Issue - meetings

Item GP 22/20 referred from the General Purposes Committee of 15 June 2022

Item GP 22/20 referred from General Purposes Committee of 15 June 2022   

RESOLVED:    That

(1)             the outcomes of the equality monitoring as set out in Section 4 of the HR Strategy be noted; and

(2)             the Workforce Strategy be approved.

An updated Workforce Strategy is presented for consideration and reviews progress in achieving the previously identified improvement priorities and identifies actions to be implemented in the period April 2022 – March 2023. The updated Workforce Strategy in Annex 1 also contains the statutory equality monitoring required by the Equality Act 2010.

The report of the Director of Central Services and Deputy Chief Executive advised that the Workforce Strategy, formerly known as the Human Resources Strategy, provided an overview of the Borough Council’s approach to managing its employees.  The Strategy was usually updated annually to identify ‘improvement priorities’ such as changes to HR policies.

An updated Workforce Strategy (attached at Annex 1) was presented for consideration and reviewed progress in achieving previously identified improvement priorities and identified actions to be implemented between April 2022 and March 2023. 

In addition, the Strategy contained the statutory equality monitoring required by the Equality Act 2010.  It was reported that the Borough Council’s Management Team had not discerned any evidence of discrimination against any of the protected characteristic groupings listed in the Equality Act 2010 in 2021/22.

Members raised a number of points in respect of communication and team working, effective recruitment and retention, work placements for local schools and apprenticeship schemes.  These were responded to by Officers and Members were reassured that the Borough Council ensured a fair recruitment process, was a committed Equal Opportunities Employer and would continue to provide work placements and apprenticeship opportunities where possible.  

RECOMMENDED:  That

(1)             the outcomes of the equality monitoring as set out in Section 4 of the HR Strategy be noted; and

(2)             the Workforce Strategy be commended to Council for approval.

*Referred to Council