Agenda and minutes

There were no public speakers.

To agree the minutes of the previous meeting held on 27 January 2022.

The minutes of the consultative meeting of the Personnel Committee held on 27 January 2022 wee agreed.

Guidance is available online to Councillors and co-opted members on making declarations of interest

Cllr J Loudoun; Minute 31; Personal Interest: In receipt of a pension from Unison; the union who will be involved with the reward review.

Information on matters of urgency is available online

None.

To agree any items to be dealt with after the public (including the Press) have been excluded.  There are no items which officers recommend should be dealt with in this way.

None.

The Committee had previously received a report on the Reward Review at their meeting on the 27 January 2022, and had agreed to further work being undertaken.

The indicative figure of £20k provided at that meeting had now been clarified, following liaison with the external consultants.  The figure was now advised as between £37k and 44.5k, which included:

·         Further analysis of existing job roles and pay and grading structure;

·         Design of potential options and cost modelling (including the implications of becoming a Real Living Wage employer);

·         Provision of relevant information to support internal consultation;

·         Finalising of preferred option, detailed costings and advice on implementation.

The committee discussed:

·         The importance of securing the right candidates for posts and in retaining them;

·         Resources internally were not sufficient to undertake the work, nor cost effective, or able to deliver in the timeframe required.  The work was best met by specialists who had access to the relevant data and tools;

·         Keeping value for money in light of the proposed budget for 2022/23 whereby the council tax demand would increase.  In response, the longer term benefits of contracting consultants to deliver the work, and the relatively small proportion of the overall staff salary budget that this request for increase reflected, was explained.  Officers continued to be mindful of best value for money;

·         The living wage element would be considered as part of the modelling; so that the cost of delivering this could be understood before any decision on implementation of it was presented to Members to consider;

·         Overall the committee wished to see the work progress and the report’s outline of how this would be achieved was accepted.

The committee agreed to the increase in budget of £37k to £44,5k from the £450k assigned for possible costs associated with the General Fund, as set out in the proposed budget for 2022/23.  The committee were aware that the proposed budget was not yet agreed by Council, but were content to recommend the proposal for increase forward subject to the proposed budget being agreed.

RECOMMENDED to Council:

That further external consultancy work be undertaken on the Reward Review in line with the revised costs set out in the report to the Personnel Committee, of between £37k and £44.5k from the $450k assigned for costs associated with the General Fund, as set out in the proposed budget for 2022/23.