Cyflwyniad i ddilyn.
Cofnodion:
Through a power point presentation, the Head of Organisational Development provided an update in respect of the Council’s Strategic Risk with specific reference to Strategic Risk 18 – Living Within Our Means (Workforce Plan). At its core, without investment in the Council’s workforce and staff and transform the way services are delivered, the risk is that retention and recruitment of staff will become more difficult. The Council’s workforce plan mitigates these risks to recruit, develop and retain staff.
The presentation was delivered under the following key headlines: -
Ø Strategic Risk Register
Ø Workforce Plan & Risk
Ø Developing a Flexible and Agile Workforce that Shares Organisational Knowledge
Ø Recruiting and Retaining the Best Talent to Create a Diverse Workforce
Ø Recruiting and Retaining the Best Talent to Create a Diverse Workforce
Ø Education Team
Ø Gatsby Highlights
Ø Care2Work Programme
Ø Step in the Right Direction
Ø Leadership and Management Development
Ø Leadership Programmes
Ø Enabling a High Performing, Engaged and Committed Workforce
Ø Supporting Health & Well-Being to Maximise Attendance
Ø Pandemic Response
During the presentation Members received a detailed update on the five key priorities within the Council’s workforce plan which are in place to mitigate those risks. The Head of Organisational Development advised that the local authority has a successful Graduate & Apprenticeship Programme which maintains a high retention rate into successful council positions. A dedicated Education resource has been established which supplies careers advice via a number of sessions delivered to schools. Members were informed that the Council has piloted standards called the Gatsby Benchmarks, on behalf of Welsh Government and has been recognised by the Careers Development Institute for its response to the needs to young people in schools particularly throughout the pandemic and one of the Council’s Careers Advisers was awarded National Career Leader of the Year.
Members were appraised of the programmes unique to Rhondda Cynon Taf Council such as Care2Work, which works with children looked after to prepare them for the jobs market and Step in the Right Direction programme which has operated since 2004. Leadership and Development is also a priority for the local authority and it has a number of programmes in place such as the Leadership Series which is looking at women into leadership and how Managers support the mental health of staff, particularly during the pandemic and where the council can offer further support the council workforce.
The Head of Organisational Development outlined how the Council can enable a high performing and engaged workforce through a number of initiatives and staff benefits such as the Vectis Card, Green Car and Cycle to Work schemes. The Council’ response to staff wellbeing included the establishment of a wellbeing line which supported staff by offering a number of referrals such as to professional counsellors, ICT support for improving homeworking and health & safety matters.
In conclusion, the Head of Organisational Development advised that the next workforce plan will be brought into place in 2022 will reflect the learning undertaken in the last year.
The Chair thanked the officer for the detailed presentation and offered the opportunity for Members of the Committee to raise questions.
Members requested that a letter of congratulations be sent on behalf of the Committee to Hayley Jacobs, recipient of the National Career Leader of the Year.
In response to a query regarding the current homeworking challenges and the future proposals to hybrid working, the Head of Organisational Development advised that the Council will be looking at the contracts of employment and taking into account the Council’s agile working policy when considering the way forward for the workforce and through Manager’s briefings which will take into account the work life balance of staff.
The Service Director Performance & Improvement explained that this presentation addressing the workforce risks and outlining the workforce planning, investing in staff will be one of many updates to the Audit Committee in relation to the strategic risks facing the Council. He added that the Strategic Risk Leads would be invited to present at every future committee for Members to have sight of the work the Council is undertaking and for Members to also review and challenge the process.
Members praised the depth of information contained within the presentation and noted plans to develop the next workforce plan for its publication in 2022.