| PRESENT: | |
| Committee members: | Councillors Carr (Chairman), Andrews, Avey, Kenneth Bamber, Maple |
| Substitute members: | Councillor Smith (for Councillor Ruparel) |
| In attendance: | Olivia Butler, Interim Assistant Director, Children's Care, Paula Charker (Head of HR Services), Emma Clark (PA to Assistant Director, Organisational Services), Wayne Hemingway (Cabinet Coordinator), Abi Jessop (Equalities and Diversity Adviser), Tricia Palmer (Assistant Director, Organisational Services) |
| 324 | RECORD OF THE MEETING |
| | | The record of the meeting held on 9 September 2009 was agreed and signed by the Chairman as correct. |
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| 325 | APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE |
| | | Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Ruparel and Mrs Shaw. |
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| 326 | DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST |
| | | Councillor Maple declared a personal interest in all items on the agenda insofar that he is a Trade Union employee (GMB) and retained his right to speak and vote on the items.
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| Paula Charker (Head of Organisational Services) and Tricia Palmer (Assistant Director, Organisational Services), declared personal and prejudicial interests in accordance with rule 15.4(a) of the protocol on Member/Employee Relations and withdrew from the meeting for item 5A (Annual Salary Review - Service Managers and Above).
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| 327 | ANNUAL SALARY REVIEW - SERVICE MANAGERS AND ABOVE |
| | Discussion: |
| | | The Assistant Director, Organisational Services, submitted a report which provided details of the proposed pay award for service managers and above. It was noted that Council employees on the NJC (National Joint Council) salary scales had been awarded a final pay offer of 1% for 2009/2010. The report also provided details of a number of local pay settlements, for other Local Authorities.
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| | > Annual salary review - service managers and above (pdf file 135.5kb) |
| | > Annual Salary Review - Service Managers and Above - Salary Comparison Information tabled at the meeting (pdf file 57.7kb) |
| | Decision: |
| | | The Committee agreed the pay award for the year commencing 1 April 2009, for employees at Service Manager level and above, at 1.00%. |
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| 328 | WORKFORCE MONITORING 2008/2009 |
| | Discussion: |
| | | The Head of HR Services and Equalities and Diversity Adviser submitted a report which met the Council's monitoring and publication requirements under the specific equality and employment duties set out in the Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000, the Disability Discrimination Act 2005 and the Equality Act 2006.
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| The report provided an analysis of best value performance indicators which included areas such as sickness absence, early retirements, ill-health retirements, and the percentage of top 5% earners who are women. The report also set out equality monitoring of the workforce profile, including breakdowns by race/ethnicity, gender, disability and age.
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| The report presented an overview of the findings with the full analysis set out in appendix 1 to the report.
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| Members discussed a number of issues including sickness trends, developments towards the establishment of an on-site Occupational Health Nurse, development opportunities for the Council's Apprentices and the effectiveness of the Learning Agreement, to which a progress report in 12 months' time was requested.
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| | > Workforce monitoring 2008/2009 (pdf file 306.0kb) |
| | Decision: |
| | | The Committee noted the report. |
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| 329 | PROPOSED CAREER FRAMEWORK AND REVISED INCENTIVES FOR CHILDREN'S SOCIAL WORK - SOCIAL WORKERS AND MANAGERS |
| | Discussion: |
| | | The Interim Assistant Director, Children's Care, submitted a report which presented a number of proposals regarding the recruitment and retention of Children's Social Work social workers and managers. The Council had faced considerable challenges regarding the recruitment and retention of qualified social workers for a number of years, owing to a national shortage and also the Council's proximity to higher paying neighbouring boroughs. In March 2009, the Lord Laming report made five specific recommendations asking for the children's social work employees to be developed to ensure effective safeguarding, and as such, the proposals in the report would contribute significantly to Medway's implementation of Laming's recommendations.
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| The report set out proposals for a revised career framework for children's Social Workers and additional payments for senior practitioners and team managers.
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| Comparative salary information and representations from UNISON were tabled at the meeting.
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| Members discussed the need to ensure that there was sufficient capacity and opportunities for staff to undertake career development to progress through the career framework. Members also discussed the comparative salary information.
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| | > Proposed career framework and revised incentives for children's social work, social workers and managers (pdf file 199.7kb) |
| | Decision: |
| | | | (1) | The Committee agreed the implementation of the career progression framework for the main grade social workers with effect from 1 December 2009.
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| | (2) | The Committee agreed additional responsibilities payments of £3,500 a year to Team Managers and £3,000 a year to Senior Practitioners in the Duty and Long-term teams in recognition of their front-line safeguarding duties with effect from 1 December 2009.
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| | (3) | The Committee agreed that the transitional arrangements for dealing with the phasing out of the market premia scheme and assimilation arrangements for the basic social work grade be delegated to the Director of Children and Adults.
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| | (4) | The Committee agreed that officers set up a system of early alerts regarding staff who feel they are not being offered the opportunities to take further qualifications and progress within the Authority.
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| 330 | ALLOCATIONS OF SEATS ON THE JOINT CONSULTATIVE COMMITTEE |
| | Discussion: |
| | | The Head of Democratic Services submitted a report which set out the position regarding the allocation of seats on the Joint Consultative Committee (JCC) following the creation of the Independent Group and the by-election in Luton and Wayfield ward in September 2009. It was noted that whilst the Independent Group was entitled to a seat on any bodies comprising a membership of seven, it had chosen not to take up a seat on the Employment Matters Committee and accepted that it was appropriate for the Labour Group to preserve two seats in the JCC. |
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| | > Allocations of seats on the Joint Consultative Committee (pdf file 70.3kb) |
| | Decision: |
| | | The Committee agreed the composition and membership of the Joint Consultative Committee as set out in paragraph 2.3 of the report for the remainder of the municipal year. |
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