Agenda item

To consider a proposal received from Bromsgrove District Council’s Overview and Scrutiny Board to undertake a Joint Scrutiny Task Group investigation of the staff survey and to determine whether to participate in this exercise.

(Report attached)

The Chair welcomed the representatives from the Bromsgrove District Council’s Overview and Scrutiny Board and invited the Chairman, Councillor Luke Mallett, to introduce the item.

Councillor Mallett provided Members with a brief summary of the background to this topic proposal and explained that the Overview and Scrutiny Board had first considered the staff survey as far back as 2013.  This had been the first time a survey had taken place across both Councils and the data analysis was not made available for nearly 12 months after the survey had taken place.  The Board had a number of concerns around the results particularly in respect of bullying, mental health and basic HR functions such as team and one-to-one meetings, appraisals and around organisational change and the support given to staff.   A working group had been set up to address the issues which had been raised and an update report was received by the Board at its meeting in February 2015.  At that meeting it was also confirmed that a further survey would be sent out, with similar questions in order to maintain some consistency.  Councillor Mallett went on to explain what had triggered the completion of a topic proposal was the results of that second survey, when Members had been disappointed to see that few people had completed the survey and many of the concerns raised in the first survey continued to be an issue.  However, Councillor Mallett did pay tribute to the work which had been undertaken by officers, in conjunction with trades unions, in respect of the time for change initiative, around mental health in the work place.

A brief overview of the results from the second survey was provided in order to highlight the key areas which would be covered within the work of the Task Group.  Councillor Mallett also explained that a strategy board had now been set up to address those issues.  One of the key areas of investigation would be to ensure that those issues were addressed and to investigate the low response rates and implications of this.  Councillor Steve Colella, the author of the topic proposal, added that he hoped to get behind the real issues, to find out the implications arising from the results and to ensure that the appropriate actions were taken to address them.

Councillor Potter thanked the Bromsgrove Members for bringing forward the topic proposal and concurred that it was important for staff to be both happy and supported in the workplace.  Members went on to discuss a number of issues including:

·                Whether the working group initially set up had made any significant changes.

·                The need for a clear action plan to ensure that the issues which had arisen were addressed in an appropriate and timely manner.

·                What value Redditch Borough Council’s participation could add to the task group’s investigation.  It was highlighted that as the majority of staff were shared between both Councils any recommendations would impact on each Council.

·                Whether there would be a cost to Redditch Borough Council if Members were to take part in the joint Task Group.  Officers confirmed that there would not be a cost.

·                Possible reasons as to why staff were not completing the survey and ways in which they could be encouraged to do so.

·                The importance of regular appraisals and one-to-one meetings for both staff and managers.

·                The role of Councillors in supporting staff and ensuring that the working environment met the needs of all concerned.

RESOLVED that

1)        the proposed terms of reference from the Joint Staff Survey Scrutiny Task Group be agreed; and

2)        Councillors Jane Potter, Tom Baker-Price and Jenny Wheeler be appointed Members of the Joint Staff Survey Scrutiny Task Group.