Agenda and minutes

Councillor Eunice Campbell

None

Last meeting held on 11 April 2014 (for confirmation)

The Committee confirmed the minutes of the meeting held on 11 April 2014 as a correct record and they were signed by the Chair.

Report of the Chief Fire Officer

John Buckley, the Chief Fire Officer, introduced his quarterly report updating members on human resources issues within the Service. The following statistics were drawn to members’ attention:

·  the average absence per employee has fallen from 6.39 days to 5.8 days for the period 2013/14;

·  560 employees had no sickness absence  at all during 2013/14;

·  target absence figures for 2014/15 will remain the same as for 2013/14; whole time and control 6 days; non-uniformed 7 days and whole workforce 6.25 days;

·  as at 31 March 2014, whole-time establishment stood at 536 full time equivalent employees against an establishment of 530 posts;

·  fire-fighter roles are over-strength by 19 posts with 14 vacancies at supervisory level. The ‘front-loading’ of trainee fire-fighter roles is part of succession planning for projected retirements during 2014/15 and the promotion of competent fire-fighters into vacant supervisory roles;

·  the Service ran an Area Manager selection process to fill vacancies at this level from July 2014. A Group Manager process will run in July  to fill the vacancies left by internal promotions;

·  there were no permanent ill-health retirements during 2013/14;

Members congratulated the Chief Fire Officer, the Human Resources Team and Occupational Health for their considerable achievements in bringing down absenteeism levels over recent years.

The Chair thanked the Chief Fire Officer for his clear and concise updating report.

RESOLVED to endorse the report.

Report of the Chief Fire Officer

John Buckley, the Chief Fire Officer, introduced his report recommending the deletion of three substantive posts from the support establishment.

RESOLVED that the vacant posts set out in the report are recommended to the meeting of the Fire Authority to be held on 26 September 2014 for deletion

Report of the Chief Fire Officer

John Buckley, the Chief Fire Officer, introduced his report reviewing the Corporate Workforce Plan for 2013/14, setting out areas for action and making members aware of the updated Plan for 2014/16 and the key workforce issues contained in it.

RESOLVED to note the report.

Report of the Chief Fire Officer

John Buckley, the Chief Fire Officer, introduced his report updating members on the outcomes and recommendations from the Equal Pay Review undertaken in 2013.

RESOLVED to note the outcomes of the Equal Pay Review 2013.

Report of the Chief Fire Officer

John Buckley, the Chief Fire Officer, introduced his report notifying members that there were no applications considered by the Job Evaluation Panel in respect of changes to the permanent non-uniformed establishment, during the period April to June 2014 (inclusive).

RESOLVED

(1)  to note the report;

(2)  only to receive future reports where the Job Evaluation Panel has considered any submission for regrading.

TO CONSIDER EXCLUDING THE PUBLIC FROM THE MEETING DURING CONSIDERATION OF THE REMAINING ITEM(S) IN ACCORDANCE WITH SECTION 100A(4) OF THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT ACT 1972 ON THE BASIS THAT, HAVING REGARD TO ALL THE CIRCUMSTANCES, THE PUBLIC INTEREST IN MAINTAINING THE EXEMPTION OUTWEIGHS THE PUBLIC INTEREST IN DISCLOSING THE INFORMATION

The Committee decided to exclude the public from the meeting during consideration of the remaining agenda item in accordance with Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972 on that basis that, having regard to all the circumstances, the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information.

Report of the Chief Fire Officer

John Buckley, the Chief Fire Officer, introduced his report outlining the recommendations of the Discretionary Compensation Payments Board in respect of a voluntary redundancy application.

RESOLVED to approve the recommendations of the Discretionary Compensation Payments Board to accept the application for voluntary redundancy set out in the report.