The General Purposes Committee of Haringey Council met on Thursday 8th February 2024, approving changes to the Organisational Change Policy and the Trade Union Facility Time Agreement. The committee also noted the People Report, which detailed workforce data for December 2023.

People Report

The committee received and noted the People Report for December 2023, which provided an overview of the council's workforce. The report indicated a slight decrease in the established workforce headcount by 0.6% and a marginal decrease in Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) staff. Despite the headcount reduction, the overall workforce cost increased due to the implementation of the April 2023 pay award, which included backdated payments. Agency worker headcount and FTE also saw a reduction, though agency costs increased slightly. The council is actively working to reduce agency spend, with directorates tasked with developing action plans. A drive is underway to convert agency workers to permanent employees to enhance cost-effectiveness and workforce stability. The report also highlighted that 52% of new starters in the past year were under 40, while 38% of leavers were under 40. Sickness rates remained largely unchanged, with a marginal increase in average sick days and long-term sickness rates. The number of apprenticeships saw a slight decrease, though it was noted that a high percentage of apprentices are retained by the council, and many apprenticeships are undertaken by existing employees.

HR Policies - Proposal and Revised Forward Plan

The committee approved a new approach to revising HR policies and adopted a forward plan for policy reviews in 2024/25. This initiative stems from extensive feedback regarding the use of current policies and has been discussed and agreed upon with trade unions. The five core HR policies identified as requiring review due to their impact on the majority of HR casework are the Disciplinary Policy, Capability Policy, Grievance Policy, Dignity at Work Policy, and Sickness Absence Policy. The aim is to simplify these policies, making them shorter and easier to understand and implement, thereby reducing the need for separate practice notes and minimising confusion and inconsistent application. The revised approach involves using ACAS or XpertHR as a base, incorporating collectively agreed terms, creating flowcharts for clarity, seeking feedback from unions and staff networks, and presenting final versions to the committee for sign-off. The committee sought clarification on the Disciplinary Policy, being informed that appeals against sanctions other than dismissal would be heard by a senior manager, while dismissal appeals would be presented to Members, irrespective of the employee's grade.

Trade Union Facility Time Agreement

The committee approved an updated Trade Union Facility Time Agreement, replacing the previous version from 2011. This modernisation reflects significant changes in the council's operations, service delivery, and union membership profiles since 2011, including the insourcing of Homes for Haringey. The agreement updates facility time allowances for each union, modernises the overall structure, and introduces a mechanism for dispute resolution, drawing on experience from previous issues in the teaching sector. The updated agreement mirrors a dispute resolution framework previously agreed upon with ACAS assistance. The agreement details facility time allocations for various unions, with adjustments made based on membership and workload, such as an increase for the NAU and a decrease for Unite due to lower membership. Transitional arrangements are in place for proposed increases and decreases in facility time to allow for a phased implementation. Councillor Erdal Dogan declared a personal interest in this item and recused himself from the discussion and vote.

Organisational Change Policy (Amendment)

The committee approved an amendment to Section 8.2 of the Organisational Change Policy concerning redeployment. The change expands the grade band for suitable alternative posts from the current one grade up or down to a wider range of up to three grades up (or two for Senior Managers) and one grade down from the redeployee's substantive grade. This amendment aims to maximise redeployment opportunities and minimise redundancies, thereby retaining experienced staff and supporting the council's strategic objectives. The policy also clarifies that teachers are not covered by this specific amendment, as they have their own employment terms and conditions. Pay protection for 18 months is in place for employees moving to a lower grade to assist with adjustment.