Agenda, decisions and minutes

The agenda and reports associated with this minute can be viewed here.

Please note that if any changes are made to this minute at the point of approval, these will be outlined in the subsequent minute and this document will not be retrospectively altered.

Members were requested to intimate any declarations of interest in respect of the items on today’s agenda, thereafter the following declarations of interest were intimated at this stage in the meeting:-

(i)         The Convener and Councillor Macdonald declared an interest in all items on the agenda by virtue of their membership of Unite the Union, but neither felt it necessary to leave during consideration of any items of business.

The Committee had before it the minute of its previous meeting of 29 June 2018.

The Committee resolved:-

to approve the minute as a correct record.

The Committee had before it the committee business planner as prepared by the Chief Officer – Governance.

The Committee resolved:-

(i)        in respect of the Annual Function Health and Safety reports, to agree to remove the items from the planner, noting that proposals would be developed over the coming months in consultation with Trade Unions with reports being presented to Committee in due course;

(ii)       in respect of the Supporting Attendance and Wellbeing Policy, to note that the policy would now be reported to Committee in November to allow for sufficient time to consult with Trade Unions; and

(iii)      to otherwise note the planner.

The Committee had before it a report by the Director of Resources which set out a request from Unison, in terms of 1.3 of the Staff Governance Committee Terms of Reference, for the Council to explore the merit of producing an employment policy dealing with the effects of violence on women.

The report recommended:-

that Committee –

(a)       note the request from Unison for the Council to explore the merit of producing an employment policy dealing with the effects of violence against women and;

(b)       instructs the Interim Chief Officer – People and Organisation to consider the request, and report back to the Staff Governance Committee by March 2019 on whether such a policy is required; and if so, produce a draft document for consideration.

The Convener proposed that a wider review in respect of violence in the workplace be considered and the Trade Unions expressed support for this.

The Committee resolved:-

to approve the recommendations.

The Committee had before it a report by the Director of Resources which had been prepared to advise Committee of the retention of the Investors in People Gold accreditation in People and Organisation.

The report recommended:-

that Committee –

(a)       notes the retention of Investors in People Gold accreditation in People and Organisation; and

(b)       instructs the Interim Chief Officer – People and Organisation to proceed to assess the content of the feedback report from Investors in People and continue the process of action planning for further improvements.

The Committee heard from the Director of Resources that workstreams were also underway across the Council in respect of several accredited awards.

The Committee resolved:-

(i)        to congratulate the staff in People and Organisation on the retention of the accreditation; and

(ii)       to approve the recommendations.

The Committee had before it a report by the Chief Officer – Governance, which provided a reviewed Corporate Health and Safety Policy Improvement Plan for consideration by Committee, which set out how and by whom health and safety would be managed throughout the Council.

The report recommended:-

that Committee –

(a)      approve the proposed Corporate Health and Safety Policy; and

(b)      agree that compliance be monitored via health and safety performance reports to Committee.

The Committee resolved:-

(i)        to request that officers amend the structure chart at 3.11 (page 47) of the report to clarify the reporting arrangements for the Corporate Health and Safety Lead, the Health and Safety Representatives and the Employees; and

(ii)       to approve the recommendations.

The Committee had before it a report by the Chief Officer – Governance which set out the principles upon which the Corporate Health and Safety Improvement Plan would be based.  The report advised that the proposed Corporate Health and Safety Improvement Plan 2019/2020 would be implemented from 1 April 2019.

The report recommended:-

that Committee endorse the proposed principles for the organisation’s Corporate Health and Safety Improvement Plan.

The Committee resolved:-

to approve the recommendation.

With reference to article 7 of the minute of its previous meeting, the Committee had before it a report by the Chief Officer – Governance which summarised the statistical health and safety performance information for the three month reporting period April to June 2018, to enable the Committee to monitor the Council’s compliance with health and safety legislation.

The report recommended:-

that the Committee –

(a)      review, discuss and comment on the issues raised within the report; and

(b)      scrutinise and review health, safety and wellbeing policy, performance, trends and improvements.

The Committee resolved:-

to approve the recommendations.

With reference to article 8 of the minute of its meeting of 4 May 2018, the Committee had before it a report by the Chief Officer – Governance which provided an update on the utilisation of the Employee Assistance Service provided by Time for Talking during the 3 month period for April to June 2018.

The report recommended that Committee consider the contents of the report.

The Committee resolved:-

(i)        to request that officers periodically raise awareness about the Employee Assistance Service;

(ii)       to agree that future reports on the Employee Assistance Service would be provided every six months, to ensure that staff could not be identified by low numbers included in the reports; and

(iii)      to otherwise note the report.

With reference to article 9 of the minute of its previous meeting, the Committee had before it a report by the Chief Officer – Governance which provided an update on the Council-wide utilisation of the Occupational Health Service contract provided by OH Assist during the 3 month period for April to June 2018.

The report recommended that the Committee note the content of the report.

The Committee resolved:-

(i)         to note the report.

- COUNCILLOR YVONNE ALLAN, Convener