Agenda and minutes

No declarations of interest were received.

Apologies for absence were received from Councillor J Innes.

·        10 April, 2017

RESOLVED –

That the Minutes of the meeting of the Committee held on 10 April, 2017 be approved as a correct record and signed by the Chair.

The HR Manager submitted a report seeking approval for the new Secondment Policy.

Employees had been able to take up secondments within other teams in the Council for many years however the guidelines established in 1993 were out of date and did not cover the complexity of situations where internal secondments extend for many years.

The new policy, attached as an appendix to the officer’s report, established clarity on the critical factors of length of secondments, management, individual responsibilities during the secondment and arrangements for the backfill of posts resulting from the secondments. The new policy also made provision for external secondments outside the Council.

*RESOLVED –

That the new Secondment Policy be approved.

The HR Manager submitted a report seeking approval for the new Apprentice Policy.

Following the introduction of the Apprentice Levy and corresponding public sector targets, a policy for recruiting internal and external apprentices and appropriate payment was required to ensure the Council could attract and retain quality candidates in the current economic climate.

The objectives set in the policy supported the Council’s achievements of the public sector targets and also provided for the wider goals of upskilling the existing workforce and supporting Chesterfield as an Apprentice Town.

The policy proposed that apprentice pay for employees covered by NJC Green Book terms and conditions would be set at comparative rates to those employed on NJC Red Book (Craft) terms and conditions and also supported the decision to become a living wage employer.

*RESOLVED

1.   That the new Apprentice Policy be approved.

2.   That it be proposed to the relevant Cabinet Member that a press release be issued for the implementation of the new policy and that a question be included in the Are You Being Served survey on the council’s apprenticeship programme.