The Panel considered the report of the
Assistant Director – Corporate to seek the Policy Development
Panel’s views on the draft S&ELCP Workforce Development
Strategy.
The Assistant Director – Corporate
introduced the item by stating that:
- the business case for the new
partnership in 2021 had identified the need for a single Workforce
Development Strategy across the S&ELCP to create opportunities
and offer career development;
- the strategy set out the approach to
be taken until 2024 and would be a key point of reference for the
LGA peer review process in October 2022.
The Organisational Development Manager for
Boston Borough Council (BBC) and East Lindsey District Council
(ELDC) had led on the production of the strategy and presented the
Panel with the following main points:
- a brief outline of the strategy
concept and adoption journey:
- BBC/ELDC had adopted a Workforce
Development Strategy in November 2020 which had involved extensive
engagement with stakeholders;
- South Holland District
Council’s (SHDC) Workforce Strategy had been revised in July
2020;
- the new joint strategy was based on
the BBC and ELDC strategy and had been developed to incorporate
SHDC;
- the new strategy included engagement
with:
- the Joint Workforce Development
Board;
- the Senior Leadership Team;
- Portfolio Holders across the
partnership;
- the Joint Stakeholder Board;
- the Joint Strategy Board; and
- SHDC’s Policy Development
Panel.
- the strategy would come forward for
approval to Council on 11 May 2022.
- implementation would include
workforce briefings; and
- the strategy would be underpinned by
a Workforce Development action plan.
- strategic themes included:
- the attraction and retention of
talented employees;
- a flexible approach to service
delivery;
- a healthy and active workforce;
- to shape the organisational culture
and maximise staff engagement;
- to be efficient and effective in all
aspects; and
- to celebrate success and reward
excellence.
- priorities of the Workforce Plan
included:
- communication and engagement of
strategy for all;
- staff survey;
- joint policies and procedures;
- resourcing strategy to include
apprenticeships, graduates and professional pathways;
- annual training plan and management
development;
- performance development; and
- a health and wellbeing
programme.
- success would be measured by:
- tracked questions included in the
staff survey;
- accomplishment of successes outlined
in the strategy; and
- employee retention and
attraction.
- accountability would take place
through:
- the Workforce Development
Board;
- quarterly progress reports to the
Corporate Management Team; and
- updates to scrutiny committees as
requested.
The Panel considered the report and made the
following comments:
- Members thanked the Organisational
Development Manager for the strategy which was considered a modern
and well-written document which would assist with the attraction
and retention of staff.
- Members welcomed the focus on
maximising apprenticeships.
- Members enquired about the type of
questions which would be included in the staff survey.
- The Organisational Development
Manager confirmed that the survey carried out at BBC and ELDC had
comprised tracker questions relating to:
- how informed people felt;
- how people felt about their
development; and
- employee health and wellbeing;
- a phased approach to staff surveys
would be taken which would be linked to the annual review process;
and
- staff survey results could be
filtered by Council and Directorate levels.
- Members noted the strategy review of
2024 and suggested that interim six-monthly reviews take place by
SHDC’s Performance Monitoring Panel.
AGREED:
a)
that comments regarding the S&ELCP Workforce Strategy be noted;
and
b)
that pending agreement of the respective Chairman, the Workforce
Development Strategy be reviewed by the Performance Monitoring
Panel in six months.