Agenda and minutes

There were no apologies for absence received.

The Chair welcomed Kim Wright, as the new Chief Executive and Councillor Georgiou (following his recent appointment to the General Purposes Committee) to their first General Purposes Committee meeting.

Members are invited to declare at this stage of the meeting, the nature and existence of any relevant disclosable pecuniary or personal interests in the items on this agenda and to specify the item(s) to which they relate.

There were no declarations of interests made by Members.

To hear any deputations received from members of the public in accordance with Standing Order 67.

There were no deputations received.

To approve the minutes of the previous meeting held on Monday 13 March 2023 as a correct record.

RESOLVED that the minutes of the previous meeting, held on Monday 13 March 2023 be approved as an accurate record.

To consider any matters arising from the minutes of the previous meeting.

There were no matters arising.

To provide General Purposes Committee with a proposed timetable for recruiting a permanent Corporate Director following the departure of the current postholder.

Kim Wright, Chief Executive, introduced a report that provided the General Purposes Committee with a proposed timetable for the recruitment of a permanent Corporate Director of Adult Social Care and Health, following the departure of the current Corporate Director.

Members noted the timetable for the recruitment process along with the intended change in job title for the post from Adult Social Care and Heath to Care, Health and Wellbeing which it was felt provided a more accurate reflection of the position.  Pending the permanent recruitment process having been completed members were advised of the plans to appoint an Interim Corporate Director to cover the position and welcomed the approach outlined.

It was therefore RESOLVED to:

(1)       Note the intended appointment by the Chief Executive of an Interim Corporate Director Adult Social Care and Health.

(2)   Agree the timetable set out in the report for the appointment to the post on a permanent basis.

(3)      Delegate to the Chief Executive any amendment to the proposed timetable, for operational reasons, in consultation with the Chair of General Purposes Committee.

(4)      Note the change of job title to Corporate Director Care, Health and Wellbeing.

This report provides the Committee with an update on activity in relation to the recruitment and retention of children and young people social workers.

Councillor Grahl Cabinet Member for Children, Young People and Schools, introduced a report from the Corporate Director of Children and Young People that provided the Committee with an update following the decision taken in November 2022 to increase the recruitment and retention payments to staff in the hardest to recruit teams within the Looked After Children and Permanency (LAC and Permanency) Service.  The report also provided further information regarding the current position in relation to social work staff within the Children and Young People’s department overall, this included the proposals developed following a review of incentive packages designed to reduce the complexity of the existing arrangements and improve recruitment and retention outcomes for social worker staff across all grades and teams based on the current arrangements detailed in Appendix 1 of the report.

In recognising the current challenges nationally and regionally in terms of the recruitment and retention of suitably qualified social work staff, Nigel Chapman, Corporate Director, Children & Young People advised the Committee that the proposals outlined within the report had been designed to maintain and increase the number of permanent staff in social work roles across the department as well as to reduce the gaps between grades and reduce agency costs.

In considering the report the Committee noted:

·             The update provided in relation to the impact of the previously agreed recruitment and retention measures, as detailed in section 4 of the report, which whilst having a positive impact it was recognised would still need time to fully assess in terms of their overall effectiveness and with additional action still required to enhance the number of permanent staff in social work roles across the department;

·             The clarification provided in relation to the eligibility of internationally recruited staff for the welcome incentive and retention payments, with these staff able to benefit from the relocation support payment available and also eligible for the retention payment following the relevant qualifying period.

As there were no further Committee queries in relation to the report, the Committee RESOLVED to:

(1)        Agree to extend the use of two recruitment and retention initiatives, to all teams within the department, as follows:

Ø    To make a one-off payment of £5,000 to newly recruited permanent qualified social work staff on grades PO1 – PO7, on satisfactory completion of probationary period and repayable where an employee leaves the council’s employment within 12 months of receiving the payment.

Ø    To make retention payments of £2,500 to all qualified social work staff on grades PO1 to PO7.

(2)        Agree to retain the enhanced retention payment of £4,500 per annum for those teams where it was particularly hard to recruit and retain qualified social work staff i.e., the Short and Long Term Teams in the Localities Service and the Care Planning Teams in the LAC and Permanency Service (as outlined in Appendix 1 of the report).

(3)        That continued discretion be provided to the department in how recruitment and retention payments are offered across the department with a continued focus on hard  ...  view the full minutes text for item 7.

At its Annual meeting on 17 May 2023, Full Council is being asked to review and determine the representation of political groups on its main committees and subsequently make appointments to these, in accordance with the wishes of the political groups concerned.

As soon as practicable after such a review, this Committee is also required to review and determine the representation of political groups on its Sub-committees and then make appointments giving effect to the wishes of the political groups allocated seats.  The attached report from the Corporate Director Governance details the outcome of the review undertaken in relation to Sub-Committees to be appointed by General Purposes Committee.

Councillor Muhammed Butt introduced a report from the Corporate Director of Governance detailing the outcome of a review on the representation of political groups on those Sub Committees appointed by the General Purposes Committee.

Members were advised this followed the review undertaken at the Annual Council meeting on 17 May 2023 relating to the representation of political groups on the Council’s main committees.

As a result it was RESOLVED, on the basis of the current membership of the Council:

(1)        To agree the size of each sub-committee to be appointed by the Committee.

(2)        To agree the allocation of seats to political groups on each of the sub committees in accordance with political balance rules, as detailed in section 3 of the report; and

(3)        To appoint Chairs and Vice Chairs, members and substitutes to each Sub-committee (to be confirmed under Item 9 of the agenda) giving effect to the wishes of the political group(s) allocated the seats.

To consider any appointments needing to be made in relation to those Sub Committees appointed by the General Purposes Committee.

Members are asked to note the list of appointments have been attached.

(Agenda republished to include the list of Sub Committee appointments on 18 May 2023)

Following on from Item 8 above, Councillor Muhammed Butt introduced the item which set out the proposed appointments to the General Purposes Sub-committees for the 2023/2024 Municipal Year.

RESOLVED: That Members agree the following appointments to the General Purposes Sub-Committees for the 2023/2024 Municipal Year:

senior staff appointments sub-committee

m butt (C)                                 LABOUR

M.PATEL (VC)                             LABOUR

Kansagra                                 CONSERVATIVE

Krupa sheth                            LABOUR

tatler                                       LABOUr

SUBSTITUTE MEMBERS:

LABOUR:  DONNELLY-JACKSON, farah, grahl, knight, nerva, VACANCY

CONSERVATIVE: MAURICE, MISTRY

senior staff appeals sub-committee

m butt (C)                                 LABOUR

M.PATEL (VC)                             LABOUR

Kansagra                                 CONSERVATIVE

Krupa sheth                            LABOUR

tatler                                       LABOUr

SUBSTITUTE MEMBERS:

LABOUR:  DONNELLY-JACKSON, farah, grahl, knight, nerva, VACANCY

CONSERVATIVE: MAURICE, MISTRY

brent pension fund sub-committee

johnson (C)                                        LABOUR

mitchell (VC)                                     LABOUR

choudry                                             LABOUR

HACK                                                     labour

KENNELLY                                            LABOUR

KANSAGRA                                           CONSERVATIVE

MIller                                                  LABOUR

Co-Opted non-voting:

ELIZABETH BANKOLE               (UNISON)

SUBSTITUTE MEMBERS:

LABOUR:DIXON, ETHAPEMI, MAHMOOD, SHAH

CONSERVATIVE: MAURICE, J.PATEL

brent pension board

FULL MEMBERS:

DAVID EWART (C)                                 INDEPENDENT CHAIR (31.07.2025)

AKRAM                                                  LABOUR

kabir                                                    LABOUR

CHRIS BALA                                         PENSION SCHEME MEMBER

BOLA GEORGE                                     TRADE UNION (UNISON) MEMBER

ROBERT WHEELER                             TRADE UNION (GMB) MEMBER

SUNIL GANDHI                                      EMPLOYER MEMBER (NON-BRENT COUNCIL)

SUBSTITUTE MEMBERS:

No provision is included within the Pension Board Terms of Reference for substitute members.

There are no items listed on the agenda that will require the exclusion of the press and public.

There were no items that required the exclusion of the press or public from the meeting.

Notice of items to be raised under this heading must be given in writing to the Head of Executive and Member Services or her representative before the meeting in accordance with Standing Order 60.

None.