Agenda item

To receive an update on progress with Health and Safety, Human Resource and Organisational Development items 

The Committee considered a report on the progress with Health and Safety.

It was reported that during Quarter 2, 89 employees from the corporate core and schools had attended 9 health and safety courses.  The Health and Safety Team had carried out visits and inspections to various locations including primary and secondary schools, a number of children’s centres and to council offices.  The Committee asked for details of the key issues which had arisen from the inspections and the actions undertaken to deal with them.

A total of 675 accidents and incidents were reported in Quarter 2 by corporate core and school employees, with 4 being RIDDOR reportable.  The Committee asked about the health and safety information available for academy schools and how this was reported back to the Council.

The Committee considered a report on the progress with Human Resources and Organisational Development matters.

HR officers were supporting a number of service restructures within the Council by identifying redeployment and re-training opportunities and were working with Job Centres to provide guidance on preparing CVs, job applications and interview preparation and with external providers to identify job opportunities. 

Working groups had been established to look at ways of recruiting staff and were working with managers to improve the training available to them in the use of the new recruitment platform.  They would be looking at ways of improving the non-electronic application process for potential applicants and improving support to candidates accessing applications on-line.

It was reported that from 1 November, all staff directly employed by the Council would be paid the Living Wage of £7.85 an hour.  This would be paid by adding a supplement to the current pay scale points which fell below the Living Wage.  The increase in pay could affect staff receiving benefits and the Council’s Benefits Team would be running surgeries for those who wished to discuss their circumstances in private.

Details of the Council’s headcount at September 2015 were included in the report.  The Committee was informed that the headcount did not include agency staff and that it was the Council’s policy to reduce the number of agency staff used.

The cumulative average days lost to sickness, per FTE employee, throughout Quarter 2 in 2015/16 was slightly lower than the same period in 2014/15. The absence levels within individual months during quarter 2 were initially lower than in the same months in 2014/15, with the exception of September where absence levels were the same.

The turnover of staff between July and September 2015 was 3.26%.  It was noted that 93 members of staff had resigned during this period.  The Committee was informed that the resignations were for a number of reasons.  A breakdown of the reasons would be circulated to committee members.

RESOLVED:

1          That the report be noted.

2          Details of the key issues arising from Health and Safety Inspections and Visits, and actions undertaken to deal with them, be circulated to Committee members.

3          Details of the Health and Safety Information available for Academy Schools and how this is reported back to the Council be circulated to Committee members.

4          A breakdown of the reasons for staff resignations from the Council be circulated to Committee members.