The Personnel Committee of Kent County Council met on Thursday, 29 January 2026, to discuss several key HR matters. The committee approved a new special leave entitlement for employees who foster Kent children and deferred a decision on introducing special leave for Cadet Force Adult Volunteers pending further analysis.

Fostering Friendly Leave Approved

The committee unanimously approved a new special leave entitlement for employees who are approved foster carers for children looked after by Kent County Council. This new policy, effective from 1 April 2026, will grant eligible employees 8.5 days of paid leave in their first year of fostering and 5 days in subsequent years. Councillors noted that this initiative is expected to reduce the council's reliance on more expensive external fostering services and ultimately benefit children in care. The scheme will apply to all eligible staff, including those already approved as foster carers.

Cadet Force Adult Volunteers Special Leave Deferred

A proposal to introduce a formal special leave entitlement for Cadet Force Adult Volunteers was deferred to allow officers to conduct further analysis. Currently, these volunteers, who support youth cadet organisations such as the Sea Cadet Corps, Army Cadet Force, Combined Cadet Force, and Royal Air Force Air Cadets, do not have a specific leave entitlement. While members acknowledged the potential benefits of the scheme in aligning with national best practices and supporting wider initiatives, concerns were raised regarding the lack of a financial assessment, the cumulative effect of combining this leave with other entitlements, and the council's position regarding the Gold Award under the Armed Forces Covenant. A suggestion was made for officers to assess the financial impact, explore the Gold Award status implications, consult with staff, and consider including other youth-related groups in any future scheme.

Chief Executive Recruitment Update

The committee noted the approach and timetable for the recruitment of a new Chief Executive Officer. They also noted the further extension of Amanda Beer's contract to remain in post until March 2026. This decision followed discussions regarding the recruitment process for the permanent Chief Executive Officer role.

Senior Management Structure Approved

The Personnel Committee approved the terms outlined in a report concerning the Senior Management Structure and delegated responsibility for the next steps to the Chief Executive.

Previous Minutes Noted

The minutes of the previous Personnel Committee meetings held on 23 September 2025 and 27 November 2025 were noted.

Annual Workforce Profile and Employee Relations Reports Noted

The committee noted the latest annual workforce profile for 2024-25, which provided information on staffing levels, demographics, and comparative data from recent years. They also noted the annual employee relations activity report, which detailed casework for the period 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025, highlighting an increase in formal cases, particularly within the Children, Young People and Education (CYPE) and Adult Social Care and Health (ASCH) Directorates.

People Strategy Evaluation Noted

The progress of the People Strategy in its third year was noted, along with a detailed analysis of its core themes: maximising organisational capacity, capability, and development; creating an environment for people to thrive; supporting staff as individuals; and attracting, retaining, and maximising talent. The committee heard that secondments were well utilised, and the council performed well in relation to apprenticeship targets, participating in a national apprenticeship group. Discussions also touched upon workforce planning, succession planning for managerial roles, and the ongoing impact of Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) on future planning and recruitment for essential roles like social workers. The committee also noted the efforts made by the Corporate Management Team to provide consistent messages to staff regarding LGR.

Discretionary Payments Noted

The committee noted the use of discretionary payments across the organisation for the previous financial year.