Agenda and minutes

Members are invited to declare at this stage of the meeting, any relevant financial or other interest in the items on this agenda.

None declared

The minutes from the previous meeting held on the 3^rd November 2009 are TO FOLLOW.

RESOLVED:-

that the minutes of the previous meeting held on Tuesday 3^rd November 2009 be approved as an accurate record of the meeting.

None.

None.

This report presents the main changes and implications of the recruitment and selection policy for the council. The new policy has been developed in line with key aims and objectives of the council’s People Strategy. The purpose of the policy review is to provide a modern recruitment framework that will meet the council’s requirements to successfully recruit and retain a talented workforce. The proposals will bring the council’s recruitment policy in procedure in line with other best performing councils.

                           The policy has previously been submitted to CMT for approval in 2008. CMT at that time requested that further work be undertaken regarding internal recruitment in particular. Since then, the review has incorporated developing and implementing E-Recruitment and CV applications.

Councillor Sneddon (Lead Member for Human Resources and Diversity, Local Democracy and Consultation) introduced the report from the Assistant Director of Human Resources which set out the details of the proposed revised recruitment and selection policy and procedure. He explained that the purpose of the policy review was to provide a modern recruitment framework that would meet the council’s requirements to successfully recruit and retain a talented workforce. 

The Assistant Director of Human Resources set out the three key changes to the policy and procedure, which were the use of internal recruitment when appropriate, the use of e-recruitment and the use of CVs (curriculum vitae) in the application process.  Following a concern raised around the issue of equality and internal advertising, the Assistant Director assured the committee that procedures would be put in place to ensure that the council’s equality policies and equality legislation were not breached.  She explained that the Assistant Director of Human Resources, or her delegated representative, in consultation with the relevant director would be responsible for the approval and decision as to whether internal advertising was appropriate. 

In response to an enquiry regarding whether internal advertising would be used for just junior positions, the Assistant Director explained that it could be used for both junior and senior positions, depending on what was appropriate.   She noted that since joining the council in 2005, a consistent message which had come out of the staff surveys was that many staff believed that there was not enough priority being given to developing the council’s own staff. This revised policy and procedure, she explained, would give the council an opportunity to address this need, whilst also ensuring that council processes remain fair.

Following a concern raised as to whether job descriptions would be flexible and adaptable enough to reflect changing circumstances, the Assistant Director assured the committee that the council was aware of the need for job descriptions to have flexibility built into them.  It was noted that the changes to the policy and procedure would have no bearing on the composition and workings of the appointment board for senior positions.

RESOLVED:-

i)          that the policy and procedure (attached as appendices one and two to the report from the Assistant Director, Human Resources) be approved and adopted by the council with immediate effect specifically proposals for implementing:

-       E-Recruitment (I-grasp)

-       Internal advertising

-       The use of CVs (curriculum vitae);

ii)         that the Assistant Director, Human Resources, be authorised, after consultation with the Borough Solicitor and then consultation with the relevant trade unions, to amend the Recruitment Policy and Procedure from time to time;

iii)        that the Assistant Director, Human Resources, be authorised, after consultation with the Borough Solicitor, to issue supplementary guidance to managers on recruitment issues from time to time.

RESOLVED:-

that approval be given to the following changes to committee membership:-

GP Licensing Sub-Committee

Delete Councillor Eniola

Insert Councillor Joseph

Senior Staff Appointments Sub-Committee

Delete Councillor Eniola as 2^nd alternate to Councillor John

Insert Councillor Long as 2^nd alternate to Councillor John

Staff Appeals Sub-Committee A

Delete Councillor Colwill

Insert Councillor Joseph

Delete Councillor Eniola as 1^st alternate and insert Councillor Colwill

RESOLVED:-

that approval be given to the following changes to outside body membership:-

London Councils Health & Social Care Forum

Delete Councillor Mrs Fernandes

Insert Councillor Colwill

London Councils Economic Development Forum

Insert Councillor Steel as Deputy

Notice of items to be raised under this heading must be given in writing to the Democratic Services Manager or his representative before the meeting in accordance with Standing Order 64.

There was none.

Additional meetings of the Committee will be convened if business requires this.

It was noted that the date of the next meeting of the General Purposes Committee was scheduled for the 26^th January 2010.