Agenda item
Annual Report on the Workforce to Reflect the Community Strategy and Progression of Under-Represented Groups in the Council (CAB 144/089) - To Follow
Decision:
Errata Sheet Tabled.
Resolved:
1. That the performance of the Authority on its Workforce to Reflect the Community Strategy, be noted; and
2. That the Workforce to Reflect the Community Strategy 2009/2010 and associated Action Plan, set out in Appendix 1 to the report (CAB 144/ 089), be agreed.
Action by:
CORPORATE DIRECTOR RESOURCES (C. NAYLOR)
Joint Director of Human Resources (D. Clarke)
Joint Assistant Director Organisational Development, Workforce Strategies and Equalities, Resources (M. Grimley)
Minutes:
The Chair informed members of the Cabinet that the Joint Director of Human Resources had Tabled an errata sheet containing an amendment to Table 8 detailed on page 12 of Appendix 1 to the report, a copy of which would be interleaved with the minutes.
Ms Clarke, Joint Director of Human Resources, at the request of the Chair, in introducing the report, summarised the salient points contained therein, informing members of the Cabinet that:
· This report was linked to the report previously considered “Age, Race, Religion/Belief and Sexual Orientation Equality Schemes 2009-12”.
· The Workforce to Reflect the Community Strategy was key for the Authority and like any good strategy was a live document and constantly updated/ refreshed.
· This report focussed primarily on the 3 areas below and future activities would focus on these priorities:
o Increasing the number of BME/disabled senior managers
o Increasing the number of disabled people generally
o Increasing the number of Bangladeshi employees generally and at senior levels
· For the first time an analysis of the workforce in each Directorate was detailed, together with targets for training and positive action schemes aimed at achieving a step change in performance.
· It was also important to recognise the successes to date:
o Nearly half of the Authority’s employees were BME which placed it at the top of performance the performance league for all 432 local authorities.
o Half of the Auhtority’s employees aged under 30 were Bangladeshi.
A discussion followed, during which the proposed strategy was broadly welcomed, and which focused on the following points:-
· Ms Clarke, Joint Director of Resources and her Officer team, were formally thanked for their hard work in developing the proposals.
· Councillor Rahman, Leader of the Council, and Councillor Islam, Deputy Leader of the Council were thanked for their commitment and leadership in progressing delivery of the objectives of the Administration relating to Workforce to Reflect the Community.
· With reference to paragraph 3.3 bullet point 2 clarification sought and given with regard to equality of opportunity in workforce progression. Noted that the Corporate Equality Steering Group would be examining this in detail in the near future.
· With reference to Appendix 1, page 3,bullet point 10 [agency staff not reflective of community they serve] commented that in Children’s Services more than 50% of the workforce were agency staff and consideration that this area merited further Council-wide examination, and an analysis of agency staff was required before the issue could be addressed.
· Clarification sought and given with regard to Workforce to Reflect the Community targets and activities beyond 2010.
· Negatives, positives and rationale with regard to terminology being specific in respect of ethnicity, for example Bangladeshi rather than BME.
· Noted the recent improvement in the representation of BME communities at Corporate Management Team and consideration that this was reflective of the Authority’s determination to ensure a Workforce to Reflect the Community.
· Consideration that further analysis of the composition of the workforce by Directorate was required; also detail as to the representation of the Somali community at all levels of the workforce. Noted the assurance of Ms Clarke, Joint Director of HR that further work would be undertaken to ascertain the Somali profile in the workforce.
· With reference to Appendix 1, page 11, Table 7 [Ethnicity Table of Agency Staffing] consideration that an additional categorisation for the Somali community was required. Noted also that the table indicated that approximately 10% of agency staff were from the Bangladeshi community, which was not reflective of the community they served. Noted that agency recruitment was often not based in Tower Hamlets. Noted that agencies undertook monitoring of the temporary workforce for the Council, but had not to date monitored Somali representation. Also noted that future WRC targets would be set to ensure agency staff were reflective of the community and also the assurance of Ms Clarke, Joint Director of HR that she would review agency arrangements for workforce monitoring and that joint working between agencies and Job Centre Plus to identify appropriate BME candidates for temporary jobs was intended.
· With reference to Appendix 1, page 12, Table 8 [representation by ethnicity at each grade] clarification sought and given as to how the Authority intended to improve BME representation above PO! Grade. Clarification sought and given with regard to positive action re shadowing, mentoring and acting up. The Chair considered that it would be helpful for a policy to be brought forward in relation to the encouragement of BME staff to take up opportunities to act up into vacancies at a higher grade.
Councillor Islam, Deputy Leader of the Council:-
· Commented that the Workforce to Reflect the Community like any good strategy should not sit on the shelf but be a live document, constantly updated and refreshed.
· Acknowledged the points raised in the discussion.
· Noted significant progress to date on WRC and in particular increased BME representation in the Corporate Management Team. Also noted the many mechanisms already in place to progress WRC: shadowing and mentoring arrangements, Aspiring Leaders Programme, positive action social worker scheme; and indicated that it was intended to continue these and roll out such initiatives across Tower Hamlets but also in the Primary Care Trust and schools.
The Chair Moved the recommendations as set out in the report and it was: -
Resolved:
1. That the performance of the Authority on its Workforce to Reflect the Community Strategy, be noted; and
2. That the Workforce to Reflect the Community Strategy 2009/2010 and associated Action Plan, set out in Appendix 1 to the report (CAB 144/ 089), be agreed.
Supporting documents: