Agenda and minutes

Overview and Scrutiny Management Committee - Thursday, 10th June, 2021 5.30 pm

Venue: Council Chamber, Civic Centre, Southampton

Contact: Judy Cordell, Senior Democratic Support Officer  Tel:- 023 8083 2766

Link: link to meeting

Items
No. Item

1.

Apologies and Changes in Panel Membership (If Any)

To note any changes in membership of the Panel made in accordance with Council Procedure Rule 4.3.

Minutes:

The Panel noted that Councillor Guthrie was in attendance as a permanent replacement for Councillor B Harris in accordance with Procedure Rule 4.3.  Apologies were received from Appointed Member Rob Sanders. 

2.

Election of Vice-Chair

To elect the Vice Chair for the Municipal Year 2021/2022.

 

Minutes:

RESOLVED that Councillor Savage be elected as Vice-Chair for the Municipal Year 2021/22.  

3.

Minutes of the Previous Meeting (including matters arising) pdf icon PDF 196 KB

To approve and sign as a correct record the Minutes of the meetings held on 15th April, 2021 and to deal with any matters arising, attached.

Minutes:

RESOLVED: that the minutes for the Committee meeting on 15th April, 2021 be approved and signed as a correct record.

 

4.

The Way We Work Programme pdf icon PDF 284 KB

Report of the Chair of the Committee requesting that the Committee consider a presentation on the Council's Way We Work Programme, led by the Service Director for Business Development, and scrutinise the programme and principles with the Cabinet Member and invited officers.

Minutes:

The Committee received a presentation from the Executive Director of Business Development on the Council’s Way We Work Programme.

 

Councillor Harwood, Cabinet Member for Customer Service and Transformation, James Strachan Executive Director for Business Development and Helen Saward, Programme Manager, were in attendance and with the consent of the Chair, addressed the meeting.

 

The Committee discussed how the Council works, where it works from and the spaces that Council staff work in as well as work styles, behaviours and how the Council could positively impact the customer experience and workplace wellbeing. 

 

RESOLVED that:

 

(i)  the Council develops a flexible approach to supporting the purchasing of office furniture for employees;

(ii)  the Council promotes access to, and the uptake of, information and training that supports employees to adopt safe and healthy working environments when working away from civic buildings;

(iii)  in recognition of the new ways of working had changed working practices, the Committee recommended that the Council reviewed its HR policies to help clarify employee and employer expectations and responsibilities;

(iv)  the Council considered opportunities to develop camaraderie and mutual support in the workplace, particularly for new employees;

(v)  the Council committed to identifying and learning from best practice from across the public and private sector in delivering the proposed blended model of working;

(vi)  the Council developed mechanisms to monitor and measure the impacts of the new ways of working on key outcomes, including staff wellbeing, equality within the workplace, Council finances, service performance and customer satisfaction; and

(vii)  the Committee recognised the advantages of flexible and remote working but understands the value of having employees, including senior managers, that live within Southampton and its environs, and understand the city.  If newly recruited employees did not wish to relocate to Southampton the Council needed to understand the reasons behind this and develop approaches that sought to address these issues.