Policy and Resources Committee

29 June 2016

Is the final decision on the recommendations in this report to be made at this meeting?

Yes

 

Workforce Strategy 2016-2020

 

Final Decision-Maker

Policy and Resources Committee

Lead Director or Head of Service

Head of HR Shared Service

Lead Officer and Report Author

Dena Smart, Head of HR Shared Service

Classification

Public

Wards affected

Borough wide

 

 

This report makes the following recommendations to the final decision-maker:

1.   That the Workforce Strategy 2016-2020 is agreed

 

 

This report relates to the following corporate priorities:

·         Keeping Maidstone Borough an attractive place for all

·         Securing a successful economy for Maidstone Borough

 

The Workforce Strategy is one of a suite of over-arching strategies that has an impact on all of the Council’s work and it therefore relates to both of the corporate priorities.

 

 

Timetable

Meeting

Date

Policy and Resources Committee

29 June 2016

 

 



Workforce Strategy 2016-2020

 

 

1.        PURPOSE OF REPORT AND EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

 

1.1     The purpose of the report is to set out the process followed for the development of the Workforce Strategy 2016-2020 and to gain approval for it to become the overarching document guiding our work to become an employer of choice.

 

1.2     The key themes within the revised Workforce Strategy are:

 

1.2.1   Organisation culture and change;

1.2.2   Resourcing;

1.2.3   Development, and

1.2.4   Rewards.

 

 

2.        INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND

 

2.1     To enable the achievement of its priorities the council needs to understand the impact on the workforce and the arrangements that need to be put in place to ensure success. The council’s priorities changed in 2015 and this is the opportunity to review the workforce strategy to ensure that it meets the needs for the new plan.

 

2.2     The council has had a Workforce Strategy in place since 2008, this was revised in 2012 covering the period 2012-2015 and this is therefore due for a refresh.

 

2.3     In order to gather information about the impact of the new priorities and the likely future for the workforce there has been a manager’s survey, a workshop and reviews of management literature identifying future trends.

 

 

 

3.        AVAILABLE OPTIONS

 

3.1     The council could decide that it does not require a Workforce Strategy and not refresh the current strategy which expired at the end of 2015. However the council’s most valuable resource is the workforce and to have no expression of the strategic direction may give rise to uncoordinated actions in the future and reduce the council’s ability to prioritise use of resources for example in providing training for qualifications and development of skills and knowledge.

 

3.2     The council may choose to refresh the Workforce Strategy but arrive at a different set of needs and associated actions to those in the attached draft.

 

 

 

 

 

4.        PREFERRED OPTION AND REASONS FOR RECOMMENDATIONS

 

4.1     The attached draft Workforce Strategy reflects the views of a range of staff in the organisation building on the outcomes from the current strategy. Those involved in the development of the strategy have expert knowledge of their own professional areas of work and are well placed to undertake the horizon scanning for the future.

 

4.2     The proposed Workforce Strategy sets out four key areas for  action in the future:

 

·         Organisational Culture and Change

·         Resourcing

·         Development

·         Rewards

 

Each of these areas has an associated action plan to ensure that the council is supported in allocating the organisation’s resources to achieve its priorities.

 

 

 

5.       CONSULTATION RESULTS AND PREVIOUS COMMITTEE FEEDBACK

 

5.1     The Workforce Strategy was developed with input from the managers in the organisation and discussed with both the trade unions and Staff Forum.

 

 

6.       NEXT STEPS: COMMUNICATION AND IMPLEMENTATION OF THE DECISION

 

6.1     The Workforce Strategy has an associated action plan which sets out some of the steps required for implementation and this will inform the HR service plans in the future.

 

6.2     The Workforce Strategy will be published on the intranet once agreed.

 

 

 

7.       CROSS-CUTTING ISSUES AND IMPLICATIONS

 

 

Issue

Implications

Sign-off

Impact on Corporate Priorities

The Workforce Strategy has an impact on all aspects of the corporate priorities.

Dena Smart

Head of HR

Risk Management

The overarching risk is that if the council does not have a Workforce Strategy it may fail to put in place the actions to deliver the priorities

Dena Smart

Head of HR

Financial

There are areas of the Workforce Strategy that may have a financial impact but these would be costed within the normal annual budget

Section 151 Officer & Finance Team

Staffing

The Workforce Strategy will have an impact on staff – this should be a positive impact as we work to ensure that there are improvements.

Dena Smart

Head of HR

Legal

Although there may be specific actions that have legal implications there is nothing identifies in the plan overall that will have legal implications.

Legal Team

Equality Impact Needs Assessment

Attached

Policy & Information Manager

Environmental/Sustainable Development

No impact identified at this time

Dena Smart

Head of HR

Community Safety

No impact identified at this time

Dena Smart

Head of HR

Human Rights Act

No impact identified at this time

Dena Smart

Head of HR

Procurement

No impact identified at this time

Dena Smart

Head of HR

Asset Management

No impact identified at this time

Dena Smart

Head of HR

 

8.        REPORT APPENDICES

 

The following documents are to be published with this report and form part of the report:

·         Appendix I: Draft Workforce Strategy 2016 – 2020

·         Appendix II: Equality Impact Assessment

 

 

9.        BACKGROUND PAPERS

 

None