Agenda item

The Committee has asked to review progress on the Smart Working Strategy which was implemented in February 2022.

Recommended          -           That the report be noted.

The Chair welcomed Councillor Joyce Plummer and Kirsten Burnett, Head of Policy and OD to the meeting to present on this item. Councillor Plummer presented the report.

The Committee has asked to review progress on the Smart Working Strategy which was implemented in February 2022.  The report provided will:

·         outline current working arrangements;

·         explain future plans to deliver the Smart Working Strategy; and

·         consider the wider context around working trends.

During periods of the pandemic, the legal requirement for staff to work from home where possible, or comply with social distancing rules at work meant that staff had to adapt very rapidly.  There were changes made across all teams.  We all saw how the Council stepped up to not only continue providing essential services, but also additional help, such as working with the Hyndburn Hub or issuing vast amounts of new business support grants.

Like many organisations, we have looked at what lessons we can learn, how we can keep the “best bits” of those new ways of working.  After working with a cross-party group of members, and asking officer and trade unions to develop the policies needed to underpin this, Cabinet agreed a “Smart Working Policy” just over a year ago.  This sets out key principles.

This is not something that is finished – it is an ongoing piece of work, looking at how teams can work in such a way that responds to changing customer need, supports staff who are learning, promotes good communication, helps us recruit, and keeps us in a position where we could quickly step up to any emerging needs.

The report outlines some of the actions that have been taken since the Smart Working Strategy was agreed, and what else is planned.  It includes feedback from staff and elected members, and data showing how we deal with customer contact.

In terms of hybrid working, where some of our staff are able to work part of their week from home, the feedback is generally positive, with a number of benefits, such as a perception of increased productivity.  There are also a number of points where this brings a risk, and managers are having to ensure that there is no detriment to team dynamics and customer service.

Future technology improvements, such as having desk phones routed to laptops more widely, will all help.

Hybrid working in particular is still a fairly new way of working for many organisations, especially in local government, although it has long been around in some places, such as Lancashire County Council and many government departments.  As research and good practice examples emerge, it will be important for us to keep learning and adapting.

The Smart Working Strategy Group welcomes suggestions from the Committee to help inform its future work.

Kirsten Burnett then spoke and drew attention to the following:

-       Home working

-       Home working in other organisations being ongoing since well before the pandemic

-       Impacts of the pandemic

-       Discussions with elected members

-       Investment in technology to facilitate smart working

-       Recruitment difficulties

-       Use of agency workers were vacancies cannot be filled

Kirsten said that the Smart Working Group meet regularly, respond to any issues and adapt quickly if and when necessary. She welcomes the committee asking to scrutinise this item and is open to any feedback.

The Chair thanked Councillor Plummer and KirstenBurnett. He said he is in full support of a flexible working approach and knows that it has almost become essential in order to recruit staff into the sector. He also highlighted the environmental benefits of remote working.

Councillor Judith Addison said some members of the public have had issues contacting officers. Kirsten said that there should be no difference in customer service no matter where the officer is working, so this should not be an issue. She also said that issues with certain departments did not mean there was an issue with customer service as a whole. Different departments across the Council have different service needs and will face differences in adapting to the smart working policy, but any issues are identified via the Smart Working Group.

IT are also working on a phone system which will route calls through officer’s laptops.

Resolved        -           That the Smart Working Strategy be noted.