Agenda and minutes

No apologies for absence were received.

Members are requested at a meeting where a disclosable pecuniary interest or personal interest arises, which is not already included in their Register of Members' Interests, todeclare any interests that relate to an item on the agenda.

Where a Member discloses a Disclosable Pecuniary Interest, he/she must withdraw from the meeting room, including from the public gallery, during the whole consideration of any item of business in which he/she has an interest, except where he/she is permitted to remain as a result of a grant of a dispensation.

Where a Member discloses a personal interest he/she must seek advice from the Monitoring Officer or staff member representing the Monitoring Officer to determine whether the Member should withdraw from the meeting room, including from the public gallery, during the whole consideration of any item of business in which he/she has an interest or whether the Member can remain in the meeting or remain in the meeting and vote on the relevant decision.

No declarations of any disclosable pecuniary interests or personal interests were received.

RESOLVED:

That the Minutes of the meeting held on 30 May 2018 be confirmed as a correct record.

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 would involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in paragraphs 1 and 2 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.

Report of Chief Personnel Officer

The Committee considered the report of the Chief Personnel Officer that sought approval for severance payments of two employees.

The severance payment in one case was associated with the delivery of the new Sefton Community First model, a key pillar of the Council’s Framework for Change, approved by Council on 2 March 2017. 

The severance payment in the second case was associated with the structure review of the Senior Management of the Council as detailed in the report of the Chief Executive to Cabinet on 6 September 2018.

The Chief Personnel Officer confirmed that the severance payment was in-line with Council policies and within the employee’s contractual entitlement and the costings in the report were based on a release date of 31 January 2019 and 30 December 2018 respectively.

The report also provided details concerning the earlier release of an employee, where it had become apparent that the capital costs were in excess of that previously reported to the Committee. The release was part of the restructure in the Strategic Regeneration Team, and savings would still be made in this exercise.

RESOLVED: That

(1)      the severance payment(s) as outlined in this report be approved and the Chief Personnel Officer be authorised to make arrangements as to termination and to notice including timing, as appropriate.

(2)      the further matter in paragraph 15, be noted.  

(3)      the Chief Personnel Officer be authorised to make these payments which may be subject to slight changes given the agreement of termination dates, including any actuarial changes.  The Chief Personnel Officer to continue to advise the Chair of any significant changes in cost and report as necessary.

(4)          in accordance with Rule 93 of the Council and Committee Procedure Rules of the Constitution, the dissent of Councillor Shaw from the decision set out in (1) above be recorded.