Members are reminded to consider the categories of interest in the Code of Conduct for Members to determine whether they have an interest in any agenda item and any action they should take. For further details, please see the attached note from the Monitoring Officer.

Members are reminded to declare the nature of the interest and the agenda item it relates to. Please note that ultimately it’s the Members’ responsibility to declare any interests and to update their register of interest form as required by the Code.

If in doubt as to the nature of your interest, you are advised to seek advice prior to the meeting by contacting the Monitoring Officer or Democratic Services

There were no declarations of pecuniary interests.

To agree the unrestricted minutes of the Human Resources Committee meeting held on 12^th June 2023.

The minutes of the Committee meeting held on 12 June 2023 were approved as a correct record of proceedings.

Amendment

Councillor Saied Ahmed requested an additional line in the last paragraph within item 4.2 of the minutes to now read:

“Agree the terms of reference and procedure rules for the Employee Appeal Sub Committee for the remainder of the municipal year 2023/24 as set out in the tabled papers, subject to an additional clause to specify that the membership be politically balanced, based on proportionality and group leaders to appoint members to the committee”.

RESOLVED that

1.    An addition be added to the minutes of the terms of reference.

RESOLVED:

1.    That the work plan be noted.

Pat Chen, Head of HR,  gave the Committee an overview of the employee relations casework from 1 April 2023 to 30 June 2023. The increase in ER cases for this quarter were most likely related to greater attention given from specific business partners, although there were no significant rises within specific categories.

Further to  questions from the committee, Pat Chen:

·       Clarified that the report related to dates prior to the structure change in quarter 1. Details will be amended in quarter 3 to reflect the transition.

·       Agreed to include data which accurately portrays the stages of resolution.

·       Confirmed that grievance cases reported are evenly spread with regard to colleagues, management and terms and conditions. Equalities analysis  is ongoing to establish the underlying cause of line management complaints. Flexible working complaints are generally recorded if decisions are appealed. Full details of all grievance decisions including a trend line of numbers and a comparison of the previous quarter be submitted to the Committee

·       Noted that many of the grievances are collective and are dealt with in the same manner individual ones are. A collective grievance was made by members of the homelessness service, and an external investigator commissioned by HR was appointed. Collective grievances

RESOLVED that:

1.    Full details of all stages of complaint resolution and grievance decisions including a trend line of numbers and a comparison of the previous quarter be submitted to the Committee.

2.    The report be noted.

TO FOLLOW

Reasons for urgency were noted and agreed.

Musrat Zaman, Director, Workforce, OD and Business Support Services, introduced the report which outlined the current senior recruitment positions to senior management vacancies and the interim arrangements in place.

Following the report, Committee members requested officers encourage staff within the organisation to pursue senior management positions, alongside utilising agencies to ensure that the workforce reflect the community.

RESOLVED that:

1.    The report on the current position on the recruitment to senior management vacancies be noted.

None.

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.

To agree the exempt minutes of the General Purposes Committee meeting held on ….

The exempt minutes of the General Purposes Committee meeting held on …. were agreed as a correct record.