Agenda and minutes
Venue: C1, Mulberry Place, 5, Clove Crescent, London E14 2BG
Contact: Joel West, Democratic Services Tel: 020 7364 4207, E-mail: joel.west@towerhamlets.gov.uk
No. | Item |
---|---|
DECLARATIONS OF DISCLOSABLE PECUNIARY INTERESTS PDF 68 KB To note any declarations of interest made by Members, including those restricting Members from voting on the questions detailed in Section 106 of the Local Government Finance Act, 1992.
See attached note from the Monitoring Officer.
Minutes: There were no declarations of disclosable pecuniary interests. |
|
To agree the unrestricted minutes of the General Purposes Committee meeting held on 14 September 2016.
Minutes: The unrestricted minutes of the General Purposes Committee meeting held on 14 September 2016 were agreed and signed as a correct record, subject to the following amendments:
· Minute 3.1 – Elections Update – replacing ‘police officers understood’ with ‘police officers increasingly understood’ in the first sentence of the final paragraph. · Minute 3.2 – Organisation Structure – to add that a discussion had taken place regarding the assimilation of current staff into the new structure. · Minute 3.3 – Workforce Diversity – replacing ‘LGA’ with ‘GLA’. · Minute 7 – Any Other Business’: Adding ‘Some’ to the beginning of the first sentence.
Matters arising
Further to Minute 3.3 - Workforce Diversity – the Chair asked that the previously requested information on gender and ethnic-blind recruitment options and report on sickness management be brought to the next meeting of the Committee. |
|
REPORTS FOR CONSIDERATION |
|
Local Authority Governor Applications PDF 100 KB The report sets out for Members a summary of applications of applicants who have expressed an interest in being appointed to local authority school governor positions at Tower Hamlets schools. Minutes: Runa Basit, Head of School Governance & Information, introduced the report, which summarised applications from five persons who had applied to be nominated for appointment as a local authority governor at Tower Hamlets maintained schools.
Following consideration of the information supplied, including both unrestricted and restricted reports, the Committee agreed to nominate all five applicants to the school governor position each had applied for.
RESOLVED -
1. That the applications for Local Authority Governors as detailed in the report be approved as follows:
a. That Tat-Seng Chiam be nominated for appointment as a governor at Harry Gosling Primary School under the 2012 School Governance (Constitution) Regulations.
b. That Daniel Murshad be nominated for appointment as a governor at Stepney Green School under the 2012 School Governance (Constitution) Regulations.
c. That Louis Coiffait be nominated for appointment as a governor at Olga Primary School under the 2012 School Governance (Constitution) Regulations.
d. That Jack Gillet be nominated for appointment as a governor at Lawdale Primary School under the 2012 School Governance (Constitution) Regulations.
e. That Isobel Cattermole be nominated for appointment as a governor at Beatrice Tate Special School under the 2012 School Governance (Constitution) Regulations. |
|
Council Restructure Update PDF 106 KB To consider an update to the Council restructure proposals approved at the previous meeting of the Committee. Minutes: Will Tuckley, Chief Executive, introduced the report and explained the key changes to the organisational structure proposal that had been received at the previous meeting of the Committee.
In response to queries from some members of the Committee, Stuart Young, Interim HR, OD & Transformation Manager, explained that the requested delegated authority for posts technically meeting the definition of Deputy Chief Officer related to anomalies in the current structure, whereby junior staff report directly to Directors. He agreed to provide a list of all such posts to the Committee along with an updated Council structure chart that accounted for the changes proposed since the September 2016 Committee meeting.
Some members of the Committee indicated concern with the proposal from the report to appoint a recruitment agency to support appointments and external recruitment to any vacant posts that remain after the restructure. They felt such an approach contains a risk of the Council becoming dependent on such services and questioned whether this represented value for money. Will Tuckley, Chief Executive, explained that, as it is proposed to carry out a recruitment campaign for a number of posts, this will provide better value for money than if the services were used for a one-off appointment.
Mr Young also outlined engagement of trade unions since the previous meeting. Comments had been received from GMB, Unison and Unite. Mr Young had advised the Unite Branch Secretary that he could address this meeting of the Committee, but it appeared he had chosen not to attend.
RESOLVED that the Committee -
a) Notes the responses to consultation as described at paragraph 3.4 of the report and subsequent changes to the structure at paragraph 3.5 of the report. b) Notes the arrangements put in place by the Chief Executive acting as Head of Paid service to implement the new management structure. c) Agrees to the proposal at paragraph 3.12 of the report that those posts technically meeting the definition of Deputy Chief Officer are delegated for appointment to the Head of Paid Service. |
|
EXCLUSION OF THE PRESS AND PUBLIC In view of the contents of the remaining items on the agenda the Committee is recommended to adopt the following motion:
“That, under the provisions of Section 100A of the Local Government Act 1972, as amended by the Local Government (Access to Information) Act 1985, the press and public be excluded from the remainder of the meeting for the consideration of the Section Two business on the grounds that it contains information defined as Exempt in Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act, 1972.”
EXEMPT SECTION (Pink Papers)
The exempt committee papers in the agenda will contain information, which is commercially, legally or personally sensitive and should not be divulged to third parties. If you do not wish to retain these papers after the meeting, please hand them to the Committee Officer present. Minutes: RESOLVED
1. That in accordance with the provisions of Section 100A of the Local Government Act 1972, as amended by the Local Government (Access to Information) Act 1985, the press and public be excluded from the remainder of the meeting on the grounds that the remaining agenda item contained information defined as exempt or confidential in Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972. |
|
EXEMPT MINUTES To agree the exempt minutes of the General Purposes Committee meeting held on 14 September 2016. Minutes: The exempt minutes of the General Purposes Committee meeting held on 14 September 2016 were agreed and signed as a correct record.
Matters arising
In response to questions from members of the Committee, Mr Tuckley advised:
· he hoped to be in a position shortly to provide an update on the resolutions of item 6.2 (Council Organisational Structure - Staffing Implications).
· he will investigate whether the Council’s constitution, policies and guidance on Councillors’ access to information is appropriate, including Councillors’ access to restricted/exempt reports and documents. |
|
EXEMPT REPORTS FOR CONSIDERATION |
|
Exempt Appendices for Local Authority Governor Applications These appendices set out for Members details of applicants who have expressed an interest in being appointed to local authority school governor positions at Tower Hamlets schools and should be read in conjunction with the report at Item 3.1.
Additional documents:
Minutes: The appendices for Local Authority Governor Applications were considered during item 3.1 on the unrestricted part of the agenda. |
|
Council Restructure Staffing Implications To consider staffing implications of the restructure update report considered in the unrestricted part of the agenda. Minutes: The Committee considered a restricted report on staffing implications of the Organisation structure update report considered in the unrestricted part of the agenda.
Members discussed the report and agreed the recommendations as set out. |