Issue - meetings

A draft version of the People Strategy is attached for the Panel to discuss. A presentation will be given at the meeting to introduce the strategy.

The Director of Human Resources & Organisational Development gave a presentation to the Panel to introduce this item, a summary is set out below.

Outcomes

•  To feedback on the 2019 Workforce Planning discussions that took place across all service areas and to identify the key themes, opportunities and challenges this presents

•  To introduce the People Strategy 2019-2023 and obtain feedback from Members and set out next steps

Workforce planning: What’s happened so far?

•  Scrutiny Panel in March 2018 supported approach to workforce planning aligned to organisational service plans

•  Discussions with 26 Directors/Heads of Service and HR Business Partners between Jan and March 2019 (42 questions in 7 sections)

Workforce Planning discussions 2019

1. Recruitment and retention
2. Capacity and demand
3. Apprenticeships, Graduate Interns and Project Search
4. Career progression and development
5. Equality & Diversity
6. Health, Safety & Wellbeing
7. Service restructure & redesign

Apprenticeships, Graduate Interns and Project Search

•  92 apprentices

•  Spending our apprenticeship levy

•  Continuation with Project Search sponsorship and coaching

•  1st MBA cohort with Bath Spa Uni.  Another about to start and one planned for February. LGV driver apprenticeship about to come online

People Strategy 2019 – 2023: Enabling our people to be their best

5 key priority areas linked to Corporate Priorities:

1.  Attraction, retention and workforce planning

•  Establish employer brand

•  Modernisation of our recruitment processes

•  Modernisation of our pay, grading and reward mechanisms

•  Employ more from local schools and colleges

2.  Employee engagement and performance

•  Ensure good quality performance development conversations take place on a regular basis and are measured

•  Listen to our staff on a more regular basis

•  Refresh staff worker challenge groups

3.  Talent and development

•  Enhance and embed the @mybest programme to create defined career pathways for all

•  Develop the succession plan for the organisation, identifying talent and creating opportunities internally where possible

4.  Improving How We Work

•  Recognise and design the differences required to deliver services in new and different models

•  Deliver the collaborative Improving How We Work Programme (including digital and flexible working programmes, corporate travel and future offices)

5.  Health, Safety & Wellbeing

•  Develop a mental health strategy and action plan

•  Wellbeing activities maximised

•  Risk assessment audit project about to launch

Next steps

•  September    Corporate Scrutiny

•  October    Cabinet decision

•  November    Launch

•  Jan onwards    People Strategy Steering Group

Councillor Karen Warrington said that she liked the Strategy and found it easy to read. She asked if a skills gap analysis would be carried out should further voluntary redundancies be required. She also asked to see timescales included in the strategy.

The Director of Human Resources & Organisational Development replied that 50% of services across the Council have training plans in place and that further work regarding skills was planned.

Councillor Andrew Furse asked if other Local Authorities were ahead of B&NES in terms of a total reward approach for staff.

The Director of Human Resources & Organisational Development replied that she felt that staff  ...  view the full minutes text for item 21