Agenda and draft minutes

To receive any apologies for absence or substitutions for the meeting.

Apologies for absence were received from:

• Councillor Richard Clewer, who was substituted by Councillor Simon Jacobs

To confirm the minutes of the meeting held on 27 November 2024.

The minutes of the previous meeting held on 27 November 2024 were considered. Following which, it was:

Resolved:

The Committee approved and signed the minutes of the previous meeting held on 27 November 2024 as a true and correct record.

To receive any declarations of disclosable interests or dispensations granted by the Standards Committee.

There were no declarations of interest.

To receive any announcements through the Chair.

There were no Chairman’s announcements.

The Council welcomes contributions from members of the public.

Statements

If you would like to make a statement at this meeting on any item on this agenda, please register to do so at least 10 minutes prior to the meeting. Up to 3 speakers are permitted to speak for up to 3 minutes each on any agenda item. Please contact the officer named on the front of the agenda for any further clarification.

Questions

To receive any questions from members of the public or members of the Council received in accordance with the constitution.

Those wishing to ask questions are required to give notice of any such questions in writing to the officer named on the front of this agenda no later than 5pm on Wednesday 22 January 2025 in order to be guaranteed of a written response. In order to receive a verbal response, questions must be submitted no later than 5pm on Friday 24 January 2025. Please contact the officer named on the front of this agenda for further advice. Questions may be asked without notice if the Chairman decides that the matter is urgent.

Details of any questions received will be circulated to Committee members prior to the meeting and made available at the meeting and on the Council’s website.

There were no statements or questions submitted.

To receive an update on the review of the Corporate Health and Safety Policy and to consult with the Committee on the proposed revised policy.

Craig Parker, Head of Health and Safety, alongside Amanda George, Head of Strategic HR, introduced the report and updated the Committee on the review of the Corporate Health and Safety Policy.

During the discussion, points included:

• Officers explained that the policy had been reviewed to illustrate a more robust, rigorous, and up to date process and was in direct alignment with Health and Safety Executive (HSE) guidance.
• Members raised Appendix 4, the Corporate Governance and Accountability Structure, and sought clarity on the differences between the current and proposed structure. It was explained that although Health and Safety was now under a different directorate, Assets, the proposed structure was not dissimilar from the current, and instead had been updated to provide a more detailed and accurate representation of current legislation. Members suggested that an amendment be made to list the specific Committees sitting within the structure for clarity.
• It was then explained that Appendix 2, the Statement of Intent, mirrored the Statement of Intent as detailed within the current policy, but instead would be signed by the Chief Executive and Leader of the Council to demonstrate the Council’s commitment in protecting the safety, health and wellbeing of its employees and other stakeholders who may visit or use the facilities it manages and controls.
• It was highlighted that Appendix 3, Proposed Roles and Responsibilities, provided further details to make clear all duties and obligations within the Health and Safety Management System which would then be developed into a handbook for individual managers’ reference.
• It was further explained that the individual arrangements for each facet of the system would be held internally for all employees to access online, however Members felt it would be useful to have a list of each of these arrangements within the policy for ease of understanding.
• Officers reassured Members that there would be robust inductions for any new employees or Councillors on the revised policy and that there would be opportunities for refresher training, with officers prioritising these ahead of the local elections in May 2025.
• Members raised Paragraph 36 of the report and suggested that further detail be included to reflect the Council’s position.
• It was noted that officers were looking to review the process for health and safety checks for contractors, including those for highway maintenance activities, and that officers were intending on implementing annual audits and then random spot checks on any works undertaken by contractors.
• In response to a query regarding the inclusion of school children within Appendix 2, the Statement of Intent, officers confirmed that they would draft a written response to be sent to Members outside of the meeting on the interrelationship between the Council and schools and how each of the policies and systems interlinked to ensure the protection of children, young people, and school staff within any Council owned or managed facilities. 

At the conclusion of the discussion, it was then:

Resolved:

The Committee:

a)    Supported the updated Health and Safety Policy.

b)    Delegated to officers, in consultation with the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6.

To receive an updated Pay Policy Statement for the financial year 2025/26 for approval prior to agreement by Council and publication on the website.

Tamsin Kielb, Director of HR & OD, introduced the report which presented an updated Pay Policy Statement for the financial year 2025-26 for approval by the Committee prior to agreement by Council and publication on the website.

During the discussion, points included:

• It was highlighted that there were minimal changes to the Pay Policy Statement for 2025-26, with the main updates listed in Paragraphs 4 to 6 of the report.
• Paragraph 84 of the Pay Policy Statement was raised, and it was explained that the guidelines aligned with the Hutton Review of Fair Pay in the public sector (2011) which considered the case for a fixed limit on pay dispersion in the public sector, and a ban on managers earning more than 20 times the pay of the lowest paid person in their organisation. It was further explained that the ratio for highest to lowest paid had decreased slightly as a result of the appointment of the new Chief Executive who was at a different pay point to that of the previous Chief Executive due to the recency of the appointment.

Following which, it was:

Resolved:

The Committee approved the updated Pay Policy Statement for 2025-26 to be presented at Full Council for approval on 25 February 2025.

To receive a new Career Grade Policy and Procedure to enable managers to implement career grade structures within their teams.

Amanda George, Head of Strategic HR, introduced the report and presented a new Career Grade Policy and Procedure to enable managers to implement career grade structures within their team.

Officers noted that the new policy aimed to create consistency across the Council while also supporting recruitment and retention of staff, effective service delivery, succession planning, and career development of employees by providing a defined career pathway within application service areas. However, it was clarified that although it was a new policy, it was formalising arrangements that were already in place.

It was explained that a career grade structure was a hierarchy of roles within the same professional area with increasing levels of job demands, responsibilities, knowledge, and skills. Those roles were then linked by a structured programme of development which would provide an opportunity for progression with a team and clear distinctions between the levels of work. As such, it would be expected to see at least one grade difference between a role and the next role within the structure. Furthermore, a career grade structure must be established either within or alongside the role descriptions and must set out all competencies and criteria required to progress to each level within the career grade. Therefore, managers would need to work alongside Finance and Strategic HR Business Partners to agree the scheme and funding before any career grade structure could be confirmed.

It was also highlighted that progression in a career grade structure was not automatically based solely on the achievement of a qualification and/or new skills or time served in a role; there must also be the need for the higher level of work within the team and a funded vacancy must be available. Thus, ensuring that the structure and progression within it reflected service delivery requirements and could be fully funded from within the existing establishment. Finally, it was explained that progression opportunities within a career grade structure would be ringfenced to employees who are part of the structure and must be via a successful competitive selection exercise.

During the discussion, points included:

• Members commended the policy and queried if it could also be applied to smaller teams within the Council dedicated to specialised areas and where recruitment was more difficult. In response, officers noted that conversations were being undertaken between the Corporate Leadership Team and Heads of Service to focus on succession planning and identifying and supporting talent within their directorates.
• Officers agreed to include further details under Paragraph 31 of the policy to provide further clarity for ease of understanding on how funding would sit within the career grade structure.
• It was clarified that all of the salaries aligned with the spine points on the National Joint Council pay scales.
• Finally, it was explained that the career grade structures were already in place for a number of service areas, but that officers were continuing to seek further opportunities to introduce the scheme within different directorates. 

At the conclusion of the discussion, it was then:

Resolved:

The Committee approved  ...  view the full minutes text for item 8.

To receive an update on revisions to the Dignity at Work Policy in response to the changes implemented by the Worker Protection (Amendment of Equality Act 2010) Act 2023.

Amanda George, Head of Strategic HR, introduced the report and updated the Committee on the revisions to the Dignity at Work Policy in response to the changes implemented by the Worker Protection (Amendment of Equality Act 2010) Act 2023.

It was noted that there was a well-established Dignity at Work Policy in place, which was originally agreed by the Committee in 2012, and which outlined a framework for employees to raise concerns relating to inappropriate behaviour and a process for managers to respond to complaints relating to harassment, bullying, discrimination, and victimisation.

It was highlighted that the Worker Protection Act came into force in October 2024 which introduced a new legal duty on employers to take reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment of employees, including by third parties such as contractors and customers. As such, the Dignity at Work Policy had been reviewed in consideration of the new legal duty. Furthermore, it was confirmed that although the framework for employees to raise concerns relating to inappropriate behaviour and the process for managers to respond to complaints remained unchanged, there was now added explicit emphasis that sexual harassment would not be tolerated. The amendments included clarification on the responsibilities all employees had to apply and promote to uphold the principles of the policy and the Council’s commitment to providing a safe and respectful working environment based on dignity and trust.

It was further explained that the policy and supporting guidance already contained provisions relating to dignity at work matters involving third parties such as customers and service users, but as the preventative legal duty extended to third parties, further updates had been made to directly align the Dignity at Work Policy to the Unwanted Behaviour towards Employees Policy.
 

Finally, Members were informed that mandatory and voluntary training courses on equality, diversity, and inclusion had been updated to reflect the new preventative duty, and Council job adverts had also been amended to align with the Inclusion Strategy.

During the discussion, points included:

• It was clarified that the policy did not extend to behaviour outside of the workplace and would only apply if it directly affected an employee’s working environment.
• Officers informed Members that in the preceding 6 months, 2 disciplinary and grievance cases were specifically linked to the policy, and that officers had worked to strengthen the language within the policy to reflect the robust approach that the Council would take in dealing with relevant instances.
• In response to a query in relation to protected characteristics under the Equality Act 2010, officers reassured Members that regular Equality Impact Assessments were undertaken, with these results published, and it was confirmed that reference could be made to locating such results within the policy.

At the end of the discussion, it was then:

Resolved:

The Committee supported the updates to the Dignity at Work Policy in line with Worker Protection (Amendment of Equality Act 2010) Act 2023.

To receive a further update about staff car parking in Trowbridge in light of the proposal to build the new Trowbridge Leisure Centre on the County Hall East Wing site.

Amanda George, Head of Strategic HR, introduced the report and provided a further update about staff car parking in Trowbridge in light of the proposal to build the new Trowbridge Leisure Centre on the County Hall East Wing site.

Reference was made to the previous update presented to the Committee at their meeting on 27 November 2024, and Members were informed that since that meeting, the Staff Car Parking Working Group had continued to meet on a monthly basis to ensure arrangements were in place for Spring 2025, when it was expected that the work on the East Wing site would commence.

It was then highlighted that in December 2024, a car parking meter had been installed next to the visitors’ spaces which issues free tickets for visitor stays for a maximum of 2 hours to ensure adequate turnover of these spaces to accommodate the number of visitors to County Hall. Officers noted that a review of the current priority parking permit criteria and roles had taken place to streamline the use of those permits, with Heads of Service proposing which roles should be allocated such permits, and that a report was being drafted for the Corporate Leadership Team (CLT) to agree the changes with the aim for the new permit system to be in place by the end of February 2025.

In response to a number of queries raised at the last meeting of the Committee, officers noted that the Facilities Management (FM) Team had monitored the County Hall car parks for a week in July and a week in September 2024 to determine the average vacancy rate by day. It was found that the vacancy rates for the East Wing and the Greyhound car parks to be significant at approximately 100 per day, with greater numbers on a Monday and Friday. It was then confirmed that the FM Team had reviewed the vacancy rate for a week in January 2025 and reported similar numbers, with a slight dip on the Wednesday to 76 vacant spaces. As such, officers felt that the surveys determined that the approximate reduction in spaces of 43 as a result of the Leisure Centre development was unlikely to be an issue. Moreover, officers confirmed that the Lovemead car park had 149 spaces in total, with Council staff able to use 100 of those spaces, and that the Car Parking Team did not believe that there would be an impact on the public as the car park was currently underutilised. Likewise, the Car Parking Team had confirmed that the Emery Gate car park in Chippenham was not available for staff to use, therefore employees were in a similar position when attending Monkton Park, with some staff able to park in car parks closer to the building and others having to use car parks further away.

During the discussion, points included:

• It was acknowledged that the signage for the car parking meter at County Hall needed to be more visible and officers were liaising with FM  ...  view the full minutes text for item 10.

There were no urgent items.