Agenda and minutes

Agreed.

Received a report seeking Member’s approval to adopt the Greater London Provincial Council (GLPC) Job Evaluation Scheme as the scheme to be used within the Council for all job evaluations up to and including LSMR grades.  JNC posts (Head of Service level and above) were subject to a separate procedure.

Agreed, that in order to progress the Council’s strategy for ‘Single Status’ and provide harmonised arrangements for the evaluation of APTC staff in the current climate of organisational change across the Council, to the adoption of the 2000 GLPC Job Evaluation Scheme as the Council’s job evaluation scheme for all posts up to and including LSMR grades.

The Performance Monitoring graphs have been circulated to Executive Members under separate cover and will also be available on the Internet, in the Members’ Rooms and at public libraries.

Received a report providing an overview of the Planning and Performance Management Framework and the impact on Performance Monitoring, together with the un-audited End of Year results for 2005/06 for a selection of the following performance indicators:

·  Best Value Performance Indicators (statutory)

·  Comprehensive Performance Assessment (CPA) Performance Indicators

·  Local Public Service Agreements (LPSA) targets

·  Member Portfolio Holder Performance Indicators

Agreed, in order to ensure that the Council’s performance continues to improve in order for Barking and Dagenham to become a ‘Good’ Council by 2006 and ‘Excellent’ by 2008, a number of further actions that needed to be taken.

Received a report on the Council’s revenue and capital position for the first month of the 2006/07 financial year. 

The current year for revenue highlighted a project balanced budget for the year end across all Departments with indications of early pressures that would need addressing as part of the Council’s ongoing budget monitoring process.

For the Housing Revenue Account, the resultant position expected was for the relevant working balance to increase to around £2.6 million by the year end in line with the original budget.

For capital, the latest position was that there had been spend to the end of April of around £1.4 million on the overall original budgeted programme of £66.0 million, with a current projection of a total spend in line with the budget by the year end.

Agreed, as a matter of good financial practice, to:

(i)  Note the current position of the Council’s revenue and capital budget;

(ii)  Note the position and projected out-turn for the Housing Revenue Account; and

(iii)  Approve the addition of 14 schemes to the Council’s capital programme in line with Appendix D.

Received a report detailing the ‘BoroughBeat’ scheme, which was being implemented by many local authorities in order to support a set number of council staff becoming Special Constables. The focus of their work would be to work alongside the Safer Neighbourhood Teams primarily in delivery of the Council’s shared priority to reduce crime and the fear of crime.

Members were advised of the benefits of the scheme for the council and the changes required to enable this to progress in terms of the leave entitlement for public duties under conditions of service.

Agreed, in order to enable greater delivery on the targets for crime reduction and reducing the fear of crime and encouraging Council staff to carry out public duties, that:

(i)  Subject to consultation with the Unions the BoroughBeat Scheme be adopted;

(ii)  Acceptance onto the scheme will take into account the Council’s conditions of service requirements and be subject to management approval;

(iii)  The employee conditions of service be amended to reflect the leave required for the initial 4 week training course and Special Constable duties up to a maximum of 26 days per year; and that clear guidance be issued for pro-rata arrangements in the case of part-time staff, sickness absence, and other forms of special leave (for example TOIL or Flexi-Leave);

(iv)  Additional training and Special Constable duties will be carried out by officers in their own time;

(v)  The Chief Executive be authorised to make minor amendments to the scheme, for example reducing the number of days paid leave (proposed as 26 days) if this proves problematic to service delivery; and/or other boroughs develop schemes where it is expected that some of the 26 duty days per annum are carried out in an officer’s own time (through annual leave);

(vi)  The long-standing custom and practice that staff may be allowed up to 18 days off for magistrate duties be formalised; and the Chief Executive be authorised to reduce the number of days paid leave for magistrate duties if this proves problematic to service delivery; and/or other boroughs develop schemes where it is expected that some of the days per annum are carried out in an officer’s own time (through annual leave).

(vii)  A progress report is made to the Executive 12 months after implementation.

Agreed to exclude the public and press for the remainder of the meeting, as the business was confidential.