Agenda and minutes

Resolved:-  That under Section 100(A) 4 of the Local Government Act 1972, the public be excluded from the meeting for the following item(s) of business on the grounds that it/they involve(s) the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Paragraph 2 of Part 1 of Schedule 12(A) of such Act indicated, as now amended by the Local Government (Access to Information) (Variation) Order 2006 (information which is likely to reveal the identity of an individual). 

Consideration was given to a report, presented by the Strategic Director of Children and Young People’s Services, concerning the review of the retention payments for Social Workers within the Children and Young People’s Services Directorate and proposing slight amendments to the scheme.

Discussion took place on:-

: the cost of social workers supplied via agency agreements;

: the recruitment of social workers from within the United Kingdom and abroad;

: the development, training and retention of social workers already employed by this Council;  and

: specific issues in respect of the recruitment and retention of Team Managers.

Resolved:- (1) That the report be received and its contents noted.

(2) That, with effect from 1st November, 2016 the current annual, single payment be paid in two parts, the first (equal to 5% of gross basic pay) to be paid monthly as a market supplement and the remaining 2.5% of basic pay to be paid as a single sum after twelve months’ satisfactory performance in the previous year.

(3) That the currently designated ‘retention’ payment (of 10% of basic pay) for Heads of Service within Children’s Services continue to be paid on a monthly basis.

(4) That where an employee is subject to a one-off absence related event (such as an operation) and otherwise has a below target sickness record in the three previous years, an Assistant Director in consultation with the Head of Human Resources, may agree to allow the final payment providing the employee’s performance otherwise meets the required criteria.

(5) That parameters shall be established for the introduction of a “Refer a Friend” payment scheme, to pay existing employees a total of £500 upon successful recruitment of referred applicants (the first £250 upon appointment of the ‘friend’, the second £250 payable upon successful completion of the probation period).

(6) That the application of the amended recruitment payments scheme (as described above) to Team Manager posts, shall be the subject of further consideration by the Staffing Committee, at a future meeting, should the need arise.