Agenda item

(a)       That the Committee endorses the revised People Strategy 2016-2019 including the vision, outcomes and priorities and the specific roles and responsibilities of Human Resources and Development, Chief Officers, Managers/Supervisors and employees, in implementing this strategy;

(b)       That the Committee supports the development of a detailed action plan which will be shared in draft for comment before being taken to Cabinet; and

(c)       That the Committee invites period performance reports against key success measures (twice per annum).

The Senior Manager, Human Resources and Organisational Development presented the draft People Strategy 2016-2019 which built on the foundations of previous work and incorporated the findings of an independent assessment of corporate services.

Work on the Strategy had involved a wider stakeholder group and set out roles and responsibilities across the workforce.  The Strategy was intended for more wider use and the Council’s approach was viewed as good practice by other authorities.  A clear vision was set out to manage future changes with key outcomes aimed at supporting the achievement of the Council’s Improvement Priorities.  The development of a detailed action plan would enable the delivery of each of the five key strategic objectives.

The Chief Executive thanked the Committee for its past role in helping develop the Strategy and spoke about the need for a wide level of ownership. Of the five themes, ‘Developing Workforce and Leadership Capacity’ and ‘Managing Performance’ were considered the most stable whilst ‘Planning the Workforce of the Future’ and ‘Recognition and Reward’ were viewed as more challenging due to the difficulties of recruitment and retention in a competitive job market.

Councillor Robin Guest paid tribute to the work of the late, former Chief Officer (People & Resources) and said that pressures on the workforce should not be underestimated.  Following a query, it was stated that national Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) were under review and that only one on attendance management/absence applied in this case.  The Senior Manager spoke about the aim to increase participation on the management development programme which would impact positively on all areas.

Councillor Billy Mullin thanked the Senior Manager and her team for their work and highlighted the importance of individual responsibility across the workforce on appraisal completion.

In response to a question from Councillor Richard Jones on the reported number of leavers in Social Services, it was explained that this was due to the way in which seasonal workers had historically been categorised on the system and that there would be consistency in future reporting.

The Chief Executive highlighted the recruitment of experienced Social Workers as a risk area whilst the difficulties in recruiting to social care was recognised regionally and nationally.

On the theme of leadership capacity, Councillor Paul Shotton asked about engagement with Coleg Cambria on management programmes.  The Senior Manager reported a significant increase in the cohort for the programme with additional programmes now being sought.  The Chief Executive spoke about the mentoring of individual managers following structural reviews and reappointments, and remained concerned about resilience and succession planning within a leaner workforce.

Councillor Arnold Woolley asked about the Council’s ability to cope with any potential mental stresses on the workforce as a result of increasing pressures.  The Senior Manager explained the proactive approach involving management training programmes to help identify stress and easy access to the Occupational Health Unit to enable targeted interventions.

RESOLVED:

(a)       That the Committee endorses the revised People Strategy 2016-2019 including the vision, outcomes and priorities and the specific roles and responsibilities of Human Resources and Development, Chief Officers, Managers/Supervisors and employees, in implementing this strategy;

(b)       That the Committee supports the development of a detailed action plan which will be shared in draft for comment before being taken to Cabinet; and

(c)       That the Committee invites period performance reports against key success measures (twice per annum).