Issue - meetings

ASSISTANT CHIEF EXECUTIVE (HUMAN RESOURCES)

Meeting: 09/03/2010 - Standards Committee (Item 42)

ASSISTANT CHIEF EXECUTIVE (HUMAN RESOURCES)

Charles Obazuaye will attend to discuss ethical issues relating to the Council’s human resources management strategy and practices. 

 

Minutes:

The Council’s Assistant Chief Executive (Human Resources), Charles Obazuaye, attended the meeting.  In a presentation he outlined the Council’s HR perspectives on ethical issues, in particular the corporate REAL values (Respect, Empowerment, Ambition, Learning), and also on its promotion of anti-bullying measures, which were of interest to this Committee having been highlighted in the 2008 Ethical Governance Audit.

 

The Committee discussed the ways in which staff and other stakeholders such as Trades Unions and councillors had been involved in developing the values and competencies described. It was suggested that as and when these were next reviewed that responsibility and accountability might be considered as values rather than competencies, because of the ethical desirability of the Council constantly striving to increase transparency and openness in its decision-making.

 

Measures taken to ensure that staff and contractors were aware of whistle-blowing channels and felt comfortable using them were discussed as were the volume and nature of complaints received in the previous year. They were informed that issues raised had been handled promptly, and that no areas of concern had been identified.

 

Some concerns were raised about maintaining a fair work/life balance for Council staff, especially given increasing financial pressures; the Council’s promotion of flexible working was cited as an example of ways it was exploring to try and meet these challenges.  This was amongst the issues explored in the recent staff survey; Charles Obazuaye offered to present the findings of this to Standards Committee members at a future meeting.

 

The Committee offered to provide support for HR in promoting these issues and the Council’s commitment to them; Charles Obazuaye said he would consider how he might take up this offer of reinforcing the ethical context of these initiatives at both staff and new councillor induction sessions.

 

The Chairman thanked Charles Obazuaye for coming along to discuss these issues with the Committee.