Issue - meetings

The Committee noted that the Report had not been notified for inclusion within the statutory deadline.  The Chairman agreed to accept the item onto the agenda as a matter requiring urgent consideration to enable the Committee to consider the conclusions of the Corporate Peer Challenge Follow up Visit.

The Strategic Director: Resources introduced the report.

In reply to Members’ questions the Strategic Director: Resources responded that:

(i)            The timetable for the submission of the revised Constitution for Member scrutiny was in the process of being decided upon.  The revised draft would be available in December and a joint meeting of the Audit Committee and The Overview and Scrutiny Committee would be held early in the New Year.

(ii)           The new People Strategy/Workforce Plan was explained including the review of business travel, effects of staff turnover and increases in staff absence attributed to stress.  As part of the delivery of the Council Strategy staff would be recruited to support different stages of the life of a project through fixed term contracts.  The Council would aim to be a flexible employer to compete in the recruitment market and a recent Personnel Committee paper set out plans to deliver this.

(iii)          A Transformation Programme would commence in February 2019 with service reviews.  The action plan would be progressed in conjunction with staff, with staff briefings being held. A Staff Forum was also being established and other measures put in place to help ensure that services were efficient and effective and that staff were clear on the direction of travel of the Council.

(iv)         The Residents Survey was currently being procured and would be launched in January 2019.

(v)          An update on progress against the peer review action plan would be included in the Quarter 3 Governance Monitoring Report in March 2019.

RESOLVED:

That the comments made by the LGA Peer Challenge Team as set out in Appendix 1 of the Report be noted.