Policy And Resources Committee - 19/06/2000

At a MEETING of the PERSONNEL AND MANAGEMENT SERVICES COMMITTEE held at Dundee on 19th June, 2000.

Present:-

COUNCILLORS

Councillor LETFORD, Convener, in the Chair.

The minute of meeting of this Committee of 12th June, 2000 was held as read.

Unless marked thus * items stand delegated.

I SOCIAL WORK DEPARTMENT

(a)                        Blackshade Child and Family Centre - Staffing Structure

There was submitted Report No 347-2000 by the Directors of Social Work and Personnel and Management Services relative to the above.

The Committee approved the recommendations of the report so far as its interests were concerned that:-

(a)                        One full time and one part time post of Assistant Centre Worker graded SCP12-18 (11,685 - 13,305) be deleted;

(b)                        One part time post of Cook MW3, 4.68 per hour be deleted; and

(c                         One full time and one part time post of Domestic Assistant MW1, 4.37 per hour be deleted.

(b)                        Kirkton Child and Family Centre - Staffing Structure

There was submitted Report No 348-2000 by the Directors of Social Work and Personnel and Management Services relative to the above.

The Committee approved the recommendations in the report so far as its interests were concerned that:-

(a)One post of Centre Manager graded PO1-4 (22,083 - 24,009) be deleted;

(b)One post of Centre Worker graded SCP27-35 (17,322 - 22,083) be deleted;

(c)Three posts of Assistant Centre Worker graded SCP12-18 (11,685 - 13,305) be deleted;

(d)One part time post of Cook MW3, 4.68 per hour be deleted; and

(e)One full time and one part post of Domestic Assistant MW1, 4.37 per hour be deleted.

(c)                        Fintry Community Nursery - Staffing Structure

The Committee approved the recommendations in the report so far as its interest were concerned that:-

(a)One post of Centre Worker graded SCP27-35 (17,322 - 22,083) be deleted;

(b)Three posts of Assistant Centre Worker graded SCP12-18 (11,685 - 13,305) be deleted;

(c)A part time post of Domestic Assistant (22 hours per week) graded MW1 (189.96 per week) be deleted;

(d)                        Establishment of Additional Posts

There was submitted Report No 350-2000 by the Directors of Education, Social Work and Personnel and Management Services relative to the above.

The Committee approved the recommendations in the report so far as its interest were concerned that three posts of Outreach Worker graded SCP27-35 (17,322 - 22,083) be established for a temporary period until the end of March 2002.

II ENVIRONMENTAL AND CONSUMER PROTECTION DEPARTMENT - APPLICATION FOR REGRADING -DSO SUPERVISOR

There was submitted Report No 162-2000 by the Director of Personnel and Management Services relative to the above.

The Committee approved the recommendation in the report that the upgrading be approved on the grounds of comparability with other authorities and the posts be regraded from T3 (14,711 - 16,770), T4 (17,322 - 19,224) and that in addition to the three applicants the award would apply to the other eight DSO Supervisors in the Department, it being noted that the costs of implementing the above recommendation would be 8,500 in the next full financial year.

III SUPPORT SERVICES DEPARTMENT - ARCHITECTURAL SERVICES - APPLICATION FORREGRADING - SENIOR CLERICAL ASSISTANT

There was submitted Report No 412-2000 by the Director of Personnel and Management Services relative to the above.

The Committee approved the recommendation in the report that the grounds of the application had not been substantiated and that the application be refused.

IV LEISURE AND PARKS DEPARTMENT - APPLICATION FOR REGRADING - WORKSHOPS SUPERVISOR

There was submitted Report No 356-2000 by the Director of Personnel and Management Services relative to the above.

The Committee approved the recommendation in the report that the application be refused.

V PROTECTION OF EMPLOYEES' EARNINGS

There was submitted Report No 418-2000 by the Director of Personnel and Management Services relative to the above.

The Committee approved the recommendation in the report that:-

(a)                        where necessary, local government employees affected by redeployment or grade reductions resulting from departmental restructurings or reorganisations be afforded cash conservation protection of their contractually assured earnings at the time of change for a period of three years; and

(b)                        subject to the circumstances consideration be given to an appropriate one-off buyout where an employee eligible for protection so requests.

VI EDUCATION DEPARTMENT

(a)                        Establishment of Additional Posts

Reference was made to the Government set targets for the expansion of pre-school education services pledging a part time nursery place for every 4 year old which was to be extended to every 3 year old by the year 2002.

It was reported that whilst in general the Education Department were able to meet this provision within the existing services and network, a particular need had arisen in the east of the City in the nursery classes attached to Forthill, Eastern and Barnhill Primary Schools.

In order to meet the demand for places, the Committee approved the undernoted increase to the Nursery Nurse establishment at these schools:-

Forthill Nursery Class    -            0.5 additional post;

Eastern Nursery Class    -            1 additional post;

Barnhill Nursery Class    -            1 additional post;

which posts would be temporary from August 2000 until June 2001 when the situated would be reviewed.

(b)                        Increased Clerical Support - Nursery Education

Reference was made to Report No 344-2000 - Admission to Nursery Education in Dundee - which was approved by the Education Committee on 22 May, 2000 and which established a one-year pilot and evaluation scheme to charged parents in employment for additional nursery provision.

It was reported that in order to meet the increased administration costs of this scheme, it was proposed to increase the clerical support hours for nursery schools from 12 hours to 16 hours per week until June, 2001.

The Committee approved the foregoing, it being noted that the Education Revenue Budget for the period of the pilot and evaluation scheme was unaffected by this proposal.

(c)                        Education Action Plans - Establishment of Posts

Reference was made to the minute of meeting of this Committee of 20 September, 1999 wherein a report on Education Action Plans noted the successful bid by Dundee City Council for Action Plan Status for Braeview Academy and St Saviours High School and their associated primary schools.

It was reported that as a result of the Education Action Plans, the schools (Braeview Academy and St Saviours High School) had appointed a number of temporary support staff to their projects in 1999/2000 and the schools now wished to increase these posts.

The Committee approved the establishment of the undernoted posts in each school to support this initiative:-

Braeview Academy

St Saviour's High School

it being noted that the posts were fixed term positions until 31 March, 2002.

The Committee noted that the cost of the above posts was estimated to be 50,493 in the financial year 2000/2001 and 80,789 in a full financial year, which expenditure would be met from the Government grant of 250,000 for each school under the Excellence Fund Action Plans Initiative.

VII FINANCE DEPARTMENT - OPERATIONS SECTION - DELETION OF POSTS

It was reported that the Directors of Finance, Information Technology and Personnel and Management Services had reviewed the establishment of the Computer Operations Sections in the Finance Department and the Information Technology Division.

As a result, the Committee approved the deletion of one post of Computer Operator, GS3 (8,652 - 12,405) from the establishment of the Finance Department, it being noted that the present incumbent of the deleted post would transfer to a similar post currently held by a temporary employee in the Information Technology Division.

The Committee noted that the foregoing would result in a saving to the Finance Department's Revenue Budget of 12,405 in 2000/2001 and 16,450 per annum thereafter.

VIII STANDARD 37 HOUR WEEK

It was reported that the National Agreement on Pay and Conditions of Service for Local Government Employees stated that "The standard working week would be 37 hours for all full time employees" and that for those working more than 37 hours per week this was to be achieved on a phased basis with a reduction of 1 hour where applicable with effect from 1 April, 2000 and a subsequent reduction to the standard 37 hours by 1 April, 2002.

It was further reported that Dundee City Council had completed the first phase for employees who were previously working 39 hours per week and that as a result of agreements on productivity with the trade unions many employees had moved directly to the required 37 hour working week.

By 1 April, 2002 all Councils would be expected to have completed a job evaluation exercise and assimilated all employees to a new spinal column of hourly rates and that in order to satisfy equal pay for work of equal value which was a fundamental principal of single status, employees whose posts had been evaluated and equated to an hourly rate would have to be paid on the basis of the number of hours that they actually worked.  The existing arrangement of paying former APT&C employees 37 hours for working 36? hours would cease.

The Committee approved the recommendations that:-

(a)                        the standard 37 hour working week established by the National Agreement be approved as the norm for all full time Local Government Employees of the Council;

(b)                        with effect from 1 July, 2000 all new Local Government Employees be employed on the same terms and conditions, including hours of work, as the work group they are joining (whether former APT&C on 36? hours or former Manual or Residential Employees on 37 or 38 hours) but that it be a condition of their employment that, where applicable, they work the standard 37 hour week whenever their posts are assimilated to the hourly rate spinal column; and

(c)                        existing former APT&C Employees, following assimilation of their posts to the new hourly rate spinal column, be given the option of continuing to work 36? hours and being paid for 36? hours or working the standard 37 hour week and being paid 37 hours.

The Committee further noted that discussions on the 37 hour working week were taking place in the Scottish Joint Council and any developments would be reported to a future meeting.

The Convener agreed that the undernoted item be considered as a late item under Standing Order 51(3)(b) in view of the timescales involved.

IX IMPLEMENTATION OF THE DUNDEE EARLY YEARS AND CHILD CARE PLAN - ESTABLISHMENT OF EARLY INTERVENTIONINITIATIVE AND SUPPORT FOR VOLUNTARY ORGANISATIONS

There was submitted Joint Report No. 437-2000 by the Director of Education and the Director of Personnel and Management Services seeking approval for the establishment of the pilot initiative to support the establishment of an early intervention strategy for children aged 2 to 4 (Sure Start, Dundee) and also for the provision of funding to support the Dundee Sitter Service and Home Start, Dundee.

The Committee approved the establishment of three Nursery Nurse posts from August 2000 to April 2002. 

(This report was also approved by the Education Committee on 19 June 2000).

JOHN LETFORD, Convener.