Agenda and minutes

People, Performance and Development Committee - Thursday, 26 April 2018 2.00 pm

Venue: Committee Room C, County Hall, Kingston upon Thames, Surrey KT1 2DN. View directions

Contact: Andrew Baird  0208 541 7609

Items
No. Item

50/18

APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE AND SUBSTITUTIONS

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    Minutes:

    Apologies were received from Mr Ken Gulati.

     

    Mrs Clare Curran acted as a substitute for Mr Ken Gulati.

     

51/18

MINUTES OF THE PREVIOUS MEETING

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    There are none.

     

    The minutes of the previous meeting held on 9 April 2018 will be reviewed at the People, Performance and Development Committee meeting held on 14 June 2018.

    Minutes:

    The People, Performance and Development Committee noted that the minutes of the meeting on 9 April 2018 would be agreed at its next meeting.

     

52/18

DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST

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    All Members present are required to declare, at this point in the meeting or as soon as possible thereafter

     

    (i)         Any disclosable pecuniary interests and / or

    (ii)        Other interests arising under the Code of Conduct in respect of any item(s) of business being considered at this meeting

     

    NOTES:

     

    •        Members are reminded that they must not participate in any item where they have a disclosable pecuniary interest

    •        As well as an interest of the Member, this includes any interest, of which the Member is aware, that relates to the Member’s spouse or civil partner (or any person with whom the Member is living as a spouse or civil partner)

    •        Members with a significant personal interest may participate in the discussion and vote on that matter unless that interest could be reasonably regarded as prejudicial.

    Minutes:

    There were none.

53/18

QUESTIONS AND PETITIONS

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    a.     Members’ Questions

    The deadline for Member’s questions is 12.00pm four working days before the meeting (Friday 20 April).

     

    b.     Public Questions

    The deadline for public questions is seven days before the meeting (Thursday 19 April).

     

    c.     Petitions

    The deadline for petitions was 14 days before the meeting, and no petitions have been received.

     

    d.     Representations received on reports to be considered in privateTo consider any representations received in relation to why part of the meeting relating to a report circulated in Part 2 of the agenda should be open to the public.

     

    Minutes:

    There were none.

54/18

ACTION REVIEW pdf icon PDF 76 KB

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    For Members to consider and comment on the Committee’s actions tracker.

    Additional documents:

    Minutes:

    Declarations of interest:

     

    None

     

    Witnesses:

     

    Andrew Baird, Democratic Services Officer

     

    Key points from the discussion:

     

    1.     Members of the People, Performance and Development Committee (PPDC) discussed Surrey County Council’s (SCC) Member/Officer Protocol an item on which was due to be considered by PPDC at an upcoming meeting. PPDC recognised that the Audit and Governance Committee was responsible for reviewing the Protocol but suggested that efforts should be made to promote greater knowledge of the Protocol among officers.

     

    2.     Attention was drawn to Action A1/18 on the Actions Tracker which related to the implementation of the Apprenticeship Levy. Members noted efforts being made to promote apprenticeships care leavers with channels such as the Economic Development Board being engaged to understand how apprenticeships could be communicated through specific groups. The Committee reiterated the importance of ensuring that the entirety of the funding that SCC was required to put into the Apprenticeship Levy was recouped.

     

    3.     Discussions turned to Action A7/18 on the Tracker and Members debated whether there was any merit in PPDC continuing to review SCC’s Relocation Assistance Allowance. Members heard that the Chairman of the Committee would be holding discussions with officers over the coming weeks to review and streamline PPDC’s Forward Work Programme.

     

    Actions/ further information to be provided:

     

    None

     

     

    RESOLVED:

     

    The People, Performance and Development Committee noted progress on the implementation of actions from previous meetings.

55/18

Forward Work Programme pdf icon PDF 71 KB

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    For Members to review and comment on upcoming items due for consideration by the People, Performance and Development Committee.

    Additional documents:

    Minutes:

    Declarations of Interests:

     

    None

     

    Witnesses:

     

    None

     

    Key points raised during the discussion:

     

    None

     

    Actions/ Further information to be provided:

     

    None

     

    Recommendations:

     

    The People, Performance and Development Committee noted items that it is due to consider at future meetings.

56/18

Surrey County Council's Approach to Flexible Working pdf icon PDF 104 KB

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    Purpose of the report:

     

    To outline Surrey County Council’s flexibility to engage workers, the risks and costs of these approaches and how the council promotes its employment rewards and benefits.

     

    Additional documents:

    Minutes:

    Declarations of interest:

     

    None

     

    Witnesses:

     

    Rakhi Saigal, Strategic Business Partner

     

    Key points raised during the discussion:

     

    1. The Committee pointed out a few areas of additional information that it would have been useful for officers to have included within the report. Specifically, Members indicated that it would have been helpful for the report to provide background on the staff that fall into the seven categories of employees identified within the report. Information on the number of staff within each of these categories as well as the rate of turnover would have enabled the Committee to consider how different types of employee interact with the Council. Officers indicated that they would compile this information and send it across to the Committee following the meeting. Moreover, the Committee also indicated that more information on how benefits contribute to the retention of staff as well as specific roles identified as being hard to recruit or retain staff would also have been helpful.

     

    1. Members highlighted that pension contributions to staff also make up a substantial element of the reward package offered by the Council and highlighted that this wasn’t reflected in the content of the report. Officers indicated that the HR Team was working to tie reward packages into total statement so that pension benefits that individuals receive on a yearly basis are demonstrated more clearly.

     

    1. Discussions turned to the reasons why many people preferred to work through an agency rather than being directly employed by the Council. Members highlighted that the flexibility that working for an agency offered was a significant attraction for staff and the Council needed to be able to respond to this in order to reduce its use of agency staff. The Committee highlighted that promoting flexible (for example term time contracts) would help to make the Council a more attractive employer due to the large number of woman employed by SCC. Officers advised that that agency workers are entitled to terms and benefits of permanently employed staff after 12 weeks of working for the Council and that indicated that it was important to continue conversations with agency staff on why they chose not to become permanent employees if they have worked for SCC for a long time.

     

    1. The Committee asked whether it was possible to buy out staff’s pension entitlements to could cut costs over the longer term. Officers indicated that they had previously taken legal advice on this and had been advised that it was not something that the Council was allowed to do.

     

    Actions/ further information to be provided:

     

    1. Officers to supply the Committee with information on the staff that fall into the seven categories of employees identified within the report as well as the number of staff and rate of turnover within each of these categories.

     

     

    1. The People, Performance and Development Committee to be sent an update on a total reward package statement for staff and to consider how to evaluate how benefits contribute to the retention of staff especially for those roles identified as being hard  ...  view the full minutes text for item 56/18

57/18

EXCLUSION OF THE PUBLIC

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    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.

58/18

Coroner's Pay Arrangements

    Purpose of the report: 

     

    The People, Performance and Development Committee reviewed the proposal to adopt the new Joint Negotiating Committee (JNC) pay framework for Coroners at its meeting on 8 March 2018. The Committee requested a further report setting out details of the coroners’ current conditions of employment and the views of the Senior Coroner about the application of the framework in Surrey.

    This reports sets out details of Coroners’ terms and conditions, feedback from the Senior Coroner on the pay framework and a proposed salary for each coroner.  It recommends that the Committee agrees to adopt the framework set by the JNC, the salary levels recommended for the current Senior Coroner, Area Coroner and Assistant Coroners and proposed changes to current practice for payment of travel expenses.

     

Minutes:

Declarations of interest:

 

None

 

Witnesses:

 

Jo Donoghue, Strategic Business Partner

 

Key points raised during the discussion:

 

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:

 

None

 

RESOLVED:

 

The Committee approved the recommendations as set out in the confidential minutes.

 

59/18

Surrey Pay Review 2018 to 2019

    Purpose of the report: 

     

    To provide the People, Performance and Development Committee with an update on the financial and economic context ahead of the annual Surrey Pay review for 2018/2019 and to make recommendations for achieving a pay settlement for implementation from 1 July 2018 for non-schools Surrey Pay staff on performance related terms and conditions. 

    In addition, the report will explain the context for achieving a different pay settlement for those groups of non-schools based Surrey Pay staff on separate terms and conditions.

     

Minutes:

Declarations of interest:

 

None

 

Witnesses:

 

Julie Smyth, Pay and Reward Manager

 

Key points raised during the discussion:

 

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:

 

None

 

RESOLVED:

 

The Committee approved the recommendations as set out in the confidential minutes.

 

60/18

Senior Pay Exceptions - April 2018

    Purpose of the report: 

     

    To seek approval from the People, Performance and Development Committee regarding recommendations on senior pay arrangements that fall outside Surrey County Council’s published Pay Policy Statement.

     

Minutes:

Declarations of interest:

 

None

 

Witnesses:

 

Joanna Killian, Chief Executive

 

Key points raised during the discussion:

 

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:

 

None

 

RESOLVED:

 

The Committee approved the recommendations as set out in the confidential minutes.

 

61/18

Future Leadership Model: Outcomes from Hay Review of Senior Pay

    To report back to the Committee on the findings of Korn Ferry Hay’s independent review of senior pay and implications for the Council’s future leadership model. 

     

Minutes:

Declarations of interest:

 

None

 

Witnesses:

 

Joanna Killian, Chief Executive

 

Key points raised during the discussion:

 

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:

 

None

 

RESOLVED:

 

The Committee approved the recommendations as set out in the confidential minutes.

 

62/18

PUBLICITY OF PART 2 ITEMS

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    To consider whether the item considered under Part 2 of the agenda should be made available to the press and public.

63/18

DATE OF NEXT MEETING

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    The next meeting of People, Performance and Development Committee will be on 14 June 2018.

    Minutes:

    The Committee noted that its next meeting would be held on