Agenda and minutes

The Committee is asked to note any apologies for absence and substitutions received from Members.

Apologies for absence were submitted on behalf of Councillors Calver and S A Honeywood. There were no substitutes.

To confirm and sign as a correct record, the minutes of the last meeting of the Committee, held on Thursday 7 July 2022.

It was moved by Councillor Baker, seconded by Councillor Griffithsand:-

RESOLVED that the Minutes of the last meeting of the Committee, held on Thursday 7 July 2022, be approved as a correct record and be signed by the Chairman.

Councillors are invited to declare any Disclosable Pecuniary Interests or Personal Interest, and the nature of it, in relation to any item on the agenda.

Councillor Griffiths stated for the public record that he was a member of the GMB union and a Shop steward but that he had no involvement with Tendring District Council in that capacity.

Subject to providing two working days’ notice, a Member of the Committee may ask the Chairman of the Committee a question on any matter in relation to which the Council has powers or duties which affect the Tendring District and which falls within the terms of reference of the Committee.

No Questions on Notice pursuant to Council Procedure Rule 38 had been submitted on this occasion.

To update the Human Resources and Council Tax Committee on the work that has been undertaken to date, and activities planned, to support the armed forces/veteran community; including Tendring District Council’s participation in the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme.

The Committee gave consideration to a report of the Assistant Director (Partnerships) (A.1) which updated it work that had been undertaken to date, and activities planned, to support the armed forces/veteran community; including Tendring District Council’s (TDC) participation in the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS).

Members were aware that the ERS encouraged employers to support Defence personnel and to inspire others to do the same. The scheme encompassed bronze, silver and gold awards for employer organisations that pledged, demonstrated or advocated support to Defence and the armed forces community, and aligned their values with the Armed Forces Covenant (the Armed Forces Covenant was a promise by the nation ensuring that those who served or who had served in the armed forces, and their families, were treated with fairness and respect in the communities, economy and society they served or had served with their lives).

Councillor Chris Amos had been appointed as TDC’s Armed Forces Member Champion in 2017 and he attended meetings of the Civil Military Partnership Board (Essex).

The Committee was reminded that TDC had renewed its commitment to the Armed Forces Covenant in February 2022, in a decision made by the Leader of the Council; which had recognised the value serving personnel, reservists, veterans (including our Chief Executive) and military families brought to the Authority and local community. The covenant focussed on helping members of the armed forces community to have the same access to Government and commercial services and products as any other citizen. This support was provided in a number of areas including:

§  Education and family well-being;

§  Having a home;

§  Starting a new career;

§  Access to healthcare;

§  Financial assistance; and

§  Discounted services.

Members recalled that, at the last update provided to this Committee in February 2019, the Council had held ERS Bronze award status, and was working with the Armed Forces Development Officer at Colchester Borough Council to attain Silver status; which this Authority had been successful in achieving in Summer 2019.

Since then this Council had continued to demonstrate its commitment in this regard, and in July 2022 TDC had received Gold status in the ERS scheme. Gold criteria were more stringent than for Silver, including promoting the scheme to other employers. It included:-

§  must have signed the Armed Forces Covenant;

§  the employer must have already stated their intent to be supportive by using the ERS website to register at the Bronze level;

§  the employer must proactively demonstrate that service personnel/armed forces community are not unfairly disadvantaged as part of their recruitment and selection processes;

§  the employer must actively ensure that their workforce is aware of their positive policies towards defence people issues. For example, an employer nominated for support to the Reserves must have an internally publicised and positive HR policy on Reserves;

§  within the context of Reserves the employer must have demonstrated support to mobilisations or have a framework in place. They must demonstrate support to training  ...  view the full minutes text for item 15.

To present the revised Work Placement Procedure to the Human Resources & Council Tax Committee. The purpose of this procedure is primarily to detail the Authority’s work placement arrangements to ensure that the Council remains compliant with legislation and adheres to best practice.

The Committee considered a report of the Assistant Director (Partnerships) (A.2) which presented it with the revised Work Placement Procedure. The intention of that procedure was primarily to detail the Authority’s work placement arrangements in order to ensure that the Council remained compliant with legislation and adhered to best practice.

Members were made aware that the purpose of updating the Work Placement Procedure was to ensure that the procedure was clear and covered all legislative requirements to support an effective work placement arrangement for Tendring District Council. 

The procedure aimed to provide information about Tendring District Council’s work placement process and what measures were put in place to assess the risk and ensure that all safeguarding measures were in place. It was also designed to provide the framework to enable a positive work placement.

The Procedure set out:-

·      a clear description of the Council’s commitment and definition towards Work Placements;

·      an overview of Tendring District Council’s Work Placement scheme;

·      risk assessment and safeguarding requirements; and

·      supporting documentation for the procedure.

In addition, it provided specific guidance to support managers who wished to take on a Work Placement individual.

The Committee was informed that UNISON had been consulted on the revised Work Placement Procedure and had offered its agreement with, and support for, the revision of this procedure.

In order to ensure that the Council maintained its high standard of procedures that supported local young people in gaining valuable experience and understanding of a work environment:-

It was moved by Councillor Morrison, seconded by Councillor Bakerand:-

RESOLVED that the Human Resources and Council Tax Committee notes and endorses the updated Work Placement Procedure.

The Committee is asked to consider passing the following resolution:

“That under Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the press and public be excluded from the meeting during consideration of Agenda Items 8, 9 and 10 on the grounds that it involves the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in paragraphs 3 and 4 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A, as amended, of the Act.”

It was moved by Councillor Baker, seconded by Councillor Griffithsand:-

RESOLVED that under Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the press and public be excluded from the meeting during consideration of Agenda Items 8, 9 and 10 on the grounds that they involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in paragraphs 3 and 4 of part 1 of Schedule 12A, as amended, of the Act.”

To confirm and sign as a correct record, the exempt minute of the last meeting of the Committee, held on Thursday 7 July 2022.

It was moved by Councillor Griffiths, seconded by Councillor Amosand:-

RESOLVED that the Exempt Minute of the last meeting of the Committee, held on Thursday 7 July 2022, be approved as a correct record and be signed by the Chairman.

To provide the Human Resources and Council Tax Committee with an overview of the findings from the Salary and Market Review Report that has been commissioned from the East of England Local Government Association (EELGA). The report also provides recommendations for the Committee to consider.

RESOLVED that the Committee -

(a)    notes the findings of the EELGA report; and

(b)    notes that it may be asked to support market forces requests for the roles highlighted to which this has not yet been applied.

To put forward proposals for a Market Forces Supplement to support the retention and recruitment of qualified Human Resources officers.

RESOLVED that -

(a)    the Market Forces Supplement be applied with immediate effect to the posts within Human Resources requiring either the Advanced Diploma or the Associate Diploma in People Management qualification(s);

(b)    the application of the Market Forces Supplement is discretionary and will be decided by the Assistant Director (Partnerships), in consultation with the Chief Executive as the Head of Paid Service; and

(c)    the Supplement be applied for a period of up to two years.