Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence were received from Councillor Brennan and his Substitute Councillor Myers; Councillor Morris; and Councillor Lappin, Cabinet Member – Regulatory, Compliance and Corporate Services.

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 interest were received.

Minutes of the meeting held on 8 February 2022

Minutes of the Remote Informal Meeting of the Committee held on 11 January 2022  

RESOLVED: That

(1)      the Minutes of the meeting held on 8 February 2022 be approved as a correct record; and

(2)      the Minutes of the remote, informal meeting held on 11 January 2022 be approved as a correct record.

Report of the Head of Regeneration and Housing

Further to Minute no. 5 (2) of 15 June 2021 the Committee considered the report of the Head of Regeneration and Housing that advised that social value was a term that related to wider social, environment and economic benefits from decisions; that planning decisions on development proposals could be a key way to secure social value benefits for local people; that the Sefton Local Plan already secured a wide range of social value benefits in Sefton; that however, there was the scope to look at what areas of social value were currently not being maximised and address this through a Social Value Social Supplementary Planning Document (SPD); and sought comments on the suggested scope of the Social Value from Development SPD.

The report indicated that social value had become an important principle of how to integrate the needs of communities into the decision-making processes of public and private sector organisations; that often financial considerations could be paramount in decision-making and this could be to the detriment of local people; but by embedding the principle of social value within the decision making proves this could help build capacity with local communities, make them more resilient and accepting of change.

The report also provided details on what a SPD was; and that a Social Value SPD could cover issues such as new housing, affordable housing, accessible and adaptable’ homes, areas of public open space on new developments, contributions to public transport, contributions towards new primary school places, mitigation measures to protect Sefton’s coast, flood mitigation measures, ecological benefits, high quality landscaping, high quality design, improved access routes, protection of heritage assets, climate change measures, provision and protection of employment land, protection of town centres and measures to improve health and recreation.

The report concluded that it was expected that a draft Social Value SPD would be prepared and approved for public engagement for May 2022; and that this would be subject to a 6-week engagement to July 2022 and that adoption would be sought in September 2022.

Members of the Committee asked questions/commented on the following issues:

·       Aspects of social value, such as high-quality employment paying a living wage, the value of planters, flower beds, etc., and accessibility for older people.

·       Quality of life for tenants in social housing.

·       Difficulties in quantifying the opportunities of new employment.

RESOLVED: That

(1)      the report setting out the proposed scope of the Social Value from Development Supplementary Planning Document be noted; and

(2)      The issues/comments raised by Members of the Committee be noted.

Report of the Executive Director of Corporate Resources and Customer Services

The Committee considered the report of the Executive Director of Corporate Resources and Customer Services that provided information on the levels of discipline, grievance, dignity at work and sickness absence within the Council (excluding schools).

The report indicated that the management of the workforce was an important activity to ensure that outcomes for Sefton’s communities were achieved and to ensure that the workforce was appropriately managed and motivated.

Annex 1 to the report provided a breakdown of disciplinary, grievance and dignity at work formal cases from October 2020 to September 2021; and it was noted that the Council enjoyed a comparatively good level of cases as a result of the good overall industrial relations environment, the partnership approach that was undertaken and the work undertaken within departments; and that a lot of effort was taken to avoid formal procedures where possible.

The report also provided information on the number of employees suspended from the authority and advised that suspension took place in order to facilitate an investigation into matters which could result in dismissal for gross misconduct.

The report advised that during the current year the Council had changed its HR/Payroll system; that the information contained in the report covered the first 2 quarters to provide 6 months’ worth of the most recent data based on the new system; that going forward reports would resume to providing data for a full 12 months; and that the Council’s (excluding schools) percentage sickness absence was 5.15% (1.72% short term and 3.43% long term).

Annex 2 to the report provided statistical information by service area.

The report concluded by advising that the Council had a Sickness Absence Policy which operated in a partnership with trade unions; that long term absence was being dealt with in accordance with overall business need and short-term absence was operated in accordance with recognised and agreed trigger points; that all policies, where applicable, were subject to modification in accordance with the Equality Act 2010; and that trade unions and management recognised the need for correct management of sickness absence to provide appropriate support to lessen the demands on employees who remained at work.

Members of the Committee asked questions/commented on the following issues:

·       How the target for sickness absence was reached.

·       Could the trends from 2019 be included within the data the next time the issue was considered by the Committee?

·       The impact of morale on staff sickness in the public sector.

RESOLVED: That

(1)      the discipline, grievance, dignity at work and sickness levels and the latest information in respect of ongoing work be noted;

(2)      the initiatives currently being implemented to monitor and encourage the reduction of levels of both short and long-term absence be noted; and

(3)      the Executive Director of Corporate Resources and Customer Services be requested to include trends from 2019 within the data the next time the issue is considered by the Committee.

Report of the Chief Legal and Democratic Officer

The Committee considered the report of the Chief Legal and Democratic Officer seeking the views of the Committee on the Work Programme for 2021/22; the identification of potential topics for scrutiny reviews to be undertaken by a Working Group(s) appointed by the Committee; the identification of any items for pre-scrutiny by the Committee from the Key Decision Forward Plan; and providing an update on the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

The report included two scoping documents relating to Corporate Communications and Covid-19; and Cyber Security which could potentially be topics for Working Groups of the Committee to review.

Members of the Committee asked questions/commented on the following issues:

·       The value of both topics being considered as potential working group topics for review.

RESOLVED: That

(1)      the Work Programme for 2021/22, as set out in Appendix 1 to the report, be approved;

(2)      the Senior Democratic Services Officer be requested to contact all Members of the Committee to seek views on a preference for the topic for a working group review, and to consult with the Chair of the Committee on completion;

(3)      the contents of the Key Decision Forward Plan for the period 1 March – 30 June 2022, be noted; and

(4)      the update on the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority Overview and Scrutiny Committee be noted.

Report of the Chief Legal and Democratic Officer

The Committee considered the report of the Chief Legal and Democratic Officer that included the most recent report from the Cabinet Member – Regulatory, Compliance and Corporate Services.

RESOLVED:

That the update report from the Cabinet Member – Regulatory, Compliance and Corporate Services be noted.