Agenda and minutes

Venue: Council Chamber

Contact: Olwen Heap 

Items
No. Item

736.

Apologies for absence

Minutes:

Apologies from the meeting were received from Councillors D Peat and S Rainford.

737.

To approve the minutes of the previous meeting pdf icon PDF 207 KB

Minutes:

The minutes of the meeting held on 12 January 2022 were approved as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.

738.

Declarations of disclosable pecuniary and non pecuniary interests

Members are reminded of their responsibility to declare any disclosable pecuniary or non-pecuniary interest in respect of matters contained in the agenda.

Minutes:

There were no declarations of pecuniary and non-pecuniary interest.

 

739.

Public participation

Minutes:

There was no public participation.

740.

Reports from representatives on outside bodies

Minutes:

There were no reports from representatives on outside bodies.

741.

Exclusion of Press and Public

Minutes:

That by virtue of the next items of business being exempt information under paragraph 1 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act the press and public be now excluded from the meeting.

742.

General Staffing Update

Report of Director of Resources enclosed.

Minutes:

The Director of Resources submitted a report informing members of general staffing matters since the last committee meeting. The report included information on appointments and resignations, internal movements, establishment changes, training and retirements.

 

The report noted that seven new staff had been appointed between 16 December 2021 and 15 February 2022 and that there had been seven leavers and one retirement in the same period.

 

RESOLVED THAT COMMITTEE:

 

1.    Note and approve the decisions taken by CMT and the Chairman as outlined in the report, and

 

2.    Wite letters of thanks to the staff who have left the Council, where appropriate.

743.

Analysis of Exit Interviews

Report of Director of Resources enclosed.

Minutes:

The Director of Resources submitted a report providing members with information relating to staff who has left Ribble Valley Borough Council between 1 January 2021 and 31 December 2021.

 

Members were reminded that exit interviews are conducted as a means of obtaining feedback from members of staff leaving the organisation and are a helpful tool in improving recruitment and retention strategies for the future.

744.

Update on National Pay Negotiations

Report of Director of Resources enclosed.

Minutes:

The Director of Resources submitted a report advising members of the outcome of the pay negotiations for 2021/22 for council staff.

 

On 28 February 2022 notification had been received from the National Employers that agreement had been reached on the pay award for local government services employees. Salaries would be updated for the new rates of pay in the March pay run with back pay payments being made in the April pay run. This concluded the pay negotiations for 2021/22 and the negotiations for 2022/23 had now started.

 

(The Chief Executive and committee clerk left the meeting)

745.

Report of Pay Review working group

Report of Head of HR enclosed.

Minutes:

 

The Head of HR reported on discussions that had taken place at a meeting of the Pay Structure Working Group, following the resolution taken at last committee that the group should be reconvened to look at Chief Executive and Chief Officer pay.  The group had looked at benchmark salary data and pay differentials.  In addition, the group had also looked at untaken leave and excess flexi levels of staff as the Council approached year end.  Personnel committee discussed the report in some detail.

 

RESOLVED THAT COMMITTEE:

 

1.    Agree that one additional increment be added to the salary scale for the Chief Executive and Chief Officers respectively, and that any future review of Chief Executive/Chief Officer pay be based on some form of evidenced based assessment;

 

2.    Agree that the subsequent increases in pay for the Chief Executive and Chief Officers be backdated to 1 October 2021;

 

3.    Ask that performance appraisals of the Chief Executive and Chief Officers, and subsequently all staff, as soon as possible;

 

4.    Agree that all staff with between 10 and 20 days untaken leave as at 31 March 2022 be allowed to cash in some or all of their days;

 

5.    Agree that any staff with over 20 days untaken leave as at 31 March 2022 should either cash in the surplus leave or it will be lost;

 

6.    Agree that any staff who had flexi in excess of 3 days – 21.75hrs (pro rata for part time staff) at the flexi period ending 4 March 2022 be allowed to cash in any hours above that level;

 

7.    Agree that from 1 May 2022 the Council revert to normal rules for maximum flexi carry over at the end of any flexi period, ie 2 days maximum (pro rata for part time staff);

 

8.    Agree that any costs arising from 4, 5, 6 and 7 above be funded from Covid monies; and

 

9.    Ask that the above recommendations be submitted to the next meeting of Policy and Finance Committee for approval.