Agenda and minutes

Venue: Fire Conference Room - Fire Service HQ, Clemonds Hey, Winsford, Cheshire, CW7 2UA. View directions

Contact: Donna Linton  Governance and Corporate Planning Manager

Items
No. Item

1.

PROCEDURAL MATTERS

1A

Recording of Meeting

Members are reminded that this meeting will be audio-recorded.

 

Minutes:

Members were reminded that this meeting will be audio-recorded.

1B

Apologies for Absence

Minutes:

Apologies for absence were received from Councillor B Rudd.

1C

Declaration of Members' Interests

Members are reminded that the Members’ Code of Conduct requires the disclosure of Statutory Disclosable Pecuniary Interests, Non-Statutory Disclosable Pecuniary Interests and Disclosable Non-Pecuniary Interests.

Minutes:

There were no declarations of interest.

1D

Minutes of the last meeting of the Staffing Committee pdf icon PDF 90 KB

To approve the minutes of the Staffing Committee held on 17th September 2018

 

Minutes:

RESOLVED That:

The minutes of the Staffing Committee held on 17th September 2018 be confirmed as a correct record.

2.

Workforce Planning Update pdf icon PDF 428 KB

Minutes:

Consideration was given to a report from the Head of Service Delivery which provided an update which identified predicted operational establishment levels up to 2024-25. The report also contained recommendations in respect of mitigating potential medium term shortfall in staffing levels.

Andy Royle, Group Manager - Emergency Response Programme and Ursula Jones, Business Partner – Joint Police and Fire Corporate Services were in attendance and gave a presentation which detailed the Routine Establishment Activity and Workforce Planning Processes.

A Member commented that recently a number of operational staff had recently left the Service to join other fire and rescue services as part of an Inter-Service Transfer application process and asked how Cheshire could retain trained staff moving forward. In response, the Chief Fire Officer and Chief Executive advised that the main reason for staff transferring was to move to a service closer to their home. However, the Service was losing trained and experienced staff. To reduce this risk the Service may consider introducing a staff retention policy following further discussions with officers and Members.

The Committee welcomed the report and requested that a Work Force Planning Update was submitted to the Staffing Committee on an annual basis.

RESOLVED That:

[1]       The Workforce Planning Update be noted.

[2]       The recommendations contained in paragraphs 10 to 13.3 of the report be approved.

[3]       That an update on Workforce Planning be submitted to the Staffing Committee on an annual basis.

3.

People Strategy Update 2019-2022 pdf icon PDF 66 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Consideration was given to a report from the Director of Transformation which sought approval of the draft People Strategy for 2019-2022 for wider consultation with staff groups.

The Strategy had been established to take into account a number of national and local level developments and provided a strategic approach to improve the culture of the Service through its people practices and processes.

The draft Strategy contained key underpinning principles. The challenges and objectives were structured to mirror the established ‘Steps’ framework, which assigned priorities and objectives into the three key stages of employment; Step In, Step Forward and Step Up. The Strategy then concluded by outlining governance and delivery measures.

The Director of Transformation reported that following wider consultation with staff groups the document would be submitted to Members for formal approval.

RESOLVED That:

[1]       The draft People Strategy for 2019-22, as detailed at Appendix A of the report, be approved for wider consultation with staff groups.

[2]       The People Strategy for 2019-22 be submitted to Members for formal approval following consultation and development.

4.

Staff Survey Corporate Action Plan Update pdf icon PDF 66 KB

Minutes:

Consideration was given to a report from the Director of Transformation which provided an update on progress against the corporate action plan developed to address the outcomes of the 2017 Staff Engagement Survey.

Members were advised that following the 2017 Staff Engagement Survey, officers had undertaken an exercise to solicit feedback from across the organisation to determine if the results mirrored the experiences of the staff and to inform the development of an action plan aimed at dealing with key issues. This resulted in the development of both local action plans and a corporate action plan to address the findings of the Staff Engagement Survey.

Progress against the corporate action plan was monitored regularly at meetings of the Staff Engagement Group and it was agreed that progress against the corporate action plan would also be reported to Staffing Committee on a six-monthly basis.

The Director of Transformation and Members had a discussion on each of the key themes, namely, recognition and feeling valued; management accessibility and visibility; communication and change; and common sense principles.

RESOLVED That:

[1]       The Staff Survey Corporate Action Plan Update is noted.

5.

Exclusion of Press and Public pdf icon PDF 52 KB

Minutes:

RESOVED That:

That under Section 100(A) (4) of the Local Government Act 1972, as amended by the Local Government (Access to Information) Order 2006, the press and public be excluded from the meeting for the items of business listed below on the grounds that they involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Schedule 12 A to the Act in the paragraphs indicated:

Item 6: Disciplinary and Grievance Update

Paragraph(s)

(1)   Information relating to any individual.                                         

(2)   Information relating to any consultations or negotiations, or contemplated consultations or negotiations, in connection with any labour relations matter arising between the authority or a Minister of the Crown and employees and employees of, or office holders under, the authority.

6.

Disciplinary and Grievance Update

Minutes:

The Director of Transformation was in attendance and provided an update on  current disciplinary and grievance activity.

RESOLVED That:

[1] The update be noted.