Agenda and minutes

Notification of substitute members were recorded as set out below:

Cllr D Harman – substitute for Cllr S Bell

In accordance with Council Procedure Rules 17.5 to 17.9 these Councillors had the same rights as the ordinary member of the committee for whom they were substituting.

Members in any doubt about such declarations are advised to contact Legal or Democratic Services in advance of the meeting

There were no declarations of interest made in accordance with the Code of Conduct.

To confirm as a correct record the Minutes of the meeting of General Purposes Committee held on 22 March 2022

RESOLVED:  That the Minutes of the meeting of the General Purposes Committee held on 22 March 2022 be approved as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.

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

Following receipt of the final recommendations for the warding arrangements, from the Local Government Boundary Commission for England, a Polling District & Polling Place review needs to be undertaken to implement the changes to the warding arrangements and ensure the Polling Districts lie within the Parish, Ward and Constituency boundaries.

The report of the Chief Executive detailed proposals for a review of Polling Districts, Polling Places and Stations under the new warding arrangements recommended by the Local Government Boundary Commission for England. 

There would be a public consultation in respect of these proposals starting on 27 June for eight weeks. Consultation responses and final recommendations would be presented for further consideration in the Autumn.

RESOLVED:  That

(1)             the draft proposals for the purpose of going out to consultation be approved; and

(2)             the consultation proposals detailed in the report be endorsed.

The Chairman to move that the press and public be excluded from the remainder of the meeting during consideration of any items the publication of which would disclose exempt information.

The Chairman moved, it was seconded and

RESOLVED:  That as public discussion would disclose exempt information, the following matters be considered in private.

(LGA 1972- Sch 12A Paragraph 1 – Information relating to an individual)

The report of the Director of Central Services set out for approval a number of establishment changes arising from the ongoing operational management of the Borough Council’s Services.

RESOLVED:  That

(1)             Post DV0915, 37 hours per week, be redesignated from Housing Technical Assistant to Housing Technical Officer, scale SO; and

(2)             Post DV0308 be reduced from 37 hours per week to 24 hours per week.