Agenda item

To consider a report of the Deputy Chief Executive.

The report provides insights about the Council’s workforce over the full year 2022/23, presenting progress in implementing our People Plan, developing the People Plan to reflect changing priorities including the clearer focus provided by our updated Council Plan, our Vision and Mission.

The reports also includes trends within our workforce.

The Scrutiny Committee is recommended to:

(1)  Note the excellent performance of our recruitment team in improving both the quality and quantity of applicants, and in working with such diligence and commitment to fill hard to fill roles, for example within our Social Care directorates.

(2)  Note the progress made in launching and embedding a range of developmental initiatives, including the Leading Stockport framework, our strong apprenticeship programme, our still developing early careers framework, especially for care leavers, vulnerable adults and, where possible our focus, our bold commitment to coaching and coaching skills training, as well as the development and impending launch of our new appraisal approach, My Conversation.

(3)  Endorse the early work to develop a talent strategy, upon which to base our talent management programme over the next 2 – 5 years, the first phase of this being an Early Careers framework.

(4)  Endorse the work to understand better the significant challenges and opportunities to improve the employment experience for those with diverse personal characteristics. This includes the work in house, such as a new values based culture programme (Ambitious Stockport) , and also the planned future work to collaborate at a Greater Manchester level to design and implement genuinely innovative frameworks and tools which will improve the lived experience for all employees based upon race and disability.

(5)  Note the improvement in our sickness absence figure to an average of 9.86 days per FTE and endorse the work to further improve our performance in this area, at a Directorate and a Council level.

(6)  Note the ongoing wellbeing support provided to our employees and the ambition to further build upon opportunities to improve wellbeing, as evidenced by the current work to create a supportive and transparently confident organisational framework of support, and a narrative for those going through the menopause and meeting the ongoing personal challenges from menstruation.

Officer contacts: Kathryn Rees tel 0161 474 3174 or email kathryn.rees@stockport.gov.uk and Graham Charsley at graham.charsley@stockport.gov.uk

The Deputy Chief Executive submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) providing insights about the Council’s workforce over the full year 2022/23, presenting progress in implementing our People Plan, developing the People Plan to reflect changing priorities including the clearer focus provided by our updated Council Plan, our Vision and Mission. The report also included trends within the workforce.

The Cabinet Member for Finance and Resources (Councillor Jilly Julian) attended the meeting to respond to councillors’ questions.

The following comments were made/ issues raised:-

·         Members expressed concern in relation to the staff turnover rate of 11 per cent and, in particular, the higher rate of turnover for staff working in Adult Social Care. Members queried what plans the council had to reduce the rate of staff turnover.

·         In response it was stated that an examination of the point at which people looked to leave their careers was taking place. Furthermore, consideration was being given to recruitment and the early stages of employment. The council was also looking at ways to attract candidates to the organisation: using online recruitment portals, being more proactive in explaining the culture and values of the organisation, what support and benefits exist for staff and why Stockport Council was a great place to work.

·         In response to a query about next steps in terms of the workforce, it was reported that a pilot scheme was due to be implemented to encourage individual staff members to own their performance and wellbeing, to align themselves with the values of the organisation and align their performance with the Stockport Council plan. Plans were in place to measure how individual colleagues’ performance delivered against the council plan. It was further recognised that the quality of leadership at the council was crucial to employee wellbeing.

·         It was reported that the annual staff survey would be rolled out within the next month and that it would give a very clear indication of the extent to which employees understand the corporate plan and organisational values. It would also shed light on the diversity of the council’s services and its staff. It was recognised that not all sections of the organisation were in the same place in terms of employee wellbeing and the staff survey would allow the council to target those areas.

·         It was also reported that all colleagues have access to leading-edge wellbeing support. Staff usage of those services was tracked anonymously on a monthly basis, including information on the numbers of referrals to occupational health, counselling and physiotherapy. It was found that these services were well used.

·         The launch of the Supported Internship Scheme was scheduled to take place the following day. That scheme played an important role in the kinds of people the council was able to offer jobs to such as care leavers and those with learning disabilities. The council had also provided work experience for 60 students.

·         In terms of the Apprenticeship Levy, it was reported that the fund was fully utilised by the council each year and that the range of apprenticeships offered by the council was impressive with roles not normally associated with apprenticeships such as solicitor apprentices.

·         It was also reported that Stockport College now has an Ofsted rating of ‘good’ which meant that it was eligible to offer students for apprenticeship placements. Stockport College had recently given a presentation to council officers and the procurement of apprentices from the college was expected going forward.

·         Overall, the council had enrolled 236 apprentices on 77 courses and had a 73 per cent completion rate, well above the national average.

·         It was reported that the council had made some redundancies and, wherever possible, they had been voluntary. The council was always looking to make savings and restructure its services where possible. Furthermore, the figures for the numbers of redundancies in the past year was likely to be skewed as a result of temporary contracts coming to an end in the post-Covid era.

·         In terms of sickness absence, Covid was reported to be the most significant reason for absence of council colleagues in the past year, although there was a general downward trend in incidents of Covid among staff.  Those colleagues suffering from long-Covid were being managed in a sensitive and appropriate manner.

RESOLVED – That the report be noted.