Ade McCormick, Executive
Director, submitted a report which gave an overview of how the
Council workforce had adapted in order to initially respond to the
Covid-19 pandemic and then to support the Council’s recovery
plans.
The report outlined the range
of revised working methods which had been adopted in the various
service areas and identified some of the lessons learned and
potential options for future working arrangements. Common themes
emerging from these included:
•
Effective use of information technology to enable
and support home and agile working;
•
Development of virtual or online options for service
delivery;
•
The cooperation of trade unions and willingness of
staff to embrace change and be prepared to go the ‘extra
mile’;
•
Development of more generic skills and cross
discipline working for staff to provide increased opportunities and
resilience.
It was recognised that these
lessons and themes would support the planning which was currently
being undertaken for dealing with the future uncertainty that the
Covid-19 pandemic presented. It was noted that the Council’s
Business Continuity Plan would need to be reviewed in the context
of the experience of the pandemic and that this was scheduled to be
considered at the meeting of the Overview and Performance Scrutiny
Forum in November.
The presentation submitted by
the Executive Director also provided detailed monthly data on the
numbers and proportions of staff in the various service areas who
had been working from home, redeployed or on furlough during the
pandemic. The total number of staff on furlough had reduced from
228 in April to 41 (including some on flexible furlough) in
September as most services had gradually resumed operation. Members
requested information on the level of funding received from central
government in respect of staff on furlough, and it was agreed to
circulate this to the members of the Committee outside the
meeting.
Arising from Members’
questions and discussion, the following points were
raised:
·
Some non-essential work had been delayed as a result
of having to respond to the unprecedented circumstances of the
pandemic, including development of the Asset Management Strategy,
the Investors in people assessment, follow up activity to the
‘Beat the Street’ programme and some property repairs
and alterations due to difficulties in obtaining supplies, although
some of these backlogs were now being cleared;
·
The positive impact from the innovative use of
social media and virtual communication for services such as the
museum whilst it had not been able to open for visits in
person;
·
Support had been provided to staff working at home,
through checklists to assess safe working arrangements, provision
of equipment where required, updating of the Agile Working Policy
and a recognition that staff may need to work flexibly to fit
around domestic requirements, especially home schooling;
·
Risk assessments for working in Council premises had
been completed to enable staff to physically come to work where
home working was not feasible (subject to the limits of any wider
restrictions);
·
Support was available for staff through the Employee
Assistance Programme – a ...
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