Issue - meetings

To consider a report of the Director Children Services. 

The report outlines the business case for the proposal to TUPE staff currently employed across four partner local authorities to Stockport.

The Scrutiny Committee is requested to approve the proposal in principal subject to all parties agreeing to the revised Integrated Services Agreements and schedules.

Officer contact: Sue Westwood on 0161 474 2726 or by email on sue.westwood@stockport.gov.uk

A report of the Director for Children Services was submitted (copies of which had been circulated) outlining the business case for the proposal to TUPE staff currently employed across four partner local authorities to Stockport.

The Cabinet Member for Children, Family Services & Education (Councillor Colin Foster) attended the meeting to respond to questions from the Scrutiny Committee.

The following comments were made/issues raised: -

·         Clarification was sought regarding whether there was any financial benefit to Stockport Council in the proposal. In response, it was commented that in the proposal Trafford Council would pay for the transfer costs and salaries of staff involved in the TUPE and Stockport Council would only be paying for the activities related to Stockport.

·         Members expressed concerns regarding what would happen if one of the authorities left the partnership. In response, it was commented that as part of the partnership agreement, local authorities were required to give twelve months’ notice in advance and their staff would be TUPED back to their own local authority.

·         It was noted that staff within the service were currently split across three sites outside Stockport and it was queried whether consideration had been given to co-locating the service within one location in Stockport. In response, it was stated that consideration had been given to co-locating staff, however, such a site would need to be centrally located within the geographic cluster of local authorities that were participating in the regional adoption agency. It was stated that at the time this was originally considered, there was no single, suitable site within the Borough that could accommodate the service.

The Committee were informed that all staff could join Trade Unions and access advice from their local authorities and that around 98% of staff received their first choice of site and other staff have not moved sites, but there has been a 50% turnover since 2017.

RESOLVED – That the Cabinet be recommended to give approval in principal to the proposal subject to all parties agreeing to the revised Integrated Services Agreement and schedules.