Policy And Resources Committee - 19/08/2002

At a MEETING of the PERSONNEL AND MANAGEMENT SERVICES COMMITTEE held at Dundee on 19th August 2002.

Present:-

COUNCILLORS

Lord Provost LETFORD, Convener, in the Chair.

The minute of meeting of this Committee of 10th June 2002 was held as read.

Unless marked thus * all items stand delegated.

I MINUTE OF MEETING OF PERSONNEL APPEALS SUB-COMMITTEE OF 17TH JUNE 2002

The minute of the above Sub-Committee, a copy of which is appended hereto (Appendix 1), was submitted for information.

II PERSONNEL AND MANAGEMENT SERVICES DEPARTMENT - HEALTH AND SAFETY

There was submitted Report No 477-2002 by the Director of Personnel and Management Services, proposing further actions to ensure that the Council continues to meet its health and safety responsibilities.

The Committee approved the following recommendations:-

(i) the Director of Personnel and Management Services be allocated the role of "health and safety champion" within the Council;

(ii) approval of the establishment of a new post of Council Health and Safety Co-ordinator, PO15-18, 33,983-36,377;

(iii) to note that individual Chief Officers will continue to be responsible for health and safety in their departments.

III NEIGHBOURHOOD RESOURCES AND DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT- ESTABLISHMENT OF FIXED TERM POSTS

There was submitted agenda note AN162-2002, advising that the Neighbourhood Resources and Development Department had been awarded a grant of 142,176 from the New Opportunities Fund to further develop ICT Learning Activities in Libraries and centres across the City.

The project, entitled "Community Access to Lifelong Learning" would run for three years, Two Community Information Technology Workers would be employed for the duration of the project and would develop individual and group learning activities which would enable people to become more computer literate.

The Committee approved the establishment of two posts of Community Information Technology Worker, graded AP3/4 (16,673-20,897), for three years, it being noted that the cost in the current year would be 20,050, Year 2 43,066, Year 3 46,182 and Year 4 32,878 and that all costs would be fully funded from the New Opportunities Fund.

IV SOCIAL WORK DEPARTMENT - CRIMINAL JUSTICE SERVICES WORK PARTNERSHIP

There was submitted Report No 566-2002 by the Directors of Social Work and Personnel and Management Services advising the Committee that the Criminal Justice Social Work Partnership of Angus, Dundee City and Perth and Kinross Councils were seeking approval to establish the post of Partnership Development Manager. This post would have the responsibility to ensure that the partnership would be able to deliver to the criminal justice system high quality effective services which would contribute to a reduction in offending and an increase in community safety.

The Committee approved the establishment of a post of Partnership Development Manager, graded PO15-18 (33,983-36,377), in the Criminal Justice Social Work Service

V SOCIAL WORK DEPARTMENT - RESTRICTION OF LIBERTY ORDERS

There was submitted Joint Report No 561-2002 by the Directors of Social Work and Personnel and Management Services informing members of the availability of restriction of liberty orders to Sheriff Court and High Court in Scotland, and seeking approval for the establishment of two posts that would be required to support the scheme.

The Committee approved the establishment of two posts of Social Worker graded SCP 27-35 (18,878-23,930).

VI NEIGHBOURHOOD RESOURCES AND DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT LITERACIES INITIATIVE

There was submitted agenda note AN163-2002 making reference to Article V of the minute of meeting of this Committee of 14th January of this year, wherein the Committee were advised of approval from the Scottish Executive for a Literacies Initiative which the City Council was co-ordinating on behalf of a range of agencies in Dundee.

The Personnel and Management Services Committee of 11th February 2002 established the post of Literacies Implementation Manager. Having advertised this post nationally, the Partnership had been unable to recruit an applicant who would meet the person specification.

The Committee agreed that the post of Literacies Implementation Manager be deleted and that the following course of action be pursued as an alternative:-

? The Section Leader, Community Learning (Post No 163) be allocated one additional day per week to carry out co-ordinating tasks related to the Literacies Action Plan, and that the focus of these tasks be primarily co-ordination and liaison with others who will be assigned specific pieces of work which would otherwise have been undertaken by the Co-ordinator on a full-time basis.

? That CM Associates who assisted the Partnership in preparing the original Literacies Action Plan be recruited to take forward specific elements of the plan on the understanding that the expenditure incurred in extending this relationship be contained within the funding previously approved for the post of Literacies Implementation Manager.

It was noted that there would be no financial implications to Dundee City Council arising from these proposals and that the Chief Executive and Director of Support Services had been consulted as had the Community Learning Partnership and the Literacies Sub-Group, both of which supported these recommendations.

VII PERSONNEL AND MANAGEMENT SERVICES DEPARTMENT - INVESTORS IN PEOPLE

There was submitted agenda note AN164-2002 making reference to the minute of meeting of this Committee of 14th February 2002, wherein the Committee noted that the department had been recognised formally as an Investor in People (IIP).

In accordance with the requirements of the Standard, an organisation is required to submit itself for re-assessment within a specified period. It was reported that the Personnel and Management Services Department's re-assessment by an external assessor took place over a three day period in June of this year and it has been confirmed that the department continues to meet the IIP National Standard.

VIII PERSONNEL AND MANAGEMENT SERVICES DEPARTMENT - SCOTTISH CHURCHES INDUSTRIAL MISSION

There was submitted agenda note AN165-2002 making reference to the minute of meeting of the City Council of 3rd April 1996, wherein the City Council approved the appointment of the Revered Erik Cramb as Industrial Chaplain to the Council.

It was reported that the Director of Personnel and Management Services had received a request from the Scottish Churches Industrial Mission asking the Council to consider making a contribution to the Trust which supports the Industrial Chaplain. In past years, the Committee had agreed to make a contribution.

The Committee approved a contribution of 600, to be met from the Revenue Budget of the Personnel and Management Services Department,

LORD PROVOST JOHN R LETFORD, Convener.

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