Agenda and decisions

This is where Councillors who are attending as substitutes will say for whom they are attending.

Apologies for absence were noted on behalf of Councillor John Taylor.

Members of the Committee also welcomed Deborah Lucas, the new Head of People Services, to her first Personnel Committee meeting.

To approve the Minutes of the meeting of the Committee held on 18 December 2017.

The minutes of the Personnel Committee meeting held on 18 December 2017 were approved.

The Councillors will be asked to say if there are any items on the Agenda in which they have disclosable pecuniary interests, which would prevent them from participating in any discussion of the items or participating in any vote upon the items, or any other interests.

None declared.

Most debates take place in public. This only changes when there is a need to consider certain issues, for instance, commercially sensitive information or details concerning an individual. You will be told at this point whether there are any items on the Agenda which are to be discussed in private.

Members resolved to consider items 9-11 in private session, as they contain exempt information. The details and reasons are set out at the start of each item. 

The Committee will hear any questions from the general public.

No questions were received.

To consider questions from Councillors.

No questions were received.

The Committee will receive any petitions and hear any deputations from members of the public.

A deputation is where up to five people can attend the meeting and make a presentation on some particular issue of concern. A member of the public can also hand in a petition at the meeting but that petition should relate to something on which the body has powers and responsibilities.

In accordance with Council Procedure Rule 10 (2), Members of the Public should provide at least 24 hours’ notice of presenting a deputation.  

No deputations or petitions were received.

The Personnel Committee agreed to consider the following items in private.

RESOLVED - That acting under Section 100(A)(4) of the Local Government Act, 1972, the public be excluded from the meeting for the following items of business on the grounds that they involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Act, as specifically stated in the under mentioned minutes.

To receive an update on developments in the period since the Personnel Committee on 18 December 2017.

Contact: Debra Ladlow and Deborah Lucas – Tel: 01484 221000

Members of the Personnel Committee agreed to:-

(1). Receive this progress report

(2). Request Karl Battersby and Deborah Lucas to follow up on the outcome of the Employee Relations Sub Committee, as set out in the decision letter from Councillor Graham Turner, the Chair of the Sub Committee, to the joint secretaries for the management and trade union sides

(3). Request officers to prepare a progress report on (2) above and the next steps surrounding the work on the independent assessment of refuse collection services e.g. the participants, the terms of reference and the timescales, in time for the next Personnel Committee in March 2018 (Date tbc)

(4). Ask Deborah Lucas to follow up on the concerns raised by members of the committee about the communications and correspondence from Kirklees Unison.

To receive an update on developments in the period since the Personnel Committee on 18 December 2017.

Contact: Jacqui Gedman Tel: 01484 221000

Members of the Personnel Committee agreed to:-

(1). Note the update provided regarding developments and posts in Kirklees Children’s Services

(2). Note plans to recruit to the position of Service Director for Learning and Early Support, which will involve a member appointment panel, based on a ratio of 2.1.1

(3). Ask Jacqui Gedman to pursue option (a) to fill the position of Section 151 Officer on an interim basis and as soon as is possible. A member appointment panel, based on a ratio of 2.1.1, will be convened, if required. Progress to be shared with the Personnel Committee in March 2018 (Date tbc)

(4). Ask Jacqui Gedman to provide councillors with an updated version of the senior management structure chart as soon as is possible given the pending appointments.

(5). Ask Jacqui Gedman and Deborah Lucas for an update report for the next Personnel Committee in March 2018 (date tbc) on the management of sickness absence across the Council.

To consider an update on changes in the service.

The Personnel Committee will also be asked to convene a sub committee at the end of its meeting on 13 February 2018, to consider an appointment to one of these posts.

Contact: Richard Parry Tel: 01484 221000

Members of the Personnel Committee agreed with the recommendations in the report, that:-

(1). Having considered the options set out in paragraph 3.5 of the report, the Personnel Committee supports option 2

(2). Following on from (2) above, the Personnel Committee agreed to establish a sub committee to consider the re-appointment of Sue Richards on a part time basis (18.5 hours per week) on a fixed term contract until 31 December 2019 to the post of Service Director - Community Plus and Integration.

(NOTE: In light of this decision, a sub committee took place to confirm this appointment. Notice for this potential meeting was provided via the agenda for the Personnel Committee)

(3). The Personnel Committee approves the changes in the Adult Social Care management structure within existing overall establishment levels to ensure that there is sufficient Service Director capacity to manage operational pressures and service improvement and transformation in Adults Social Care.

(4). Having considered the options set out in paragraph 4.4 of the report to secure additional Service Director capacity, the Personnel Committee supports option 2, which involve an approach to the Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) to consider establishing a joint post

(5). Following on from (4) above, the Personnel Committee agrees that Richard Parry put in place the appropriate recruitment arrangements to secure the additional Service Director capacity as soon as is possible. A member appointment panel, based on a ratio of 2.1.1, will be convened, as appropriate.

(6). In light of the decisions set out above (1) to (6) Jacqui Gedman and Richard Parry to prepare a progress report for the Personnel Committee in Spring 2018, to explain how these arrangements and proposals are developing in reality and the timescales involved in making any permanent appointments.

(7). Jacqui Gedman and Deborah Lucas to prepare a report for a future Personnel Committee meeting on succession planning in the Council, in particular relating to senior management and how we might best retain and/or transfer knowledge, experience and skills so that these are not lost from the Council .