Agenda item

To consider a report on HR and Organisational Development issues

The Organisational Development Manager presented a report which provided a general update on human resources and organisational development issues.

Work on developing the Workforce strategy and plans to achieve the proposed outcomes was underway with an initial consultation being held with a range of key stakeholders.  This had identified 6 interlocking themes – culture and values, organisational design, leadership and management, building capability and capacity, resourcing and talent, reward and recognition.  A further update would be given a the next meeting of the Committee.

The Department of Communities and Local Government had issued the Local Government Transparency Code 2014 last year.  The Code placed a requirement on all Councils to prepare and publish a range of factual data on which policy decisions were based and on which public services were assessed or generated in the course of public service delivery.  The HR element of the code, which were consistent with the Pay Policy Statement and with the Statement of Accounts.  Information would be shortly published on the Council’s website and included Organisation Chart, Senior Salaries, Pay Multiples and Trade Union Facility Time.

The Shared Parental Leave regulations had come into force on 1 December 2015 and applied to children born or placed for adoption on or after 5 April 2015.  A Shared Parental Leave Procedure had been developed, based on the regulation, ensuring that the Council met its statutory obligations.

The Council had made a commitment to adopt the Living Way for directly employed staff.  An implementation plan as currently under development to achieve the Council’s commitment and consultation with the Unions had started in March.

At the last meeting it was agreed to arrange a special meeting to discuss sickness absence.  After discussion with the Chairman, it was agreed to defer holding a meeting to enable a review of a full years data and that this form the basis of a report to the July committee.  It was noted that the average number of days lost per employee was 11.97 at the end of March 2015, which was slightly higher than in the previous year.

Two people had left the Council under voluntary redundancy terms in Quarter 4.  A total of thirty staff had left under voluntary redundancy in the 2014/15 financial year. 

With the introduction of the Care Act on 1 April 215, Workforce Development had implemented a training programme for all social care staff.  A staff launch event was held in January.  This was followed by the development of training manuals and additional learning material, which was rolled out through the delivery of over 30 separate training session for staff and providers to access.  A new e-learning package for the Care Act had also been launched. 

The Council had introduced Higher Apprenticeships in Finance and Social Media and proposed to introduce Higher Apprenticeships in Legal Service and HR.  With effect from 1 April 2015 all Apprentices would be in receipt of age appropriate minimum wage and it was hoped that this would attract high calibre young people on to the scheme.

The Education HR Consultancy Team had delivered six Accredited Safer Recruitment Training Courses to 111 delegates that included school staff and governors.  The training was well received and two further courses were planned in May and June.  In addition the Team had been commissioned to run 5 bespoke courses for clusters of schools for 65 delegates.   The Team had also delivered 7 additional bespoke training courses covering a range of HR topics for individual and groups of schools, and also provided Recruitment and Selection Support for Senior Leadership posts within a number of schools and academies. 

Details of the Headcount by Directorate were included in the report and it was noted that between April 2014 and March 2015 the overall headcount for Cheshire East employees reduced by 12% and the overall number of FTE employees decrease by 10% over the same period.  Excluding TUPE staff the Cheshire East turnover between January and March 2015 was 2.4%, with 95 people leaving the Council.  During Quarter 42% left through resignation, 8% retirement and 41% through TUPE transfers.

RESOLVED:

That the report be noted.