Issue - meetings

To consider a report on the progress with Human Resource Issues.

The Head of Human Resources & Organisational Development, aided by the HR Strategic Policy Manager, the Health & Safety Officer and the Workforce Development & Capacity Manager, presented a report which provided a general update on Human Resource issues, including Health & Safety, Workforce Development, Organisational Change, HR Delivery and HR Policy & Reward.

Twenty seven Health & Safety Policy and Guidance documents were now available on the CEntrant and further documents were undergoing development and consultation.  The Committee was asked to approve documents relating to Lone Working and Manual Handling (Non Schools), which had been discussed at the Corporate Health & Safety Forum as part of the consultation process. 

The HSE Inspector had visited in January 2010 and remained pleased with the Council’s management of Hand Arm Vibration and would not be reviewing the Council's procedures again until January 2011.    An Inspector would be visiting later in the month to discuss ‘Hard Facilities Management’ arrangements, along with Waste & Recycling and with a special emphasis on ‘Task and Finish’. The Chairman asked to be kept informed of the outcomes, which would be reported to the Committee in due course.

The Council had signed up to the Backing Young People national campaign. Work was underway to recruit twenty five new Apprentices and three graduates from the national graduate development programme. It was also proposed to offer work experience to a number of young people at school/college across the Borough and to offer short term internships to unemployed people through the future jobs fund.  

A corporate induction programme was being developed and would include a welcome leaflet, an induction checklist to cover corporate information/polices and a half day workshop within 3 months of starting.  The Union representatives requested that details of the trade union be included in the information provided to new starters. 

RESOLVED:

(1)       The report be noted.

(2)       The Lone Working Policy and Manual Handling (Non Schools) Policy be approved.