Agenda and minutes

Consideration was given to the minutes of the previous meeting held on 14^th April, 2014.

Resolved:-  That the minutes of the meeting held on 14^th April, 2014 be approved as a correct record.

Consideration was given to the representatives on outside bodies and sub-groups that fell into the remit of nomination to the Deputy Leader.

Resolved:-  That the following appointments be made:-

Adoption Panel:-

Councillors Havenhand and Sharman plus one other Member.

Fostering Panel:-

Councillor Sharman plus one other Member.

Redbarn Management Group:-

Councillor Burton plus one other Member.

Rotherham Holiday Aid: -

Councillor Beaumont.

Rotherham Children, Young People and Families’ Partnership:-

Councillor Lakin, Deputy Leader, along with Councillor Roche plus one other Member.

Rotherham Local Safeguarding Children Board:-

Councillor Lakin, Deputy Leader

Think Family Steering Group: -

Councillor Lakin, Deputy Leader, along with Councillor Beaumont plus one other Member.

Local Admissions Forum: -

Councillors Havenhand and Beaumont plus one other Member.

Visits to Children’s Establishments: -

Councillor Lakin, Deputy Leader together with Advisers.

Chairperson and Vice-Chairperson of the Improving Lives Select Commission.

Ward Councillors.

Corporate Parenting Panel: -

Councillor Lakin, Deputy Leader together with: -

Councillor Doyle, Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care.

Councillor Havenhand plus one other Member, representatives of the Adoption Panel

Councillor Sharman, representative of the Fostering Panel.

Councillor G. A. Russell, Chairperson of the Improving Lives Select Commission. 

Councillor Dodson, representing the Improving Lives Select Commission (substitute for the Chairperson of the Improving Lives Select Commission). 

Councillor C. Vines, Representative of the Opposition.   

Transport (Education) Appeals Panel: -

Councillors Dodson, Gosling, J. Hamilton, Roche, Sharman and Whelbourn plus one other Member.

Yorkshire and Humberside Children and Young People Lead Member Network: -

Councillor Lakin, Deputy Leader (Chair).

Consideration was given to a report presented by Phil Howe, Director of Human Resources, which provided an overview of the impact of Human Resources policies, procedures and activities on the Council workforce during 2013/14.

The budget challenges facing the Council (and the need to achieve reductions in workforce costs) have required organisational redesign, changes to working practices and changes to Human Resources (HR) policies.  Successful management of workforce costs continued to keep the number of compulsory redundancies to a minimum and reduced the impact of budget cuts on the delivery of front line services.

A £3.8m reduction in 2013/14 had taken recurrent savings (since reductions began in 2010) to over £27m a year for non-school related staffing.  The report illustrated in detail a breakdown by Management level, Directorate and Front Facing/Support services.

Despite major changes across the Council over the last few years the number of grievances lodged by employees continued to be well below benchmarks whilst employee engagement and involvement remained positive and similar to the high levels of the previous employee survey.

A continued focus on key workforce activity had helped to maintain a relatively positively engaged workforce, whilst successfully achieving significant organisational change despite losing over 1200 jobs from the Council.

A summary of workforce activity managed and supported by Human Resources in the last year, and other areas directly by service management, under the various themes of the Workforce Strategy were provided and were set out in more detail as part of the report.

·                Ensuring we have a modern and thriving Council.

·                Developing leadership capacity through change.

·                Developing our employees’ skills for the future.

·                Managing talent and attracting new talent as appropriate.

·                Ensuring we have a fairly rewarded workforce.

Discussion ensued on the use of agency staff and it was confirmed where appropriate an internal ‘bank’ arrangement was established to help maintain delivery of cost-effective service priorities. 

Further information was provided on the positive work placement and  apprenticeship schemes.

Work was continuing  on succession planning initiatives moving forward, given the changes to the Local Government Pension Scheme and where it was now possible for employees to access pension benefits from age 55 rather than 60 under the previous scheme. 

An update was also provided on the progress of the implementation of a local  Living Wage in Rotherham.

Resolved:- (1)  That the continuity high level of employee engagement/involvement be noted.

(2) That the key Human Resources activity be noted.

(3)  That the £3.8 million reduction in workforce costs be noted.

Consideration was given to the report presented by the Joy Hobson Principal Finance Officer, Children and Young People’s Services, that outlined the Children and Young People’s Services Directorate unaudited provisional Outturn (excluding schools and PRU delegated budgets) which was +£8,782 over spent (+0.02%).

After adjusting for the write off of deficit balances of schools converting to academies (Swinton Brookfield Primary and Rawmarsh School: A Sports College) for 2013/14 the revised over spend was now £347,733 (+0.75%).

Allowing for the carry forward of surplus balances on trading accounts (details included within the report) in accordance with Council policy the overall overspend was +£651,356. (1.4%)

The outturn position showed an improvement of -£117k on the February, 2014 reported budget monitoring position.

Considerable, concerted proactive management actions have been taken to contain, and where possible, reduce the outturn position during 2013/14.  Within this financial year, these actions would have helped the service avoid £721K of costs that would otherwise have been incurred. 

The table within the report summarised the outturn against approved budgets for each service division and an analysis of the main variances and the underlying reasons beneath them were provided, the detail of which was set out in the report submitted.

Discussion and questions were raised and answered on issues relating to:-

·                The write off of deficit balances of schools converting to academies.

·                Maximising the use of grants and the moratorium on spend and the implications on budgets and workforce reform of changes already agreed.

·                Costs associated with out of authority residential placements.

·                Proactive management actions reducing the in-year outturn position.

·                Increased agency costs and the need to deliver statutory services.

·                Associated consultancy costs.

·                Budget allocation for Looked After Children.

Resolved:-  (1)  That the report be received.

(2)  That a further report be submitted on the planned use of school balances.

(3)  That the Trading Services surpluses to be carried forward to 2014/15 be noted.

Phil Howe, Director of Human Resources, reported on:-

(a)       Confirmed strike action by Unison and the N.U.T. on Thursday, 10^th July, 2014.  Other Trade Union ballot results for this same day of action were still awaited.  Advice and staff briefing notes had been circulated. 

(b)       The window for voluntary severance would be re-opened for a short period with a view to approving those employees who would be allowed to leave the Local Authority in August, 2014.

(c)       Christmas 2014 – consideration was being given to the use of one day’s annual leave to cover the 2^nd January, 2015 and the Council having to open up buildings for one day.  Consultation was being taken with SLT and Trade Unions on this matter.

(d)       Annual pension performance data had just been received to indicate that Rotherham had come out top, closely followed by Doncaster, whose records are processed by us here in Rotherham under the HR & Payroll transactional services shared service .

(e)       Rotherham HR & Payroll service had also successfully processed all the additional work commissioned to process election payments for Rotherham, Doncaster and Sheffield following the recent elections in May, 2014.

Resolved:-  That the information be noted.

Consideration was given to a request for attendance at the Managing Community Buildings and Assets Conference at The Dalmeny Hotel, Lytham St Anne's on 27^th - 29th June 2014.

Resolved:-  That Councillor Wyatt be authorised to attend and for this to be funded from the Members’ Training and Development Budget.

Resolved:-  That the next meeting of the Deputy Leader and Advisers take place on Tuesday, 15^th July, 2014 at 9.00 a.m.