Issue - meetings

The Committee resolved:-

(i)        to note that both the Waste and Recycling Service and the Roads and Flood functions were statutory and therefore could not run below minimum staffing levels, and to request that officers clarify to Councillor Delaney outwith the meeting whether there had been any occasions where the staffing levels for these two functions had dropped below minimum levels;

(ii)       to acknowledge the best efforts of officers to fill vacancies in respect of both LGV drivers and Roads service personnel;

(iii)      to accept that there was no single or easy solution to resolve these ongoing recruitment challenges;  and

(iv)      to instruct the Chief Officer – Operations and Protective Services in conjunction with the Chief Officer – Organisational Development and Chief Officer - Finance to bring a report to the December meeting of the Staff Governance Committee detailing the full cost of covering these services over a 12 month period, looking at agency costs, advertising costs, travel and any other applicable costs.  The purpose of this report being to evaluate such costs against possible incentives which may assist in the recruitment and retention of staff to these posts. The recommendations arising from this report should consider a possible incentive scheme which incorporates a retention element and saves the Council money in the long term, to the benefit of both the Council and its employees, and provide savings options required to fund such initiatives, highlighting any necessary referrals to the budget process.

With reference to article 4 of the minute of its meeting of 1 November 2018, the Committee had before it a report by the Chief Operating Officer which provided an update on current issues with LGV driver recruitment and retention and the mitigating actions being taken to alleviate this for the Waste and Recycling Services; and of issues relating to the recruitment and retention of staff within the Roads Infrastructure Service.

The report recommended:-

that Committee note the range of different approaches as set out in the report which sought to attract a wider and diverse range of applicants for the highlighted roles and subsequently reduce the vacancy level.

The Committee resolved:-

(i)        to note that both the Waste and Recycling Service and the Roads and Flood functions were statutory and therefore could not run below minimum staffing levels, and to request that officers clarify to Councillor Delaney outwith the meeting whether there had been any occasions where the staffing levels for these two functions had dropped below minimum levels;

(ii)       to acknowledge the best efforts of officers to fill vacancies in respect of both LGV drivers and Roads service personnel;

(iii)      to accept that there was no single or easy solution to resolve these ongoing recruitment challenges;  and

(iv)      to instruct the Chief Officer – Operations and Protective Services in conjunction with the Chief Officer – Organisational Development and Chief Officer - Finance to bring a report to the December meeting of the Staff Governance Committee detailing the full cost of covering these services over a 12 month period, looking at agency costs, advertising costs, travel and any other applicable costs.  The purpose of this report being to evaluate such costs against possible incentives which may assist in the recruitment and retention of staff to these posts. The recommendations arising from this report should consider a possible incentive scheme which incorporates a retention element and saves the Council money in the long term, to the benefit of both the Council and its employees, and provide savings options required to fund such initiatives, highlighting any necessary referrals to the budget process.