Agenda and minutes

To appoint a Chair of the Management Review Committee for the duration of the 2023/24 municipal year.

The Management Review Committee was requested to appoint a Chair of the Committee for the municipal year 2023/24.  The Committee nominated Councillor Marlene Haworth.

Resolved                               -   That Councillor Marlene Haworth be appointed the Chair of the Management Review Committee for the municipal year 2023/24.

Councillors Peter Britcliffe and Munsif Dad submitted their apologies for the meeting.  Councillors Kath Pratt and Kimberley Whitehead acted as substitute representatives, respectively.

Councillor Paddy Short was absent from the meeting.

There were no interests or dispensations declared at the meeting.

The Minutes of the last meeting of the Management Review Committee held on 17^th January 2023 were submitted for approval as a correct record. 

Resolved                      -       That the Minutes be received and approved as a correct record.

The Minutes of the last meeting held on 17^th January 2023 were submitted for approval as a correct record.

Resolved                               -   That the Minutes be received and approved as a correct record.

To approve the draft Dignity at Work Policy.

Resolved                      (1)  That the Committee approves the draft Dignity at Work Policy; and

                           (2)  That the Committee asks the Head of Policy and Organisational Development to ensure that the new Policy is implemented, with appropriate communication to all staff. 

The Head of Policy and Organisational Development submitted the revised Dignity at Work Policy and requested that Members of the Committee considered the policy for approval and for the Policy to be implemented with appropriate communication to all staff.  She informed the Committee that the Policy had been reviewed by a small Working Group consisting of the Head of Internal Audit, a Supervisor from Willows Lane and the former Unison Branch Secretary and outlined the changes that had been proposed.  She also suggested that an additional sentence was added to the Policy with the aim to reassure and support staff in respect of complaints about members of the public.  She requested that Members gave consideration for the following sentence to be added under Section 2 ‘Purpose & Scope’: 

‘Where there are complaints about the behaviour of a member of public, there are internal procedures around reporting incidents and the Council recognises the need to take appropriate action and to provide support to employees in these circumstances.’

Members gave consideration to the revised Policy and the further proposed addition to the policy under Section 2 and requested clarity on the following issues:

-       Was the current Unison Branch Secretary aware and in support of the revised Policy.

-       Was the issue surrounding harassment of Members of the Public included in other Policies and was the wording robust enough to stop these individuals from entering Council Buildings?

The Human Resources Manager reported that the current Unison Branch Secretary was aware of the revised Policy and was in support of it.

The Head of Policy and Organisational Development pointed out that other Unions had also been consulted and were in support.  She advised that the Council also had other policies that dealt with complaints about members of the public, including the ‘Unacceptable Behaviour Policy’ and the newly revised ‘Complaints Procedure.’  She informed the meeting that the Council took these complaints seriously and had previously taken action to stop people coming into Council buildings.

Resolved                               -   That the revised Dignity at Work Policy be approved subject to the addition of the following sentence to Section 2 of the document: ‘Where there are complaints about the behaviour of a member of public, there are internal procedures around reporting incidents and the Council recognises the need to take appropriate action and to provide support to employees in these circumstances.’