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.

There were no declarations of interest.

The Committee had before it the minute of its previous meeting of 1 October 2019 for approval.

The Committee resolved:-

to approve the minute as a correct record.

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

The Committee resolved:-

to note the planner.

With reference to article 5 of the minute of its meeting of 18 March 2019, the Committee had before it a report by the Chief Operating Officer and the Director of Customer Services which provided an update on progress with LGV driver recruitment and retention for Waste and Recycling Services and the mitigating actions which were being taken to alleviate the shortage of drivers which had been experienced in late 2018.

The report recommended:-

that Committee note the improvements made in reducing the amount of driver vacancies within the Waste Service and agree that no further action is required at this stage.

The Committee resolved:-

(i)         to request that a service update be circulated in six months to provide information on the position at that time with recruitment and retention; and

(ii)        to approve the recommendation.

With reference to article 4 of the minute of its meeting of 3 September 2018, the Committee had before it a report by the Director of Resources which sought approval for the Gender Based Violence Policy, following the UNISON request that the Council explore the merit of producing an employment policy dealing with the effects of violence against women.  The report also addressed the previous Committee request to investigate a ‘safe leave’ provision for employees experiencing domestic abuse.

The report recommended:-

that Committee approve the Gender Based Violence policy attached to the report.

The Committee resolved:-

(i)         to note that managers and staff would be notified of the policy via the Leadership Forum and online information, and that officers would work with the Trade Unions to reach those who did not have IT access, including producing posters to promote the policy; and

(ii)        to approve the recommendation.

With reference to article 6 of the minute of its previous meeting, the Committee had before it a report by the Chief Officer – Governance which outlined statistical health and safety performance information for the three month period July to September 2019 in order that the Committee had the opportunity to monitor compliance with health and safety legislation.

The report recommended:-

that Committee scrutinise and review health, safety and wellbeing policy, performance, trends and improvements.

The Committee resolved:-

(i)         to note that officers would investigate the possibility of breaking down the incident information by cluster via the new digitalisation of the figures, and that it was hoped that this would be available for the next report;

(ii)        to note that officers were currently working to try to reinstate the report which had previously been made available in respect of incidents in individual schools; and

(iii)       to otherwise note the health, safety and wellbeing policy, performance, trends and improvements.

With reference to article 6 of the minute of its meeting of 18 June 2019, the Committee had before it a report which provided an update on the absence days lost from May to October 2019; utilisation of the Employee Assistance Service provided by Time for Talking during April to September 2019; and an overview of actions being taken to support employees who were absent from work.

The report recommended:-

that Committee –

(a)       note the sickness absence figures;

(b)       note the further development of the absence information;

(c)        note the utilisation of the Employee Assistance Programme over the period; and

(d)       endorse the approaches supporting employees who were absent from work.

The Committee resolved:-

(i)         in relation to the number of self-referrals to the Time for Talking service (section 4.8 of the report), to note that officers would provide information outwith the meeting to Members and Trade Union Advisers by way of email as to whether the figures related to employees at work or those who were absent from work; and

(ii)        to approve the recommendations.

-     COUNCILLOR YVONNE ALLAN, Convener