Agenda and draft minutes

Apologies were received from Councillor Gwilt and Councillor Powell.

There were no declarations of interests.

The Minutes of the previous meeting were agreed as a correct record.

The Committee considered the Pay Policy Statement 2022. The Pay Policy Statement set out Lichfield District Council’s approach to its pay, terms and conditions and other related matters in accordance with the requirements of S38 of the Localism Act. It was noted that the Pay Policy Statement was updated on an annual basis and ratified at Full Council.  Its purpose was to be open and transparent about the distribution of pay to Officers and was a public document.  The committee were advised that the council had undergone change over the last 12 months due to the implementation of the Target Operating Model and the Being a Better Council principles and members attention was drawn to the adjustments in the statement compared to previous years.

An observation was made about the wages of members of staff at Grades A, B & C as it was noted they were being paid below a real living wage.

Ms Tims stated that 17 individuals last year had been given an appropriate allowance to rectify but this had not been benchmarked and illustrated in the ongoing pay policy structure. Members requested and voted that this be an additional recommendation to make this a continuous issue as it was important to recognise and renumerate all staff properly.

It was noted that the Pay Policy Statement version was incorrect on the website and needed updating.

RESOLVED:- (1) The committee approved the contents of the updated Pay Policy Statement asset out in Appendix A and recommended the policy for approval by Full Council on 28 February 2023 with the additional recommendation concerning the continuous issue of wages of members of staff on grades A, B and C.

(2) The committee delegate authority to the Assistant Director - Operations, Regulation & Enforcement in consultation with the Chair of this committee, to update and republish the pay policy in respect of the pay spine set out at Appendix 1 and any ratios once the national pay negotiations for 2023 are concluded.

RESOLVED: “That as publicity would be prejudicial to the public interest by reason of the confidential nature of the business to be transacted, the public and press be excluded from the meeting for the following items of business, which would involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Paragraph ? of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972”

IN PRIVATE

RESOLVED: That, as publicity would be prejudicial to public interest by reason of the confidential nature of the business to be transacted the public and press be excluded from the meeting for the following items of business which would involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Paragraph 1 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972 as amended.

                                                IN PRIVATE

The Committee were introduced to a proposal to move the Communications function into the Council’s trading company Lichfield West Midlands Traded Services (LWM Traded Services).  The Committee asked for further details on TUPE and Pension implications which were given at the meeting.

RESOLVED: That the commencement of a formal consultation regarding the proposed transfer of function be noted.

The Committee were introduced to a proposal to consider the in-source leisure services back to the Council into the trading company Lichfield West Midlands Traded Services (LWM Traded Services) from Freedom Leisure.  Staffing implications were discussed at length.

RESOLVED: That the potential change in service for Leisure provision be noted.