Minutes: Declarations of interest:
None
Witnesses:
Ken Akers, Head of HR & OD
Key points raised during the discussions:
The report was introduced by officers. The Committee asked a number of questions which were responded to by the officers present before moving to recommendations.
Actions/ further information to be provided:
The Committee agreed a number of actions which are recorded in the Part 2 minutes.
RESOLVED: The Committee approved the recommendations set out in the confidential minute
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PUBLICITY OF PART 2 ITEMS
To consider whether the item considered under Part 2 of the agenda should be made available to the press and public. Minutes: It was agreed that the information in relation to the number of staff redundancies would be made available to the press and public All other information related to Part 2 items discussed at the meeting would remain exempt. |
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DATE OF NEXT MEETING
The next meeting of People, Performance and Development Committee will be on 30 November 2017. Minutes: The Committee noted that its next meeting would be held on 30 November 2017. |