Agenda and minutes

No apologies for absence were received.

Members and Officers are requested to give notice of any personal or prejudicial interest and the nature of that interest, relating to any item on the agenda in accordance with the relevant Code of Conduct.

No declarations of interest were received.

Minutes of the meeting held on 26 May 2010

RESOLVED:  

That the Minutes of the meeting held on 26 May 2010 be confirmed as a correct record.

Report of the Interim Head of Corporate Personnel

Further to Minute No. 62 of 11 November 2009, the Cabinet Member considered the report of the Interim Head of Corporate Personnel providing monitoring information about the Council's workforce covering the second half of 2009/10 (from October 2009 to 31 March 2010), to provide an overview of the workforce and to assist in identifying areas for improvement and the development of policies and strategies.

Annexes A to G of the report provided detailed statistical information about staffing levels, composition of staffing etc., and the key points identified from the report indicated that:

·                    Turnover during 2009/10 is higher when compared with previous years.  The strategic budget review has had an influence on increasing the turnover figures for 2009/10 with regards to the voluntary early retirement/voluntary redundancy exercise

·                    The age profile continues to show that Sefton has an ageing workforce.  There are a number of initiatives to address this, such as the apprenticeship scheme, the new apprenticeship programme for 16-18 year olds not engaged in education, employment or training and the ongoing work with Sefton Education Business Partnership.  However, it is important to recognise that demographically, life expectancy of the UK population has increased and people wish to remain in employment longer

·                    Work is continuing with Sefton Equalities Partnership to increase the proportion of employees from minority ethnic backgrounds.

RESOLVED:  

That the report be noted.

To consider passing the following resolution:

That, under Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act, 1972, the press and public be excluded from the meeting for the following item of business on the grounds that it involves the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Paragraph 1 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Act.  The Public Interest Test has been applied and favours exclusion of the information from the Press and Public.

RESOLVED:  

That, under Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act, 1972, the press and public be excluded from the meeting for the following item of business on the grounds that it may involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Paragraph 1 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Act.  The Public Interest Test had been applied and favoured exclusion of the information from the press and public.

Joint Report of the Strategic Director (Children, Schools and Families) and the Interim Head of Corporate Personnel

The Cabinet Member considered the joint report of the Strategic Director - Children, Schools and Families and the Interim Head of Corporate Personnel which set out proposals for a revised senior management structure for the Children, Schools and Families Directorate.  The Interim Head of Corporate Personnel indicated that the proposed grade for the Head of Inclusion had now been amended from Hay 5 to Hay 4.

RESOLVED:   That

(1)       the proposals set out in the report to establish a revised Senior Management Structure for Children, Schools and Families, as referred to in paragraph 6 and detailed at Annex 2 (subject to the Head of Inclusion post being Hay 4), be endorsed;

(2)       the appointment procedures set out in paragraph 9, subject to the Strategic Director - Children, Schools and Families submitting a report to the Employment Procedures Committee for formal approval and to no Cabinet Member having any material or well-founded objection, be approved;

(3)       the fact that the Senior Management Structure will need to evolve further over the coming years to respond to changes in Government policy and the expected pressures and improvements in service delivery generated from the Strategic Budget Review, be noted;

(4)       the fact that changes to the Senior Management Structure will assist in contributing to savings over the period of the Strategic Budget Review, be noted;

(5)       the intention to update the Children's Services and Performance and Corporate Services Overview and Scrutiny Committees on progress to date, be noted; and

(6)       it be noted that in accordance with the Responsibility for Functions provided in the Council's Constitution, the personnel implications described in the report have been approved by the Interim Head of Corporate Personnel, in consultation with the Strategic Director - Children, Schools and Families.

To receive a presentation from Mr. Mike Morris, Senior Committee Administrator

The Cabinet Member received a presentation from Mike Morris, Senior Committee Administrator, on the administration of statutory appeals by parents in respect of school admission and permanent exclusion from schools.

RESOLVED:  

That the presentation be noted.