Agenda item

The item was introduced by Rob Powell (Executive Director for Resources). He reminded members the report showed the performance of key business measures being delivered against the Council performance framework, delivery against the Council Delivery Plan and latest position against the Strategic Risk Management Framework. There had been a significant amount of work to enhance the Council’s risk management.

Rob Powell said performance had been stable compared to the previous quarter. One measure had moved off track since quarter one. This related to financial position metrics, which remained outside tolerance despite a significant improvement in the projected outturn following the implementation of the financial recovery strategy at the end of Q1. The projected outturn variance was now just above the two per cent tolerance threshold, compared to being over six per cent at the end of quarter one. Rob Powell said although savings delivery was off track this reflected the significant pressures in the main demand-driven service areas. He reminded members that 71 per cent of the Council’s budget was in service areas that had significant financial pressures, which made it harder to make savings. The first steps of the budget setting for the next financial year were due to be taken at Cabinet the following week.

Staff sickness and absence rates had started to stabilise and then fall from September onwards. Rob Powell said this reflected the effort and investment that had been made in this area. However, he said this was an area that required ongoing focus.

Responding to a question from Councillor Sinclair regarding staff sickness, Rob Powell said additional measures were being considered to show a more accurate trajectory of absence rates. He said there were some service areas with increased levels of sickness and there had been significant work on improving wellbeing reflecting levels of stress and mental health absence. It would take time to notice the impacts of this. He added the Council had recently been awarded silver Thrive At Work accreditation, and more than half of Council staff had not taken any sick days in the previous year. Bal Jacob (Director of Workforce and Local Service) said there had been proactive attempts at managing long-term sickness in the service areas with higher rates. Additionally, there were a significant number of long-term sickness cases that were drawing to an end. Officers had met with clinical health partners to get advice on engaging with ill staff at an earlier opportunity and seeing what improved support could be given. There had also been increased proactivity in tackling short to medium-term illness, which was for periods of illness ranging from four weeks to three months. The staff Intranet had been updated to help staff and directors understand the different steps they could take, and be signposted to services. Members were reminded a paper on staff sickness would be coming to the next committee meeting. Councillor Sinclair said it would be useful for members to know if there was any correlation between sickness rates compared to demographics or geography, and if lengths of absences could be broken down.

Councillor Sarah Feeney asked if there could be information relating to how many people were awaiting procedures, as that could skew the sickness data. She said it would be useful to know if there were any recommendations from Occupational Health, such as setting reasonable adjustments or suggesting a staff member could be suitable for ill health retirement. Bal Jacob said arrangements relating to reasonable adjustments were being looking at. Currently this sat within each service area and consideration was being given to centralising it. Consideration was also being given to the potential for staff coming back into work after a period of absence to use their skills on project work outside of their team, if they were off sick but unable to return because of the nature of their work.

Members noted the contents of the report.