Agenda and minutes

Consideration was given to the report presented by the Assistant Director, Human Resources and Organisational Development, which provided detail of GMB’s Work to Stop Domestic Abuse Charter.

The Charter set out measures that GMB would like employers to put in place to support employees that were experiencing Domestic Abuse; enabling them to access support services and information confidentially.

Further details were provided on the statistics related to persons who had experienced domestic abuse as per the Crime Survey for England and Wales, the number of recorded incidents, arrests and convictions and the contexts of abuse.  The recorded incidents in Rotherham were also highlighted.

GMB were, therefore, seeking authority to work with employers to put in place access to support services and for them to take all reasonable measures to protect employees suffering abuse being disadvantaged in the workplace and to qualify employers must agree to five standards, which were set out in detail as part of the report.

The Committee noted, therefore, that the Council’s current practices were already in line with the key principles of the Charter and supported by Health and Safety legislation designed to ensure that workers have the right to work in a safe environment where risks to health and wellbeing were considered and dealt with effectively.

In addition, the Council also provided advice and guidance through specialist employees in the Independent Domestic Advisory Service situated in Adult Services and employees have access to support from the employee assistance programme provided as part of the Occupational Health contract.  

It was also noted that three quarters of the Council’s workforce lived in Rotherham and the Council worked with partner organisations through the Rotherham Safer Partnership to protect children, young people and families from all forms of abuse, violence and neglect.

Discussion ensued on the impact of such abuse on the Council, the level of resources available to safeguard this support, how this Charter already linked in with the wider partnership working and how this would be promoted moving forward.

Resolved:-  (1)  That Council be recommended to approve the authority being a signatory to GMB’s Work to Stop Domestic Abuse Charter.

(2)  That details of how the Council currently meets the aims of the Charter, how it supports the Council Plan priorities,  safeguarding principles and the work of the Rotherham Safer Partnership be noted.