Policy And Resources Committee - 17/04/2006

At a MEETING of the PERSONNEL COMMITTEE held at Dundee on 17th April 2006.

Present:-

BAILIES

COUNCILLORS

Lord Provost John R LETFORD, Convener, in the Chair.

The minute of meeting of this Committee of 13th March 2006 was held as read.

Unless marked thus * all items stand delegated.

I HOUSING DEPARTMENT - CARETAKING AND CONCIERGE SERVICES

On a reference to Article II of the minute of meeting of the Housing Committee of 20th February 2006 there was submitted Joint Report No 45-2006 by the Director of Housing and Assistant Chief Executive (Management) detailing a strategy for managing the staffing implications for caretakers and concierge arising from the ongoing rehousing of tenants of multi-storeys already declared surplus in the City.

The Committee agreed:-

(a) to the deletion of 28 posts of Concierge graded MW3, to be deleted on a phased basis as arrangements are put in place for cleaning duties and multi-storeys are vacated; and

(b) that the Director of Housing and Assistant Chief Executive (Management) be remitted to take forward options for redeployment/retraining/voluntary early retirement of the 23 current postholders who will become supernumerary in conjunction with the Trade Unions.

II EMPLOYMENT EQUALITY MONITORING

There was submitted Report No 225-2006 by the Assistant Chief Executive (Management) advising the Committee of the employment equality monitoring statistics for 2005.

The Committee agreed to:-

(a) note the employment equality monitoring findings in the appendices attached to the report; and

(b) remit the Race Equality and Diversity Action Group (REDAG) to monitor the overall performance in relation to the race equality and diversity objectives.

III MONITORING SYSTEM FOR INTERNET VIOLATIONS

There was submitted Joint Report No 270-2006 by the Assistant Chief Executive (Management) and the Head of Information Technology outlining the proposals for implementing systematic monitoring of triggered violations when City Council users are accessing the internet.

The Committee approved the proposals and noted that individual Chief Officers would be responsible for systematic monitoring of internet violations as described in the report within their departments.

IV INTEGRATED APPROACHES TO CHILDREN'S SERVICES

On a reference to Article IV of the Policy and Resources Committee of 17th April 2006 there was submitted Report No 241-2006 by the Assistant Chief Executive (Community Planning) updating the Committee on the progress and outcomes from the Chief Executive's review of children's services in Dundee.

The Committee agreed to the establishment of the post of Corporate Planning Manager (Integrated Children's Services), graded PO15-18, 37,461-40,098, for a period of two years and the filling of this post by the current BNSF Support for Young People Co-ordinator.

V SUPPORT SERVICES DEPARTMENT - ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH AND TRADING STANDARDS - CHANGES TO ESTABLISHMENT

There was submitted Agenda Note AN140-2006 advising that the structure and reporting relationships within the Food and Health and Safety Section of the Environmental Health and Trading Standards Department had been the subject of a review in light of forthcoming regulatory changes, and the review had identified the need for an Environmental Health Officer to be redesignated to Senior Environmental Health Officer.

The Committee therefore agreed that a post of Environmental Health Officer, graded AP5-PO6, 23,739-30,288, be redesignated and regraded to Senior Environmental Health Officer, PO8-11, 31,860-34,176, having noted that the cost of this change was 2,060, inclusive of employer's costs, which could be met with resources identified in the Environmental Health and Trading Standards Revenue Budget for 2006/07.

VI SUPPORT SERVICES DEPARTMENT - ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH AND TRADING STANDARDS - ESTABLISHMENT OF POST

There was submitted Agenda Note AN141-2006 advising that Pennington Funding from the Scottish Executive, which had funded food safety staff costs and training within the Environmental Health and Trading Standards Department (EHTS) and its predecessor, ECPD, for a number of years, would be withdrawn from the Departmental Budget with effect from April 2006.

It was reported that the 2006/09 EHTS Revenue Budget had been designed to accommodate this loss of funding and the Head of Environmental Health and Trading Standards had made provision for making permanent a Food Safety Officer post which had been funded through Pennington since 27th January 2004.

The Committee therefore agreed that the post of Temporary Food Safety Officer, graded AP5, 23,739-25,857, be made permanent from 1st April 2006, having noted that the cost of this proposal was 33,037, inclusive of employer's cost, which could be met from resources identified in the Environmental Health and Trading Standards Revenue Budget for 2006/07.

VII HOUSING DEPARTMENT - ESTABLISHMENT OF FIXED TERM POSTS - DUNDEE DOMESTIC ABUSE FORUM

There was submitted Agenda Note AN142-2006 advising that a Strategic Steering Group had recently been formed, involving key agencies, with a strategic remit of identifying local objectives and providing support to the Dundee Domestic Abuse Forum (DDAF). A priority identified by the strategic steering group was the establishment of a post to co-ordinate the response to domestic abuse locally. A funding bid for this had been successful and the Scottish Executive had allocated 50,000 per year from the Violence Against Women Fund 2006-2008. The bid was supported by matched funding from partners in DDAF.

In light of this, the Committee agreed to establish the following posts for a fixed term period of two years:-

1 post of Dundee Domestic Abuse Forum Co-ordinator, SCP41, 31,063;

1 post of Senior Clerical Assistant, GS3, 14,466 - 15,063,

having noted that the costs, including employer's costs, of establishing these two fixed term posts would amount to 58,530 for a full year, and would be met from the funding from the Scottish Executive and part of the matched funding from the partners in DDAF.

VIII HOUSING DEPARTMENT - HOUSING INVESTMENT UNIT - EXTENSION OF TEMPORARY POSTS

There was submitted Agenda Note AN143-2006 making reference to Article XI of the minute of meeting of this Committee of 19th April 2004 wherein the Committee approved the extension of one post of Project Officer, graded AP4, and two posts of Housing Officer, graded AP2/3, in the Improvement and Maintenance Unit until 30th June 2006.

Reference was also made to Article I of the minute of the meeting of the Personnel and Management Services Committee of 9th June 2003 wherein the Committee approved the extension of one post of Project Officer, graded AP4, and one post of Housing Officer, graded AP2/3, until 30th June 2006, and to Article I of the minute of the meeting of this Committee of 20th June 2005 wherein the Committee agreed the Housing Department's restructure, which placed these posts in the Housing Investment Unit and regraded the posts of Project Officer from AP4 (20,808-23,034) to AP5 (23,739-25,857).

It was reported that pending the outcome of the report to the Housing Customer Contact Group and in order to ensure the existing level and standard of service continued during the Heating Replacement and Rewiring programme, particularly with regard to elderly and vulnerable tenants, the Director of Housing and the Assistant Chief Executive (Management) recommended that the following posts be extended until 31st December 2006:-

2 posts of Project Officer, graded AP5 (23,739 - 25,857);

3 posts of Housing Officer, graded AP2/3 (16,515 - 20,169).

The Committee approved this proposal, having noted that the costs, including employer's costs, of extending these posts, amount to 67,771 for the extension period within the financial year 2006/07, and would be met from the Housing Capital Budget for 2006/07.

IX EDUCATION DEPARTMENT - PPP PROJECT TEAM - ESTABLISHMENT OF FIXED TERM POSTS

There was submitted Agenda Note AN144-2006 making reference to Article V of the minute of meeting of the Personnel and Management Services Committee of 16th September 2002, which established the technical staffing structure of the PPP Project Team to take forward the procurement phase of the Project. It was reported that this phase was now nearing completion and the construction phase was due to commence. In order to take this forward, a review of the staffing requirements had been undertaken and it was proposed to establish the following structure on a fixed term basis until 31st March 2008.

It was noted that the posts of Lead Architect and Senior Quantity Surveyor were currently filled by secondments from the Architectural Services Section of the Council who had expressed a desire to continue in these posts. The City Architectural Services Officer had also seconded a further individual to the Project and it was proposed that the individual be appointed to the Technical Officer vacancy. The remaining vacancy would be advertised internally as a secondment in the first instance, with any external recruitment being offered on a fixed term basis.

During the procurement phase, the assistance of Services Engineers had been required on an "as and when" basis and it was proposed that this arrangement continue.

The Committee approved these proposals, having noted that the financial implications, inclusive of employer's costs, were 150,780 in 2006/2007 and 156,485 in 2007/2008 and would be contained within the PPP Revenue Budget.

X LEISURE AND COMMUNITIES DEPARTMENT - REVIEW OF GRADE - WILDLIFE CENTRE KEEPERS - CAMPERDOWN COUNTRY PARK

There was submitted Agenda Note AN145-2006 advising that role of the Wildlife Centre Keepers at Camperdown Country Park had been reviewed and enhanced to include more interaction with visitors to enrich the visitor experience.

In light of this, the Committee approved the regrading of eight posts of Wildlife Centre Keeper, currently graded MW3, 218.81 per week plus bonus and weekend enhancement, to GS3/AP1, SCP13-18, currently 14,466-16,116 per annum, having noted that the financial implications would be 20,714 in a full year, inclusive of employers costs, and would be contained within the Leisure and Communities Department's Revenue Budgets.

XI FINANCE DEPARTMENT - REGRADING OF POSTS

There was submitted Agenda Note AN146-2006 advising that in order to reflect additional responsibilities in relation to assuming the lead finance role on the Community Justice Partnership, approval was sought to temporarily regrade the post of Principal Accountant, graded PO12-15, 34,965-37,461, to PO12-15 + 1, 34,965-38,295, until 30th June 2006.

In addition, to also reflect the increased duties and responsibilities in relation to the financial management of the Dundee Schools PPP Project, approval was sought to approve the temporary regrading of a further post of Principal Accountant from PO12-15 to PO12-15 + 1, 34,965 - 38,295, for the duration of the project.

The Committee approved these proposals, having noted that they would cost 3,209 in a full financial year, inclusive of employer's costs, and would be funded from the Criminal Justice Grant and the PPP Budget respectively.

The Committee resolved under Section 50(A)(4) of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973 that the press and public be excluded from the meeting for the undernoted item of business on the grounds that it involved the likely disclosure of exempt information as detailed in Paragraph 1 of Part 1 of Schedule 7(A) of the Act.

XII ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT - REGRADING OF POST

There was submitted Agenda Note AN147-2006 proposing the regrading of an employee of the Economic Development Department.

The Committee approved the regrading, as detailed in the report, having noted the financial implications.

LORD PROVOST JOHN R LETFORD, Convener.