Policy And Resources Committee - 08/01/2001

At a MEETING of the PERSONNEL AND MANAGEMENT SERVICES COMMITTEE held at Dundee on 8th January 2001.

Present:-

COUNCILLORS

Councillor Letford, Convener, in the Chair.

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

Unless marked thus * all items stand delegated.

I ENVIRONMENTAL AND CONSUMER PROTECTION DEPARTMENT - MICROBIOLOGY TECHNICIAN POSTS

It was reported that in April 1998 the Committee had approved the appointment of two Microbiology Technician posts on a three year fixed term contract and that following negotiations, Angus and Perth and Kinross Councils had agreed with Dundee to incorporate the use of the Microbiology Food and Water Examination Service into the Minute of Agreement.

As a consequence, the Committee were requested to make the two posts of Temporary Microbiology Technicians permanent, it being noted that there would be no cost to the Council.

The Committee agreed accordingly.

II EMPLOYMENT DISABILITY UNIT - PUBLICATION OF GOOD PRACTICE GUIDE

It was reported that a Guide had been produced by Mike Evans, the Manager of the Employment Disability Unit, and Tanya Gilchrist and Michelle Hegarty, both of Capability Scotland, which gave practical suggestions to employers as regards the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 and was a useful good practice manual.

It was further reported that the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development Enterprise Limited had agreed to publish the Guide for sale purposes and that the Council and Capability Scotland required to sign the Contract with CIPD Enterprises Limited to cover the terms of publication of the Guide.

The Committee remitted to the Director of Personnel and Management Services to negotiate the Contract on the Council's behalf, which Contract would run with the Council's name, together with Capability Scotland, with royalties being shared between the two parties on a fifty fifty basis.

III ARTS AND HERITAGE DEPARTMENT - REDESIGNATION OF POST

The Committee approved the recommendation by the Directors of Arts and Heritage and Personnel and Management Services that a post of Administrative Assistant within the above department be redesignated Secretary to reflect the role currently undertaken which predominantly involved providing a secretarial support service to the Director of Arts and Heritage with their being no change in grade.

IV INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY DIVISION - REVIEW OF ORGANISATIONAL STRUCTURE

There was submitted Report No 610-2000 by the Chief Executive and Director of Personnel and Management Services relative to the above.

The Committee approved the revised organisational structure outlined in the Appendices to the Report, noted that the appointment of the Head of Information Technology would be made by the Personnel Appointments Sub-Committee and instructed the Chief Executive and Director of Personnel and Management Services to initiate the necessary procedures to make appointments to other vacancies after competitive interview of existing employees.

The Committee further noted that UNISON had raised various issues and remitted to the Director of Personnel and Management Services to submit a further report to the Committee should it be required.

V LEISURE AND PARKS DEPARTMENT - REVIEW OF ADMINISTRATION FUNCTION

There was submitted Report No 36-2001 by the Director of Personnel and Management Services relative to the above.

The Committee approved the recommendations in the Report that:-

(a) one post of Administration Officer (Services), graded PO1-4 (24,749 - 24,735), be redesignated Administration Officer (Special Projects);'

(b) one post of Senior Keyboard Operator, graded GS1/3 (8,913 - 12,780) be redesignated Senior Keyboard Operator/Clerical Assistant and be transferred from the Keyboard Services Section to the Leisure Services Section at the Olympia Centre for a six week trial period during which time the Leisure Services Manager be responsible for day-to-day supervision, that the Administration Assistant (Keyboard Services) to retain responsibility for holiday allocation, provision of cover and adherence to all administrative procedures and that the typing workload in both sections be measured during the trial period and the situation be reviewed at the end of that period;

(C) the Senior Countryside Ranger be made responsible for the Ancrum Activity Centre's Administration Section;

(d) the Booking Office be relocated from Olympia to Floor 13 of Tayside House and be merged with the General Section of the Administration Section;

(e) a member of Leisure and Parks staff be located at the Customer Services Help Zone Facility on Floor 2 of Tayside House for a pilot period to undertake Booking Office functions: in order to reflect the duties of the post, the post be regraded GS1/3: during peak times and periods of sickness or absence, any member of Leisure and Parks staff providing cover will receive a higher duty payment to GS1/3 for the hours worked with a review of the situation being carried out in May/June 2001;

(f) responsibility for the supervision of the Ticket Offices at Olympia and Lochee Leisure Centres be transferred to the Duty Officer at each location;

(g) one post of Administration Assistant (General) and one post of Administration Assistant (Bookings), both graded AP3 (15,702 - 17,277), be deleted from the establishment and a new post of Administration Assistant (General), graded AP4 (17,844 - 19,803), be established;

(h) purchase ordering and related invoicing generated by the Downfield Pavilion, Caird Park and Camperdown offices be transferred to these locations from the General Section;

(i) five posts of Clerical Assistant of which two are vacant, graded GS1/2 (8,913 - 12,039), be deleted from the establishment of the General Section and three posts of Administration Assistant, graded AP1 (12,780 - 13,707), be established at (one each) Downfield, Camperdown and Caird Park area offices);

(j) two vacant part-time posts of Clerical Assistant, graded GS1/2 (8,913 - 12,039) (20 hours pro rata), be deleted from the establishment of the General Section;

(k) administrative and clerical work transferred to the area offices (eg job orders) be forwarded to Tayside House for processing in the event of there being no-one available at the area offices;

(l) a training needs analysis be carried out to determine the Administration Section's training requirements;

(m) an Implementation Group be set up comprising Leisure and Parks, Management Services (and staff from other departments as and when required) to facilitate the implementation of this report;

(n) due to the changes proposed, any displaced staff be deployed in accordance with the Council's agreed procedure; and

(o) while improvements were being made to the wages systems, the vacant part-time post be filled and the full-time post continue to be filled on a temporary basis and that once improvements had been completed the Wages Section may be reviewed;

it being noted that the foregoing would result in savings of 49,259 in a full financial year.

JOHN LETFORD, Convener