Apologies were received from Councillor RM Matthews.

To receive details of any member nominated to attend the meeting in place of a member of the panel.

Councillor PE Crockett substituted for Councillor RM Matthews.

To receive any declarations of interest by members in respect of items on this agenda.

None 

To approve and sign the minutes of the meeting held on 16 July 2018.

Resolved:

that the minutes of the meeting of 16 July 2018 be approved as a correct record and signed by the chairman.

To receive any written questions from members of the public.

Details of the scheme and related guidance are available here:

https://www.herefordshire.gov.uk/info/200148/your_council/61/get_involved

Please submit questions to councillorservices@herefordshire.gov.uk

The deadline for the receipt of questions is Friday 12 October at 5.00 pm.

Accepted questions will be published as a supplement prior to the meeting.

There were no questions from members of the public. 

To receive any written questions from councillors.

Please submit questions to councillorservices@herefordshire.gov.uk

The deadline for the receipt of questions is Friday 12 October 2018 at 5.00 pm.

Accepted questions will be published as a supplement prior to the meeting.

There were no questions from councillors.

To make arrangements to appoint substantively to the director for adults and communities which is currently being filled on an interim basis.

The chief executive introduced the item.

It was noted that the report sought the approval of the employment panel to commence the permanent recruitment for the role of director of adults and communities (formerly called director of adults and wellbeing).    The chief executive explained that details of the changes to the structure of the council were notified to all councillors during August 2018. 

It was noted that the use of major recruitment companies for past director appointments had not always been successful.   The head of HR and organisational development explained that there were indications that there would be candidates available for this role and on this occasion it was felt that Hoople would deliver a successful recruitment campaign. 

The panel agreed that recommendation (c) would be amended so that the cabinet member for health and wellbeing would undertake the shortlisting of candidates with the chief executive.   This ensured that the cabinet member for health and wellbeing was involved in the recruitment process.   It was noted that the only other way that the cabinet member could be involved in the recruitment process was to act as substitute for a member of the employment panel when they interviewed the candidate.  

Following a detailed discussion, it was agreed that role profile would be amended on page 16 of the agenda pack, number 6 to insert the words “parish councils and third sector bodies”.  

RESOLVED:

(a)    Employment panel makes arrangements for the post of director for adults and communities to be advertised;

(b)   Employment panel agrees the role profile at appendix 1 for the post of director for adults and communities and all other terms and conditions associated with the post remain the same;

(c)    the panel delegates authority to the chief executive to, following consultation with the cabinet member health and wellbeing, undertake the shortlisting; and

(d)   in the event that recruitment is not successfully completed by the end of March 2019 the current acting director continues in post until a substantive appointment is made.

To seek comments on proposed arrangements for an increased pay award for teachers.

The HR services manager presented the report. 

It was noted that the proposed teachers’ pay award went across all the pay reference points for teachers.    The purpose of the report was to seek the views of the panel of a pay award to all the different pay points within the four pay ranges so that all teachers receive the same pay increase (within each pay range) as the Department for Education (DfE) pay award covered minima and maxima points of the pay ranges only.  It was further noted that the vast majority of teachers within Herefordshire do not sit on on the minimum and maximum points.

During the discussion it was noted that:

·         The government had anticipated that schools would budget for a 1% increase and  and therefore the DfE would fund the additional cost, details of which would be announced.

·         Herefordshire schools had been advise to budget for a 2% increase across all reference pay and allowance points. 

·         The Herefordshire financial modelling had been done on the actual numbers of teachers on each pay point whereas the DfE financial modelling was on pupil numbers.   In this particular scenario, it was noted that Herefordshire would receive a bonus of approx. £18k for pupils that do not exist in the system as schools with pupil numbers between 41 and 99 would be funded on the basis of 100 pupils.  The proposals covered centrally employed teaching staff although DfE had advised that there would be no funding to cover the national pay award for centrally employed teachers.  

·         There were no cost implications for the council as schools are responsible for their own budgets.  However, there was a cost implication with regard to centrally employed teachers.

·         The 2018/19 pay award was included within the figures provided to the panel.    

·         Other councils were implementing the same enhanced pay award and it would be better in this instance to be line with other authorities to prevent recruitment and retention issues.  

RESOLVED

(a)       A 3.5% increase for teachers on all scale points (except minima and maxima points as part of national agreement) within the unqualified and main pay ranges with effect from 1^st September 2018;

(b)       A 2% increase for teachers on all scale points (except minima and maxima points as part of the national agreement) within the upper pay range with effect from 1^st September 2018;

(c)       A 1.5% increase for teachers on all scale points (except minima and maxima points of each school size group as part of the national agreement) within the leadership range with effect from 1^st September 2018.