Agenda and minutes

Members are asked to declare any interest and the nature of that interest that they may have in any of the items under consideration at this meeting.

8. Joint Appraisal Sub Committee.

Sue Smith, Declaration, as the item related to her Appraisal and would leave the meeting for the duration of the item.

The Chairman to report on any requests to submit petitions or to address the meeting.

There were no petitions or requests to address the meeting.

To receive communications from the Chairman.

There were no Chairman’s announcements.

To confirm as a correct record the Minutes of the meeting held on 26 May 2016.

The Minutes of the meeting of the Committee held on 26 May 2016 were agreed as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.

Report of Director – Strategy and Commissioning

Purpose of report

To provide an overview of the results of the 2016 staff survey

Recommendations

The meeting is recommended to:

1.1         Note the contents of the report

1.2         Consider the staff survey results and identify any particular issues to be addressed through the action planning process.

The Director – Strategy and Commissioning submitted a report to provide an overview of the results of the 2016 staff survey.

In presenting the report, the Director – Strategy and Commissioned advised members that the results would be used by Human Resources to help formulate an action plan in response to the key findings of the survey.  Additionally, results would be issued to individual service areas with a request that they look at these with a view to addressing any particular issues.

In considering the report, Members agreed that it was extremely important to undertake staff surveys and made a number of comments and suggestions of areas to be considered as part of the action planning process, namely the low JMT response rate to the survey; responses regarding the visibility of JMT; Alternative answer options where a question is not applicable to particular service, for example, the question regarding homeworking for employees where this is not an option; overall low response rate and the timing of the survey.

Resolved

(1)          That the report be noted.

(2)          That, having considered the staff survey results, the following particular issues be identified to be addressed through the action planning process:

·         Low JMT response rate

·         Visibility of JMT

·         Alternative answer options as not all questions are not relevant to all services

·         Low response rate overall – timing of survey to be considered

Report of Head of Regeneration and Housing

Purpose of report

This report presents the final business case following consultation for a joint Property and Investment service across Cherwell District and South Northamptonshire Councils (hereafter “Cherwell” or “CDC” and “South Northamptonshire” or “SNC” respectively).

The report recommends the formation of a two way joint Property and Investment service and in doing so seeks the Joint Commissioning Committee’s agreement for the staffing elements of the business case.

The proposal is part of the wider transformation programme across the two Councils.

Recommendations

The meeting is recommended:

 1.1        To consider the responses to the consultation process with the affected staff and trade union representatives received as detailed in the consultation log (attached as Appendix 2) and from the Joint Councils Employee Engagement Committee (to be reported verbally), and determine whether any amendment to the business case is required as a result of them.

1.2         To note that the business case was considered and approved in respect of non-staffing matters  by CDC Executive on 4 July 2016 and by SNC Cabinet on 11 July 2016.

1.3         To approve the staffing aspects of the final business case to create a joint Property and Investment service between SNC and CDC.

1.4         To delegate to the Head of Regeneration and Housing responsibility for implementation of the business case, including approving the costs of any potential redundancies, in consultation with the Chief Finance Officer, subject to the business case being agreed by both Councils.

The Head of Regeneration and Housing submitted a report which presented the final business case following consultation for a joint Property and Investment service across Cherwell District and South Northamptonshire Councils and sought agreement for the staffing elements of the business case.

The proposal was part of the wider transformation programme across the two Councils.

The Head of Regeneration and Housing confirmed that the Joint Councils Employee and Engagement Committee had considered and endorsed the business case, recommending to the Joint Commissioning Committee that it be approved.

Resolved

(1)          That the responses to the consultation process with the affected staff and trade union representatives and from the Joint Councils Employee Engagement Committee be considered and noted it be determined that no amendment to the business case was required as a result of them.

(2)          That it be noted that the business case was considered and approved in respect of non-staffing matters by CDC Executive on 4 July 2016 and by SNC Cabinet on 11 July 2016.

(3)          That the staffing aspects of the final business case to create a joint Property and Investment service between SNC and CDC be approved.

(4)          That authority be delegated to the Head of Regeneration and Housing to implement the business case, including approving the costs of any potential redundancies, in consultation with the Chief Finance Officer.

(Councillors Chris Lofts and Barry Richards requested that their votes against the recommendations be recorded)

The following item of business contains exempt information as defined in the following paragraphs of Part 1, Schedule 12A of Local Government Act 1972.

1             Information relating to any individual

2             Information which is likely to reveal the identity of an individual

3             Information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the authority holding that information)

4             Information relating to any consultations or negotiations, or contemplated consultations or negotiations, in connection with any labour relations matter arising between the authority or a Minister of the Crown and employees of, or office holders under, the authority.

Members are reminded that whilst the following items have been marked as exempt, it is for the meeting to decide whether or not to consider each of them in private or in public. In making the decision, members should balance the interests of individuals or the Council itself in having access to the information. In considering their discretion members should also be mindful of the advice of Council Officers.

Should Members decide not to make a decision in public, they are recommended to pass the following recommendation:

“That, in accordance with Section 100A(4) of Local Government Act 1972, the press and public be excluded from the meeting for the following item of business, on the grounds that they could involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in paragraphs 1, 2, 3 and 4 of Schedule 12A of that Act.”

There being no questions on the exempt appendices, it was not necessary to exclude the press and public.

Resolved

(1)          That the exempt appendices be noted.

The Chairman to advise whether they have agreed to any item or urgent business being admitted to the agenda.

There were no items of urgent business.

(All officers, with the exception of the Interim Assistant Director – Transformation Governance and the Interim Democratic and Elections Manager, left the meeting at the conclusion of this item)

Currently responsibility for appraising the Joint Chief Executive lays with elected members appointed to the Joint Appraisal Sub Committee. The Joint Appraisal Sub Committee is made up of a total of 8 members (including the Leaders from each Council), drawn from the Joint Commissioning Committee.

At the 26 May 2016 meeting of the Joint Commissioning Committee, Members resolved to defer making appointments to the Joint Appraisal Sub Committee pending a review of the Chief Executive’s appraisal process.

The CDC Leader, Councillor Barry Wood, and SNC Leader, Councillor Ian McCord, will provide a verbal update to the Committee.

The Assistant Director- Transformational Governance submitted a report to consider changes to the appraisal process for the Chief Executive.

The Committee was advised that the Deputy Head of Paid Service was currently Paul Sutton, Chief Finance Officer/Section 151 Officer.

Resolved

(1)          That the report be noted and the following arrangements for conducting the Chief Executive’s Appraisal be agreed:

Dates: The appraisal should continue to be conducted in March and with a six month review in October. All dates will be arranged by an independent facilitator through the Senior PA to the Deputy Head of Paid Service.

Process:

1)    Chief Executive prepares her draft submission on how she has achieved her targets and met her role profile in the competency framework (this element replaces the 360 degree appraisal) and suggests targets for next year based on agreed corporate priorities (agreed at February councils).

2)    Meeting between Chief Executive and independent facilitator to prepare for appraisal, discuss draft and critical friend approach. Draft revised to finalised version following meeting.

3)    Meeting with opposition group leaders (or nominated deputy in case of absence) and independent facilitator to discuss draft and any issues and themes to be discussed at the appraisal

4)    Meeting between Leaders of the Councils (or nominated deputy in case of absence) and independent facilitator to discuss draft and any issues, issues raised by opposition group leaders and themes to be discussed at the appraisal

5)    Informal preparation discussion between Chief Executive and independent facilitator   

6)    Appraisal meeting with Leaders of the Councils (or nominated deputy in case of absence), Chief Executive and independent facilitator  

7)    Independent facilitator drafts outcomes, agreed with Leaders of the Councils and then passed to Chief Executive for her comment.

8)    Final document agreed and filed by Deputy Head of Paid Service, summary of outcomes and objectives circulated to all group leaders.

9)    Summary of outcomes and objectives sent to Democratic and Elections Manager for reporting into next available JCC as an exempt report.

(2)          That responsibility and all functions relating to the Chief Executive’s Appraisal be delegated to the Deputy Head of Paid Service and consequently the Joint Appraisal Sub-Committee not be appointed to.