Issue - meetings

Report of Chief Executive

Purpose of report

To provide the Personnel Committee with an update on Cherwell District Council’s workforce including measuring staff well-being and to highlight the actions officers are taking to address any issues.

Recommendations

Officers recommend the committee:

1.1     to review and note the workforce data for Quarter 4 of 2022/23 as set out in Appendix 1.

Resolved

(1)                That the workforce data for Quarter 4 of 2022/23 be noted.

The Committee considered a report from the Chief Executive that provided the Personnel Committee with an update on Cherwell District Council’s workforce including measuring staff well-being and to highlight the actions officers were taking to address any issues.

In introducing the report, The Assistant Director of Human Resources provided an overview on the workforce data for Quarter 4 of 2022/23.

In response to members questions in regard to the decrease in headcount across the council from quarter 1, the Assistant Director of Human Resources confirmed that this was due to the decoupling from OCC.

Regarding agency staff, the Assistant Director of Human Resources explained that there were circumstances where the Council would need to use agency staff where it could not be avoided. For example, in Waste Services, where three manned crews were required to collect the waste in the district, agency staff would be used to help the service.

In response to queries from the Committee regarding actions to increase diversity of the workforce, the Assistant Director of Human Resources explained that a new recruitment module was being introduced from July 2023. The module would provide information regarding the reach of recruitment advertising, which would allow the HR team to review effectiveness.

In response to members questions regarding Local Government Association and District Council’s Network graduate trainee schemes and if the council invested in them, the Assistant Director of Human Resources confirmed that the council had taken on two LGA graduates and would continue to monitor going forward.

Resolved

(1)                That the workforce data for Quarter 4 of 2022/23 be noted.