Agenda and minutes

(a)    29 September 2009

(b)    30 November 2009

The minutes of the meetings held on 29 September and 30 November 2009 were agreed as a true record and signed by the Chairman.

(Item 4 – report by Mr Roger Gough Cabinet Member for Corporate Support Services and Performance Management and Mrs Amanda Beer, Director of Personnel and Development)

(i)      This report outlined the current stage of this year’s Local Pay Bargaining process. During the course of discussion it was confirmed that whilst the proposed 0% pay rise  did not meet the expectations of the trade unions rise or predicted levels of inflation, it did take into account the Council’s budgetary pressures and current economic conditions. This would be the first year that there would be no increase since local pay was introduced in 1990, but circumstances were unprecedented.

(ii)     Resolvedon a vote of 7 to 1 that the Personnel Committee recommend to the Cabinet and the County Council that there should be no pay award for 2010/11.

(Item 5 - report by Mr Roger Gough, Cabinet Member for Corporate Support Services and Performance Management and Mrs Amanda Beer, Director of Personnel and Development)

(i)      In 2009 the Committee had agreed to consider the removal of grade KS1 as part of the local pay bargaining process. This report updated the Committee on that process following ACAS mediation.

(ii)     Resolved that the Personnel Committee endorse the removal of KS1 from KCC pay scales with effect from April 2010.

(Item 6 - report by Mr Roger Gough Cabinet Member for Corporate Support Services and Performance Management and Mrs Amanda Beer, Director of Personnel and Development)

(i)      This report updated the Committee on discipline and grievance activity for the first 6 months 2009/10, including details of appeals.

(ii)     Resolvedthat the Committee note the report and its contents.

(Item 7- report by Mr Roger Gough Cabinet Member for Corporate Support Services and Performance Management and Mrs Amanda Beer, Director of Personnel and Development) (Nicola Lodemore was present for this item) 

(i)      The Committee agreed a pilot scheme from 1 June 2007 which provided contractual Maternity Support leave and pay. This report presented additional information requested by the Committee at its meeting in September 2009 in order to further evaluate the pilot.

(ii)     Resolved that  contractual maternity support leave and pay of two weeks on full pay should become part of Kent Scheme terms and conditions on a permanent basis with effect from 1 January 2010.

(Item 8 - report by Geoff Wild, Director of Law and Governance)

(i) This report sought approval of the designation of individual officers as statutory and proper officers of Kent County Council.

(ii) Resolvedthat:-

(a)      the Committee approve the designation of individual officers as statutory and  proper officers of Kent County Council as set out in the table accompanying the report and that these be submitted to the County Council for approval; and, 

(b)      the post of Overview, Scrutiny and Localism Manager as Kent County Council’s Scrutiny Manager be added to the table of proper and statutory officers in accordance with Section 31 of the Local Democracy, Economic, Development and Construction Act 2009, and as agreed by the Selection and Member Services Committee at its meeting on 27 January 2007.

(Item 9 - this report outlined the proposed changes to the Kent Scheme pay structure and its associated performance based on progression. This is currently the subject of consultation with managers, staff and unions).

(i)      During the course of discussion members asked a number of questions around the operation of the proposed revised scheme during which it was said it first needed to be seen as being fair and only then should changes be made. Mrs Beer said one of the strong arguments for change was that the proposed revisions would directly improve the operation of the scheme and its outcomes. Also a key focus of the training that would now follow would be around fair objective setting. Mr Carter said the revised scheme was a quantum leap forward and provided solutions and opportunities not available under the current scheme.

(ii)     Resolved on a vote of 7 to 1 that the revised Kent Scheme Pay Structure and Appraisal scheme be endorsed on the basis of the details set out in the Committee report.

(Item 10 -  report by Mr Roger Gough, Cabinet Member for Corporate Support Services and Performance Management and Mrs Amanda Beer, Director of Personnel and Development)

(i)      This report asked the Committee to consider and approve a set of protocols to be applied to the way the Council deals with Compromise Agreements

(ii)     Resolvedthat approval be given to the adoption of the set of protocols detailed in the report and accompanying appendix and that these protocols should now be used to govern the management of all compromise agreements.

(Item 11- report by Mr Roger Gough, Cabinet Member for Corporate Support Services and Performance Management and Mrs Amanda Beer, Director of Personnel and Development)

(i)      This report outlined the appraisal process for the senior managers in Kent County Council.

(ii)     Resolvedthat the report be noted and that at an appropriate time a further report be submitted on the reward element of the appraisal process for Chief Officers.

(Item 12 - report by Mr Roger Gough, Cabinet Member for Corporate Support Services and Performance Management and Mrs Amanda Beer, Director of Personnel and Development)

(i)      This report was submitted to the Committee at the request of the Cabinet Scrutiny Committee. The report invited the Personnel Committee to consider whether the Officer Code of Conduct was sufficiently robust in relation to declarations of interests which maybe perceived by members of the public as in conflict with their responsibilities.  In this regard the report invited the Committee to compare the provisions of the Officer Code with that of the member code of conduct.

(ii)     During the course of discussion the Director of Law and Governance said he believed the Officer Code of Conduct to be a very robust and efficient document and very workable in its operation.

(iii)    Resolved that the Committee does not see any need to undertake a formal review of the officer code of conduct.

It was noted that the officer code would need a revision to reflect the fact that as reported to the Selection and Member Services Committee at its meeting on 27 January 2010, the Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Act 2009 had removed the requirement to politically restrict a post that exceeded a specific salary point.