Issue - meetings

To consider a report on the progress with Human Resources issues

The Head of Organisational Development, aided by the Head of Governance and Democratic Services presented a report which provided a general update on Human Resource issues, including Health and Safety, Organisational Development, HR Delivery and HR Policy & Reward.

The Corporate Health and Safety Health Team had been awarded a RoSPA Gold Award for Recognition.  As a result of this award, all Council employees are able to display the gold logo on their email signatures.

In Quarter 4, a total of 1505 accidents and 164 incidents were entered onto PRIME, of which 35 were RIDDOR reportable to the Health and Safety Executive.  The trends for the past two years and half years demonstrated that the accident reporting rates and number of RIDDOR reports had now stabilised. 

A full employee survey was last carried out in 2009 and since then the Council had changed significantly.  It was planned that an employee engagement survey would be launched on 1 November 2013 for non-school employees only. Working with research company Survey Solutions, the survey would explore seven key themes:

• Your job
• Managers and leaders
• Communications
• Development
• Wellbeing
• Change
• Our Council

It was expected that the survey results would be available in January 2014, which would include an overall measure of employee engagement alongside other indicators about change, communication, management and leadership and ‘new deal’ indicators.  The results would be benchmarked internally and externally, using public and private sector norm groups.

A mini competition had been undertaken to call off a contract under the Government Procurement Scheme for an Employee Assistance Programme to be made available to all non school employees of the Council.  Following an evaluation of the tenders a contract was to be awarded to Health Management Limited.  The service would provide telephone access to appropriate qualified professionals for counselling, support, advice and information 24 hours per day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. 

In order to monitor and assess the success and effectiveness of the programme, a full range of data, information and statistics would be provided on a monthly basis.  It was expected that the programme would be launched in August 2013.

RESOLVED:

That the HR Update report be noted.