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Agenda and minutes

Venue: Kennet Room - County Hall, Bythesea Road, Trowbridge, BA14 8JN. View directions

Contact: Roger Bishton 

Items
No. Item

35.

Apologies for absence

Minutes:

Apologies for absence were received from:-

 

Cllr David Jenkins who was substituted by Cllr Jon Hubbard

Cllr Ricky Rogers

Cllr Baroness Scott of Bybrook OBE, who was substituted by Cllr Tony Trotman

36.

Minutes of Previous Meeting

To confirm the minutes of the meeting held on 10 May 2018.         (Copy attached)

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

Resolved:

 

To confirm and sign as a correct record the minutes of the previous meeting held on 10 May 2018.

37.

Declarations of Interest

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

 

Minutes:

There were no declarations of interest made at the meeting.

38.

Chairman's Announcements

Minutes:

There were no Chairman’s announcements.

39.

Public Participation

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 Thursday 30 August 2018 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 Monday 3 September 2018. 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.

 

Minutes:

There were no members of the public present or councillors’ questions.

40.

Appointment of Sub-Committees

The Committee is asked to:

 

(i)            agree the size, and

 

(ii)          appoint the members and substitute members (up to four for each Party Political Group) to each of the following Sub-Committees:

 

 

(a)  Senior Officers’ Employment Sub-Committee previous members being Cllr Allison Bucknell, Cllr Richard Clewer & Cllr Hayley Spencer.

(Substitute Members: Cllr Jon Hubbard, Cllr David Jenkins, Cllr Bob Jones MBE, Cllr Andy Phillips, Cllr Fleur de Rhe-Philipe, Cllr Baroness Scott of Bybrook OBE, Cllr Ian Thorn & Cllr Tony Trotman.)

 

(b)  Appeals Sub-Committee previous members being Cllr Allison Bucknell, Cllr Richard Clewer & Cllr David Jenkins. (Substitute Members: Cllr Mike Hewitt, Cllr Jon Hubbard, Cllr Gordon King, Cllr Fleur de Rhe-Philipe, Cllr Baroness Scott of Bybrook OBE, Cllr Hayley Spencer, Cllr Ian Thorn & Cllr Tony Trotman.)

 

(c)   Grievance Appeals Sub-Committee previous members being Cllr Allison Bucknell, Cllr Tony Jackson & Cllr Hayley Spencer.

(Substitute Members: Cllr Peter Evans, Cllr David Halik, Cllr Jon Hubbard, Cllr David Jenkins, Cllr Gordon King, Cllr Andy Phillips, Cllr Ian Thorn & Cllr Tony Trotman.)

 

Under Paragraph 2.4.1 of Part 3 of the Council’s Constitution,it is a requirement that at least one member of the Senior Officers’ Employment Sub-Committeeshould be a member of the Cabinet when it discharges its function to dismissand take disciplinary action against certain categories of officer in accordancewith the officer employment procedure rules. Accordingly, it is recommendedthat a second Cabinet member be appointed to this Sub-Committee either as amember or as a substitute member.

 

 

Minutes:

Resolved:

 

To appoint members to serve on the sub-committees of this Committee

for the ensuing year as set out below:-

 

(a) Senior Officers Employment Sub-Committee

Cllr Allison Bucknell, Cllr Richard Clewer & Cllr Hayley Spencer.

(Substitute Members: Cllr Jon Hubbard, Cllr David Jenkins, Cllr Bob Jones

MBE, Cllr Fleur de Rhe-Philipe, Cllr Baroness Scott of

Bybrook OBE, Cllr John Smale, Cllr Ian Thorn & Cllr Tony Trotman.)

 

(b) Appeals Sub-Committee

Cllr Allison Bucknell, Cllr Richard Clewer & Cllr David Jenkins.

(Substitute Members: Cllr Mike Hewitt, Cllr Jon Hubbard, Cllr Gordon King,

Cllr Fleur de Rhe-Philipe, Cllr Baroness Scott of Bybrook OBE, Cllr Hayley

Spencer, Cllr Ian Thorn & Cllr Tony Trotman.)

 

(c) Grievance Appeals Sub-Committee

Cllr Allison Bucknell, Cllr Tony Jackson & Cllr Hayley Spencer.

(Substitute Members: Cllr Peter Evans, Cllr David Halik, Cllr Jon Hubbard,

Cllr David Jenkins, Cllr Gordon King, Cllr John Smale, Cllr Ian Thorn &

Cllr Tony Trotman.)

41.

Quarterly Workforce Report: April to June 2018

A report by the Director, Human Resources & Organisational Development is attached.

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

The Committee received a workforce report, excluding fire, police and school staff, for the quarter ended 30 June 2018.

 

It was noted that the overall sickness absence rate had decreased this quarter to 2.1 days per whole time equivalent (WTE) officer, this being reflected by a drop in short term sickness, as would be expected in this quarter due to an end to the cold/flu season.

 

The overall number of days lost to sickness in this quarter had reduced by 7% compared to the same quarter in 2017. However, an additional 11 people (a total of 109) were absent on long-term sickness (more than 20 days) in the quarter, increasing the number of days lost by 372 days (+12.8%).

 

Members noted that stress/depression/mental health/fatigue continued to be the most prevalent reason for sickness absence, with more than 1 in 3 days being lost to a stress related absence during this quarter. This was up 3% from the previous quarter. Discussions with the services and with occupational health professionals would be taking place to determine the likely causes. However, it was pointed out that these increases might be partly attributable to raised reporting of stress following efforts to improve the awareness of mental health.

 

A trend appeared whereby the older bandings of staff (from 45 to 64) had the most stress related absences, the absence type reported more prevalently being female staff. The analysis indicated that the majority of stress cases were identified as “non-work related”.  Consideration was being given as to whether the opportunity existed to identify some of these external factors.

 

Members were informed that managers played a key role in managing sickness and it was important that they fully understood the implications. 

 

During further discussion, Members expressed an interest in receiving further information on absences as a result of injuries.  Officers agreed to circulate this information to Members of the Committee.

 

Resolved:

 

To note the Quarterly Workforce Report.  

42.

Date of Next Meeting

To note that the next scheduled meeting of the Committee is due to be held on Wednesday 7 November 2018 at County Hall, Trowbridge, starting at 2.00pm.

Minutes:

Resolved:

 

To note that the next scheduled meeting of the Committee was due to be held on Wednesday 7 November 2018 at County Hall, Trowbridge, starting at 2.00pm but that this might need to be changed due the availability of officers.

43.

Urgent Items

Any other items of business which, in the opinion of the Chairman, should be considered as a matter of urgency. Urgent items of a confidential nature may be considered under Part II of this agenda.

 

Minutes:

There were no items of urgent business.

44.

Exclusion of the Public

To consider passing the following resolution:-

 

To agree that in accordance with Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972 to exclude the public from the meeting for the business specified in Item No. 11 because it is likely that if members of the public were present there would be disclosure to them of exempt information as defined in paragraph 1 of Part I of Schedule 12A to the Act and the public interest in withholding the information outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information to the public.

Minutes:

Resolved:

 

To agree that in accordance with Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972 to exclude the public from the meeting for the business specified in Minute Nos. 45 and 46 because it is likely that if members of the public were present there would be disclosure to them of exempt information as defined in paragraph 1 of Part I of Schedule 12A to the Act and the public interest in withholding the information outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information to the public.

45.

Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) Employer Discretions - Payment of Deferred Benefits

 

A confidential report by the Director, Human Resources &  Organisational Development is attached

Minutes:

On considering a confidential report by the Director, Human Resources & Organisational Development,

 

Resolved:

 

To approve the request from a member of staff to allow the rule of 85 to be applied on his retirement on 1 October 2018 taking into account that there would be no financial cost to Wiltshire Council.

46.

Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) Employer Discretions

Minutes:

On considering a confidential report by the Director, Human Resources & organisational Development,

 

Resolved:

 

To not approve the request from a former member of staff for the release of deferred benefits on compassionate grounds with effect from 1 August 2018 for the following reasons:-

 

(1)          The Committee did not regard the grounds as being compassionate.

 

(2)          The cost to the Council of agreeing to this request which would be disproportionate to the pension.