Policy And Resources Committee - 16/10/2000

At a MEETING of the PERSONNEL AND MANAGMENT SERVICES COMMITTEE held at Dundee on 16th October, 2000.

Present:-

COUNCILLORS

Councillor LETFORD, Convener, in the Chair.

The minute of meeting of this Committee of 11th September, 2000 was held as read.

Unless marked thus * all items stand delegated.

I EDUCATION DEPARTMENT - REVIEW OF TRAINING AND CARE ASSISTANTS

There was submitted Report No. 393-2000 by the Director of Personnel and Management Services relative to the above.

The Committee approved the recommendations in the report sofar as its interests were concerned in that:

(a)the post of Training and Care Assistant (SCN) in mainstream schools be redesignated Classroom Assistant (SCN) and be regraded from GS1(SCP3-10) (8,652-11,115) to GS2/3(SCP10-15)(11,115-12,405)(pro rata term time only) in light of the increased duties and responsibilities undertaken, it being noted that approximately 46 members of staff were affected by the foregoing.

(b)a qualification bar be placed at SCP12 (11,685) until the postholder achieved the appropriate SQA PDA Certificate Support for Learning Assistants or equivalent qualification.

(c)postholders with 5 or more years experience at the time of Committee approval progress to SCP13 (11,898), it being noted that approximately 17 members of staff were affected by the foregoing.

(d)postholders without an appropriate qualification give an undertaking that they will gain one.

(e)postholders with 5 or more years experience either nearing retiral or unwilling to gain the qualification be held at SCP13(11,898) and

(f)postholders with less than 5 years experience unwilling to gain the qualification remain on GS2 (11,115-11,685).

II SOCIAL WORK DEPARTMENT - EARLY RETIREMENTS

The Committee resolved that ER 5/00 and ER 6/00 Social Care Officer and Cook respectively within the Social Work Department be retired early on the grounds of the efficiency of the service with effect from 17th October, 2000. It being noted that these retirements would be in accordance with the Local Government Pension Scheme (Scotland) Regulations 1998 and would be with maximum enhancements in accordance with the Local Government (Discretionary Payments and Injury Benefits) (Scotland) Regulations 1998.

The Committee noted that the financial implications in respect of the foregoing were as undernoted.

ER 5/00

ER 6/00

IIIENVIRONMENTAL AND CONSUMER PROTECTION DEPARTMENT - ESTABLISHEMENT OF FIXED TERM POST

It was reported that Dundee City Council had agreed to act as the lead authority in the Department of Trade and Industry part funded project for one year through the Trading Standards Department to set up a motor vehicle serving unit to tackle problems associated with this trade sector.

Accordingly the Committee approved the recommendation that a Post Vehicle Inspection Administrator be established to co-ordinate the service between all authorities participating in the project at a grade of T3(14,811-16,770) with Dundee City Council's share of match funding being 2,000 which sum would be met from this year's revenue budget.

IV HOUSING DEPARTMENT - REDESIGNATION AND REGRADING OF POST

It was reported that arising from a reduction in the size of the keyboard services team within the Housing Department, it was recommended that the post of Assistant Keyboard Services Supervisor graded AP1(12,405-13,305) be redesignated Keyboard Operator and graded GS3 (11,898-12,405) it being noted that the savings in the current financial year would be 871 and for a full financial year would be 1,741.

The Committee approved accordingly.

V FINANCE DEPARTMENT - REVIEW OF STAFFING STRUCTURE

Reference was made to the minute of meeting of this Committee of 17th April, 2000 which approved a review of staffing structure within the above department subject to the Directors of Finance and Personnel and Management Services carrying out a further review.

It was reported that the Directors had completed their review and recommended the undernoted.

(a)the Corporate Accounting and Budgeting Team had previously been headed by the Senior Corporate Finance Officer and he had now been transferred to the post of Senior Financial Services Officer. The previous Senior Corporate Finance Officer provided a significant degree of the Council's support on Best Value, Performance Indicators in the Finance Department Service Plan.

The Committee agreed that this workload be carried out by a new Principal Accounting Post within the Corporate Accounting and Budgeting Team at the Grade of PO11-14 (28,746-30,837).

(b)the current Internal Audit establishment had been in place since the 1996 reorganisation and was partly as a result of the number of grades of staff inherited from the previous Councils.

The Directors of Finance and Personnel and Management Services recommended that the duties and responsibilities of the post of Senior Internal Auditor be revised and the post be regraded from PO11-14 to PO7-10(26,091-28,104) which would require the redeployment of the current postholder to the new principal post referred to in (a) above with the post of Senior Internal Auditor being filled internally within the department by competitive interview, it being noted that the financial implications for approving these adjustment to the Finance Department staffing structure would be the generation of savings of 27,561 in the current financial year and 46,551 in the full financial year.

The Committee approved accordingly.

VI FINANCE DEPARTMENT - TRANSFER OF CLERICAL ASSISTANT POST

It was reported that the Director of Finance had identified a requirement for Clerical Support to be provided to one of the accounting teams within the Financial Services Division.

The Committee approved the transfer of a Clerical Assistant Post (GS1/3) in the Finance Department, Office Services Team, to the Financial Services Division Accounting Teams.

VII NEIGHBOURHOOD RESOURCES AND DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT - XPLORE SOCIAL INCLUSION PARTNERSHIP (FORMERLY 'GIVE YOUTH A CHANCE')

There was submitted Report No. 642-2000 by the Director of Personnel and Management Services relative to the above.

The Committee noted the successful outcome of the bid for Social Inclusion Partnership Funding which would bring an additional 1,100 over the next two and a half years into the City and approved the establishment of an additional fixed term post until 31st March, 2002 of Youth Councillor for the Partnership at a Grade of AP3/4 (15,240-19,224) as detailed in the report.

VIII SOCIAL WORK DEPARTMENT - RE-GRADING OF POSTS

It was reported that at the request of the Director of Social Work, the Director of Personnel and Management Services had reviewed the grades of the posts of Information Technology Section Leader and Information Technology Development Officer within the above department following an increase in the level of duties and responsibilities.

The Committee agreed that the post be regraded from PO7-10 (26,091-28,104) to PO11-14 (28,746-30,837) and from AP5/PO1-4 (19,827-24,009) to PO5-8 (24,789-26,769) respectively.

JOHN LETFORD, Convener.