Report of Corporate Issues Overview and Scrutiny.
Title: Meeting held on Monday 28 March 2011.
Recommendations: None.
Actions arising from today’s meeting:
Attendance Management.
Officers to return later in the year to review how various initiatives are progressing and
the impact on levels of sickness throughout the authority. Details of the quarter
attendance management data across the City Council to include a breakdown of short
and long term sickness.
Officers agreed to consider approaching Salford College to discuss the feasibility of
beauty therapy students practising on staff during the health and wellbeing week
(lunchtime sessions).
Forward Plan
Members requested further information on the Vendor Neutral Provider for Consultancy
Services. (Link emailed to Members 30.3.11).
Vendor neutral managed provider for consultancy services. A framework agreement for
a vender neutral provider to act as a singular point of contact for all consultancy
procurement, including ongoing recruitment and management of the supply chain.
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Executive Summary:
This report concerns the matters considered by Corporate Issues Scrutiny on Monday 28
March 2011.
Issues considered were:
 Attendance Management.
This work is linked to the corporate priority – workforce development (Ensure a
pro-active approach to the health and wellbeing of the workforce).
BACKGROUND DOCUMENTS: These can be found on SOLAR.
______________________________________________________________________
SOURCE OF FUNDING:
Not applicable
______________________________________________________________________
CONTACT OFFICER: Karen Lucas, Senior Scrutiny Support Officer
Tel: 793 3318 E-mail: karen.lucas@salford.gov.uk
______________________________________________________________________
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DETAILS
Members Attendance:
Councillor
Cllr Turner
Cllr Balkind
Cllr Burgoyne
Cllr Tope
Cllr Dobbs
Cllr Houlton
Cllr Cullen
Cllr Jolley
Vacancy
Vacancy
A – Apologies received.
Oct
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Nov
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Dec
N
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Jan
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Feb
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March
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Invitees: Martin Vickers – Strategic Director Customer & Support Services, John Tanner
- Assistant Director (Customer Services), Lisa Linden - Strategic HR Manager and
Sharon Howarth - HR Consultancy Manager.
1. Declaration of interests - None
2. Questions from members of public - None submitted.
3. Attendance Management.
At the Corporate Issues Scrutiny in October 2010, Members raised concerns that at that
time the sickness levels in Customer and Support Services had increased; it was agreed
to invite Martin Vickers, Strategic Director to today’s meeting to respond to this concern.
Lisa Linden and Sharon Howarth were asked to return to provide Members with a
progress report on the various initiatives that are being progressed.
Martin informed Members that in the previous quarter to September 2010, Customer and
Support Services had an increase in headcount due to the centralisation of various
functions. At that time there was also an increase in absences related to stress, musculo
and stomach/kidney related.
John Tanner explained to Members that the five year hotspot data has been utilised in
Customer Services to identify individual cases for closer consideration. Some areas of
the service have a higher absenteeism rate, which will result in looking at the service as
well as individuals.
Particular areas of the service are closely monitored for performance management based
work which can be a causal factor of stress related illnesses; therefore the profiling of
jobs will be undertaken along with other considerations to identify trends and underlying
reasons etc. Individual and team based stress audits sampling will be undertaken to gain
an understanding of the stress hotspot data in customer services.
John went on to explain that in line with work life balance a number of staff within
Customer Services work reduced hours, flexible shift patterns and work from home.
The staff development group has been involved in introducing as a pilot an attendance
award scheme of 0.5 days flexi for staff who have not been off sick in a six month period
and 2 hours if not off sick in a three month period (names are drawn out of a hat
monthly). Evaluation of this scheme will be carried out via a three and six month review.
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Members were agreeable to reward schemes and suggested that if this particular award
scheme was deemed successful then it should be introduced across the Council.
With regards to the 125 or so home workers data has shown sickness levels have
improved; the hotspot data will show if this is continuing. There has also been a 20%
increase in productivity.
Lisa Linden and Sharon Howarth continued with the presentation and informed Members
of progress on actions arising from the meeting held in October’10.
In Community Health and Social Care the absenteeism rate has dropped from 17.6 days
to 12.9 days. There remain two recommendations yet to be implemented from the
Internal Audit Review.
The estimated efficiency savings achieved by a reduction in days lost is in relation to
efficiencies, a combination of savings, agency staff and for non productivity.
All Strategic Directors have been provided with 5 year absence data. HR consultants
have highlighted any cases where the Attendance Management Policy does not appear
to have been applied consistently.
Overall there are improved attendance absence rates across the City Council.
Officers provided an overview of the progress being made on health and wellbeing which
includes two half day courses organised to support employees in managing their stress,
plans to develop a City Council health and wellbeing week, recording stress related
absences on SAP and the health and wellbeing intranet employee assistance support
programme which is due to go live; examples of the information were provided in the
presentation.
The recently held market place events for staff were attended by 700 plus staff, these
were organised to support staff during organisational change.
With regards to DHS the City Council are conducting their own review based on
quantative and qualitative information which will incorporate customer feedback. The
DHS pilot intent is to reduce sickness absence by 10%.
Issues that Members considered included: For the health and wellbeing week liaise with Salford College to see if any
students undertaking beauty therapy courses who would welcome the opportunity
to practice on staff during the lunchtime period.
 The employee assistance directory refers eye tests etc but there is no reference to
hearing.
Agreed:
Officers to return later in the year to review how various initiatives are progressing and
the impact on levels of sickness throughout the authority. Details of the quarter
attendance management data across the City Council to include a breakdown of short
and long term sickness.
Officers agreed to consider approaching Salford College to discuss the feasibility of
beauty therapy students practising on staff during the health and wellbeing week.
Members thanked officers for their attendance at the meeting.
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4. Forward plan.
Members requested further information on the Vendor Neutral Provider for Consultancy
Services.
5. Report from the meeting held in January 2011.
Agreed
6. Work programme
To be updated from items carried over from today’s meeting.
7. Any other business.
Councillor K Garrido asked Councillor Turner to discuss with the Scrutiny Chairs Group
the feasibility of scrutiny committees considering key decisions that the authority is
proposing to make to remove the need for a call-in.
Please note that the next meeting will be held on WEDNESDAY 20 APRIL at
2.00pm, Members briefing at 1.30pm.
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