Agenda item

To consider the Motion

The Committee considered the following Notion which had been submitted by Councillor D Bailey and D Flude at the Council meeting on 19 October 2018 and referred to the Staffing Committee for consideration:-

Independent Cultural Review

“Cheshire East Council has been beset by numerous allegations of bullying and harassment from its staff.

This Council claims to be an organisation that puts ‘Residents First’. In order to carry out such an objective in an effective and efficient manner, we rely on our staff to deliver the services our residents rely on. Therefore, the welfare of the people we employ must be front and centre of everything we do as an organisation. Currently, there are concerns that we may be failing them and it is incumbent on us as elected representatives to tackle the issue head on.

We reference the recent independent cultural review that took place in Essex Fire & Rescue Service as a good model for this Council to adopt. Through a robust process of investigative work into the practices of the Service, Irene Lucas CBE of DCLG was able to explore the historical causes that fostered such a toxic culture of harassment and intimidation that besieged the organisation for many years. Such a root and branch review of our organisation would be an agent of positive and transformative change for this Council, if we are brave enough to embark on such a path.

It is recommended that:

·                 Cheshire East acknowledges we have deep-rooted cultural issues in respect to the treatment of our employees in certain quarters.

·                 Cheshire East Council writes to the Department of Communities & Local Government acknowledging our problem with the bullying and harassment of our staff requesting that they appoint an individual or group of local Government experts, as in the example cited above, to conduct an independent cultural review.

·                 Cheshire East Council actively cooperate with the actors asked to undertake such a task providing resources where appropriate, working on a cross-party basis to support the review in a collaborative, meaningful and positive manner.

·                 Cheshire East Council begins to extensively work with its recognised trade unions, taking advice and recommendations from them where appropriate to enhance the welfare of our employees in and out of the work place.

·                 Cheshire East Council reaffirms and strengthens its commitment to those staff who decide to ‘whistle-blow’ on malpractices within the organisation.”

Councillor D Flude, as seconder of the Motion, spoke in relation to the Motion.

The Committee noted that an external culture review had been commissioned in October 2017 and had been undertaken by the LGA during November and December 2017.  The findings and recommendations from the review would be announced on 29 January 2018.

The Council had appointed Public Concern at Work to provide additional support for whistleblowing and to undertake a review of the current whistleblowing arrangements. The outcomes would be reported back to Audit and Governance Committee and to Staffing Committee as appropriate.

RESOLVED:

That, for the reasons set out in the report, the Committee notes and continues to fully support the Local Government Association Independent Cultural Review and looks forward to receiving the review findings and recommendations at a meeting on 29 January 2018.