northlincs.gov.uk

199 (66) VIREMENTS 2008 – 2009 – The Service Director Finance submitted a report seeking approval for changes to the revenue budget for 2008-09.

On 20 February 2008 Council approved the revenue and capital budgets for 2008/2009 financial year (minute 1545 refers). Since then various developments had been approved which needed to be reflected in the budget to assist proper financial control. The report gave details of virements that required Cabinet Member approval.

Resolved – (a) That the virements at paragraphs 3.1 and 3.2 approved by the Service Director Finance under delegated power be noted, and (b) that the permanent virements outlined in paragraph 3.3 of the report be approved.

200 (67) EMPLOYMENT DISPUTE RESOLUTION – The Service Director Human Resources submitted a report seeking approval for revisions to two Human Resources (HR) documents.

The Employment Protection Act 2002 (Dispute Resolution) Regulations 2004 currently required all employers to have a dispute resolution procedure and recommended a model grievance procedure.

The dignity at work policy represented good practice for dealing with more complex workplace grievances, specifically allegations of bullying, harassment or unlawful discrimination.

A government review of employment dispute resolution in Great Britain had recommended repealing the statutory dispute resolution procedures. The Employment Bill 2007 whilst not outlining the detail indicated a desire to enact the recommendations of the ‘Gibbons review’ in part by April 2009.

Whilst both documents were based upon existing statutory procedures the revisions incorporated most of the recommendations made in the ‘Gibbons review’, including committing to implementing and promoting early dispute resolution, the use of in-house mediation and a simplification of process.

Resolved – That the amended dignity at work and grievance procedures be approved and adopted.

201 (68) RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION SUPPLEMENT FOR SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT ADVISORS – The Service Director Learning, Schools and Communities submitted a report seeking approval for a recruitment and retention supplement of 10 percent to be applied to the posts of school improvement advisor and senior school improvement advisor.

The council had tried to recruit to the positions of school improvement advisor and senior school improvement advisor over the last year. Despite many attempts to do so, no appointments had been possible. A review of salaries being offered by other authorities indicated that the council was offering a lower salary. The posts were recruited from school staff, and Headteachers who had been on recruitment panels had said that the salaries offered would not recruit from the required level within schools.

The council’s policy allowed a recruitment and retention supplement to be added where relevant criteria were met. The recruitment and retention studies and the allocation of points would be reviewed on an annual basis.

Resolved – That the proposal to apply a recruitment and retention supplement of 10% to the posts of school improvement advisor and senior school improvement advisor be approved.

202 (69) PROVISION OF THE CONNEXIONS SERVICE WITHIN THE COUNCIL -The Service Director Learning, Schools and Communities submitted a report seeking approval to provide the Connexions Service within the council, and to make the necessary TUPE arrangements for the staff involved.

From April 2008 the funding for the Connexions Service was allocated to councils through the Area Based Grant. Councils were left to decide whether to provide the service “in house” or to commission the service.

Connexions Humber had provided the service for the four unitary authorities in the subregion. All four councils decided to commission the service for up to two years whilst the development of Integrated Youth Support Services became clearer.

All four councils had met during this time and discussed service development opportunities and challenges. All four were in agreement that delivery of the Connexions function from within the council presented opportunities for the development of Integrated Youth Support Services.

Resolved – (a) That the proposal that the future delivery of the Connexions Service be provided by the council be endorsed, and (b) that the staff be transferred to the council under TUPE arrangements, as outlined in the report.

203 (70) ENERGY MANAGER – The Service Director Asset Management and Culture submitted a report seeking approval for the re-establishment of the post of Energy Manager.

Until 2004, a post of Energy and Sustainability Manager formed part of the establishment of the former Property Services. The post was deleted from the establishment to meet spending targets for the service.

Since 2004, the issue of climate change had received even greater prominence, internationally, nationally and locally. Climate Change was now recognised as one of the greatest threats of the twenty-first century and was the key driver for a raft of international and national policy aimed at reducing carbon emissions.

Cabinet agreed a Climate Change Action Plan in March 2007. The action plan included for investigation the reinstatement of the Energy Manager’s post.

The report gave details of the various issues that the council currently faced and would face in the future with regards to climate change and energy management.

Resolved – That the re-establishment of the post of Energy Manager be approved.

204 (71) LEARNING DISABILITY DEVELOPMENT OFFICER – The Service Director Asset Management and Culture submitted a report seeking support to create a new temporary post of Learning Disability Development Officer.

Sport England carried out research in 2006 to identify participation levels in sport and active recreation. It showed that 52% of adults in North Lincolnshire were inactive. This meant they did less than 30 minutes a week of sport or active recreation. Amongst people with a disability, this figure rose to 76%.

Active Choices, Active Futures was the sport and active recreation strategy for North Lincolnshire. The primary aim of the strategy was to increase participation in sport and active recreation in adults by one percent a year, also to close the gap in participation by under represented groups.

Government published Valuing People in 2001, a strategy to improve services for people with a learning disability. It required local authorities and Health Services to put people with learning disabilities at the centre of the planning and delivery of services.

Resolved – That the creation of a post of Learning Disability Development Officer on a one-year fixed term contract be approved.

The following items contain exempt information as defined in paragraphs 1, 2 and 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972 (as amended).

205 (72) LEISURE SERVICES – STAFF REGRADINGS – The Service Director Asset Management and Culture submitted a report seeking approval for the regrading of two posts within Leisure Services.

Two members of staff within Leisure Services had queried the content of their current job descriptions. They considered that they failed to adequately cover the full scope of duties that they were now expected to undertake. They considered that this situation had prevailed for some time. The posts in question were Exhibitions Officer (20-21 Visual Arts Centre) and Administration Officer (North Lincolnshire Museum).

Resolved – (a) That the regrading of the posts of Exhibitions Officer and Administration Officer, as set out in the report, be approved, and (b) that the regradings be backdated to 1 January 2008.

206 (73) MUSEUM LEARNING ASSISTANTS – The Service Director Asset Management and Culture submitted a report seeking approval for the permanent establishment of four part-time posts of Museum Learning Assistant.

The Museum Education Service was based at North Lincolnshire Museum and provided workshops to schools across the county in support of the education curriculum. The approved staffing establishment for the service included eight casual Museum Education Assistants.

The use of casual staff in delivering the service was long standing. As the service was demand led via bookings from schools it was historically felt appropriate to employ casuals, as uptake for the service was uncertain. Recently, the demand for the service had consistently grown to a level where there was sufficient confidence to establish permanent posts within the Museum Education Service.

A review of the working patterns of the eight casual Museum Education Assistants was recently undertaken. The outcome of the review was that four of the eight casual staff were deemed to have acquired employment rights resulting from their work pattern over the last two years. As such it was proposed to establish four, 25 hours per month, part-time posts of Museum Learning Assistant.

Resolved – That the permanent establishment of four part-time posts of Museum Learning Assistant, as set out in the report, be approved.

207 (74) PERFORMANCE MONITORING AND BUSINESS OFFICER – The Service Director Asset Management and Culture submitted a report seeking approval to regrading and redesignation of the post of Performance Monitoring and Business Officer.

The post of Performance Monitoring and Business Officer sat within the Property Services division of Asset Management and Culture. The post was established to lead on behalf of the former Property Services in responding to corporate initiatives such as Investors in People, Diversity, and Performance Management etc. In addition, the post monitored the delivery of the service’s capital and revenue building programmes.

Asset Management and Culture formed in April 2007. The service brought together the former Property and Leisure Services as well as significant parts of two other service areas. A review of arrangements for responding to corporate issues was necessary to ensure that the service was able to address issues in an effective, efficient and uniform manner. The conclusion of the review recommended the need for an enhanced role within the service to take a lead in co-ordinating the response to corporate initiatives.

Resolved – (a) That the regrading of the post of Performance Monitoring and Business Officer, as set out in the report, be approved with effect from 1 December 2008, and (b) that the redesignation of the post to Business Services Manager be approved.

208 (75) CHANGE OF MANAGEMENT ARRANGEMENTS – BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT TEAM – The Service Director Children, Strategy and Partnerships submitted a report seeking approval to change the line management arrangements for posts in the Business Development Team (BDT).

The BDT was originally established in the former operations arm of Children’s Services. An analysis of the work of the BDT had identified the benefits of placing three of the four posts in the team within the Commissioning Team. The analysis also identified that the remaining post be transferred to the resources arm reflecting the increasing priority of children in care school transport co-ordination. The proposed changes in line management fitted with the responsibilities of the respective services.

Resolved – That the changes of line management for posts in the Business Development Team, as set out in the report, be approved.

209 (76) REVIEW OF PERFORMANCE AND PARTNERSHIPS DIVISION – The Service Director Neighbourhood and Environment submitted a report seeking support for a review of the Performance and Partnerships division.

The creation of a post of Performance and Information Manager was proposed to replace the post of Head of Performance and Partnerships.

A realignment of resources was planned to support the information technology (IT) systems in the service area.

The amalgamation of the administrative sections currently based at Church Square House and Cherry Grove was proposed with recognition of the need to provide an element of technical administrative support in the Streetscene and Landscapes and Waste Management divisions.

Further details were set out in the report and its appendices.

Resolved – That the restructure proposals for the review of the Performance and Partnerships division be approved.

210 (77) PROPERTY TRANSACTION SCHEDULE – The Service Director Asset Management and Culture submitted a report for consideration, and where necessary approval, of a schedule containing the terms of all recently negotiated property transactions.

Resolved – That the schedule appended to the report be approved.

Note: Reports are in Portable Document Format (PDF) and therefore require a suitable reader to view them. A reader can be downloaded free from the Adobe website (full instructions for downloading the reader are provided on the site).

Where there is no report this is because it is exempt, as it contains information which is considered to be of a confidential nature, as detailed in the Local Government (Access to Information) Act.