To approve as a correct record the minutes of the meeting held on 7 September 2023.

In moving the minutes, the Chair informed the committee that he had recently attended a meeting with officers and ACORN representatives to discuss the wording used in the Council’s communications regarding council tax. He explained that these communications would be revised and that, if successful in improving collection rates, every 1% increase in the collection rate could produce an additional £1.5m-£2m in revenue.

The Chair also advised that the committee’s recommendation for officers to undertake a feasibility study, in consultation with the Executive Member for Finance and Resources, into ending the use of Enforcement Agents had been accepted and was being undertaken.

Decision:

That the minutes of the meeting held on 7 September 2023 be approved as a correct record.

Report of the Director of Human Resources, Organisation Development and Transformation.

This report provides an update on progress to date to deliver the Workforce Equality Strategy and the Council’s journey to becoming a diverse and inclusive employer. The report includes updates from each directorate which sets out how they have supported the Council to build a diverse and inclusive workplace.

The committee considered a report of the Director of Human Resources, Organisation Development and Transformation which provided an update on progress to date to deliver the Workforce Equality Strategy and the Council’s journey to becoming a diverse and inclusive employer.

Key points and themes within the report included:

• An introduction to the Workforce Equality Strategy;
• Progress in delivering on the Strategy’s 47 actions, with 38 completed; 6 in progress; and 3 outstanding;
• Data around the number of Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) employees and those with a disability or long-term health condition;
• How progress has been made with the Council’s leadership and management;
• The work of staff network groups;
• Communication and engagement;
• Policies, processes and systems to strengthen diversity and inclusion;
• How the Talent & Diversity team works with local communities to attract local diverse talent;
• The Council workforce’s diversity profile;
• Updates from each directorate on how they have supported the Council to build a diverse and inclusive workplace; and
• An upcoming refresh of the Strategy in late 2023.

Key points and queries that arose from the committee’s discussions included:

• Welcoming the Workforce Profile, and seeking clarification as to whether the average age included students and children under the age of 16;
• Seeking clarification on the percentage of people in Manchester who identify as transgender;
• Seeking clarification on the percentage of BAME residents in Manchester;
• Noting that BAME employees were more likely to have a complaint made against them but that the outcome of a disciplinary process was typically the same as a White employee;
• What work was being undertaken to increase take-up of the ‘Let’s Talk About Race’ training;
• The age breakdown of staff undergoing ‘Let’s Talk About Race’ training;
• Whether flexible working options would be considered in the Age Friendly Action Plan to support the Council to become an Age Friendly Employer;
• Querying why non-completion rates of SAP Equality Data was highest in Children’s Services; and
• Why there was no recognition of deafness or hearing impairment as a disability under the Diversity Data Subcategories in the Workforce Profile.

The Director of Human Resources, Organisation Development and Transformation explained that the report highlighted the significant work undertaken over the previous two years and how the Council had achieved against its ambitions to build a diverse and inclusive workforce and he acknowledged that there was more to be done.

The Head of Workforce Strategy reiterated that great progress had been made in delivering against the Workforce Equality Strategy since its launch in 2021, with most actions delivered. He stated that there continued to be a positive impact and explained that there had been an increase in Black, Asian and Ethnic Minority (BAME) representation at all levels in the Council and particularly at a senior level. There had also been an increase in representation of disabled employees at all levels. He also stated that feedback from the staff survey indicated that the workforce recognised improvements to equality, diversity and inclusion and that there was a strong sense of belonging.

The Head  ...  view the full minutes text for item 56.

Report of the Director of Human Resources, Organisation Development and Transformation.

This report provides an overview of the Council’s Workforce Strategy and the priorities we are delivering against which ensures the Council is in the best position to deliver the Corporate Plan, Our Manchester Strategy and to continue to deliver excellent services to residents.

The committee considered a report of the Director of Human Resources, Organisation Development and Transformation which provided an overview of the Council’s Workforce Strategy and the priorities being delivered against to ensure that the Council is in the best position to deliver the Corporate Plan, Our Manchester Strategy and to continue to deliver excellent services to residents.

Key points and themes within the report included:

• The priorities and strategies of the Workforce Strategy;
• How these priorities were delivered; and
• How success was measured;

Key points and queries that arose from the committee’s discussions included:

• Noting the emphasis on mental health in the priorities of the Strategy, and querying the challenges relating to this;
• If apprenticeships were linked to career pathways;
• How talent pools would be developed and how these would work; and
• Whether there were any peer networking groups for apprentices with other local authorities.

The Director of Human Resources, Organisation Development and Transformation explained that the Workforce Strategy enabled the Council to define its ambition and how this would be achieved.

In response to the Chair’s query regarding challenges around mental health, the Director of Human Resources, Organisation Development and Transformation acknowledged that this was becoming one of the biggest challenges for organisations across the country. He noted that the ways to respond to this were complicated and there would not be a one-size-fits-all solution to this. He stated that there was a specific focus on health and wellbeing within the Strategy with a range of interventions to help address some issues. It was also stated that statistics showed keeping those facing mental health issues in work led to the best outcomes, although this was acknowledged as not always being possible.

The Head of Workforce Strategy recognised that mental health was the biggest cause of staff absence. He stated that engagement had been undertaken with staff as part of the Workforce Strategy refresh to understand experiences and more work was needed on this. He explained that the Strategy focused on prevention and early intervention and targeted support would be provided to areas with higher levels of absence, such as frontline services. Managers would also be trained with knowledge and skills needed to provide effective support to those experiencing mental health challenges. The Employee Assistance Programme and occupational health service would also be publicised more widely. The committee was advised that these challenges were not unique to the Council and were indicative of challenges across local government. 

In response to comments around apprenticeships, the Head of Workforce Strategy stated that apprenticeships were an important part of internal development and would be aligned to career pathways. Apprenticeships were also key in attracting young people and people from across Manchester to work for the Council. The Head of Workforce Strategy stated that each directorate would have a set target for the number of apprentices recruited each year.

The committee was informed that talent pools were in the process of being developed and would provide access to coaching, mentoring and leadership development programmes  ...  view the full minutes text for item 57.

Report of the Director of Human Resources, Organisation Development and Transformation.

This report provides an update on progress to date with the Future Shape of the Council programme, which is evolving the Council’s ways of working in order to meet current challenges.

The committee considered a report of the Director of Human Resources, Organisation Development and Transformation which provided an update onprogress to date with the Future Shape of the Council programme to evolve the Council’s ways of working in order to meet current challenges.

Key points and themes within the report included:

• Providing an introduction and background to the Future Shape programme;
• The achievements and progress made since 2020;
• The current programme;
• The different workstreams of the programme;
• The impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on Future Shape;
• Communication and engagement; and
• Future Shape is internally focused, but improved council services will lead to better outcomes for the residents and businesses of Manchester.

Key points and queries that arose from the committee’s discussion included:

• Noting the varying degrees of digital exclusion;
• How difficult it was to detect use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in job applications, and whether the Council would need technology to identify this;
• How products created as part of digital transformation could be cross-sold to other local authorities;
• How it would be ensured that those with visual or hearing impairments were not excluded by the work of Future Shape; and
• The need for an Ethical Framework for the use of AI.

The Director of Human Resources, Organisation Development and Transformation stated that there had been a shift towards Future Shape being the vehicle to implement digital transformation within the Council. He stated that it was important to ensure that suitable conditions were created for systems to be used effectively and that the workforce was equipped with the skills required.

The Director of Human Resources, Organisation Development and Transformation explained that the Council undertook significant engagement with staff and residents when implementing any changes to systems. The Strategic Head of Organisation Development recognised the needs for systems and processes to be insight-driven and based on the experiences of users.

In response to queries regarding the use of AI in job applications, the Director of Human Resources, Organisation Development and Transformation acknowledged that this did occur, but the Council did not have any tools currently in place to identify this. He noted, however, that applying for a role was the first stage of the recruitment process and that AI could not be utilised in all stages. The Strategic Head of Organisation Development stated that there had been improvements in the development offer for recruiting managers and panel members and this would include how to identify AI within applications.

The Director of Human Resources, Organisation Development and Transformation recognised the opportunities afforded by AI but stated that there was a need to identify how it could be used and where there were opportunities to do things differently.

The Deputy Chief Executive and City Treasurer provided assurances that new major ICT systems would not be bespoke, given the risk involved in this. She stated, however, that front-facing forms and layout of systems could be edited to improve user experience. 

With regards to digital accessibility, the Strategic Head of Organisation Development explained that there  ...  view the full minutes text for item 58.

Report of the Strategic Director (Growth and Development).

This report provides an update on the Council’s Section 106 (s106) activity for 2022/23 and to date.

The committee considered a report of the Strategic Director (Growth and Development) which provided an update on the Council’s Section 106 (s106) activity for 2022/23 and to date.

Key points and themes within the report included:

·         Providing an introduction and background to s106 and s278 agreements,

·         Activity in 2022/23 and 2023/24 to date, noting that there had been an increase in planning applications so far in 2023; 

·         A comprehensive list of agreements completed during 2022/23 and 2023/24 to date;

·         Contributions received and spend; 

·         Affordable housing and projects through the Council’s Housing Affordability Fund (HAF);

·         Benchmarking information received from Sheffield City Council and Liverpool City Council; 

·         The work of the officer working group; 

·         Tree planting and landscaping; 

·         Proposed planning reforms; and 

·         An update on the Local Plan. 

Key points and queries that arose from the committee’s discussion included:

·         The definition of ‘trigger not met’ and ‘viability appraisal’ on the Obligations Schedule, with particular reference to Miles Platting and Newton Heath; 

·         How the clawback process worked in reality, how many times this had been used and the outcome of this; 

·         Transparency around viability assessments; 

·         If the proposed Community Infrastructure Levy would replace Section 106 agreements in relation to affordable housing, and whether this would increase the number of affordable homes;

·         How members could be involved in deciding where s106 monies were allocated and spent;

·         Suggesting that the Weekly List email be amended to highlight the wards which have received applications so that members do not have to open the document to see what wards are included; 

·         Whether the Obligations Schedule was an evolving list of agreements; 

·         The usefulness of benchmarking Section 106 policies with other cities;

·         Whether the current financial climate and inflation rate had impacted on the amount of s106 contributions;

·         How members could be advised of applications in their ward in advance; and

·         Recommending that delegated authority be given to the Chair, in consultation with the Executive Member for Housing and Development and the Strategic Director (Growth and Development), to request a report should progress be made on the proposed planning reforms.

The Executive Member for Housing and Development stated that Section 106 agreements were a vital part of the planning process to ensure that any harm or loss of amenity can be mitigated in communities where developments happen, for example through the provision of affordable housing, highways infrastructure, investment in green spaces, new schools and surgeries. 

In response to the Chair’s query regarding what was meant by ‘trigger not met’ and ‘viability appraisal’, the Section Planning Manager explained that ‘trigger not met’ referred to when the payment was due to the Council as a result of development reaching a certain point i.e., a certain number of houses being built or commencement of development. He clarified that a viability appraisal was provided to demonstrate whether a housing developer could afford to either include affordable housing in the scheme or to make an off-site contribution. Where this was financially viable, a legal agreement would be drafted to ensure either receipt of  ...  view the full minutes text for item 59.

Report of the Governance and Scrutiny Support Unit.

This report provides the Committee with details of key decisions that fall within the Committee’s remit and an update on actions resulting from the Committee’s recommendations. The report also includes the Committee’s work programme, which the Committee is asked to amend as appropriate and agree.

The committee received a report of the Governance and Scrutiny Support Unit which provided details of key decisions that fell within the Committee’s remit and items for information previously requested by the Committee. The report also included the Committee’s work programme, which the Committee was asked to amend as appropriate and agree.

The Deputy Chief Executive and City Treasurer advised that the Autumn Statement would be announced on 23 November 2023 and that this item would need to be deferred to December’s meeting as a result.

Decision:

That the report be noted and the work programme agreed, with the amendment to the Autumn Statement report as noted above.