Agenda item

10.50

This report provides a review of the results of the Knowledge and Assessment exercise undertaken by all Members of the Committee and Pension Board, and the consequential changes to the Training Programme. 

The report also covers the planned special meeting of the Committee to develop the 2022/23 Business Plan and will include an outline of the Strategic programme of work facing the Committee and the resource implications associated with the programme.

The Committee is RECOMMENDED to

a)       Agree the date for the special meeting to discuss the 2022/23 Business Plan and Budget;

b)       Note the priority areas already identified at paragraph 6 and agree any additional items they wish to cover at the special meeting;

c)       Note the results of the Knowledge Assessment exercise, and agree the draft training programme included at Annex 2 to this report;

d)       Commit to undertaking the training appropriate to their role.

The Committee had before it a report providing the updated position on the nine outstanding recommendations from the Independent Governance Review undertaken for the Fund by Hymans Robertson, two of which required follow up work from the Officers in conjunction with Hymans Robertson.

Sean Collins introduced the report and suggested two possible dates for the special meeting to discuss the 2022/23 Business Plan and Budget.  He drew attention to the list of issues in paragraph 6 of the report which was a long list but added that it might be possible to combine issues.

It was clear that there was a lot of work for the Committee in the year ahead which would have resource implications.  The Committee would need to decide how quickly it wanted to move on the issues.  He also asked the Committee to identify if any issues had been left out.

Sean Collins went on to summarise the results of the skills and knowledge tests undertaken by members of the Committee and Local Pension Board.  The scores were lower than the old Committee and Board but that was not surprising given the number of new members.  The highest scores were on Governance and the lowest on Actuarial Methods, Standards and Practices which needed to be included early in the training programme.

Next year Hymans Robertson will conduct tests across the pension funds so that it will be possible to get comparisons.  The scores and training undertaken by members will be reported every year and officers were trying to ensure that they had a full record of training undertaken by longer-standing members prior to this year.  Sean Collins reminded members to inform officers of any training undertaken that is not booked through them.

Members of the Committee provided the following comments:

·         The tests included some areas that were not covered in the training materials.

·         Some members have undertaken substantial training since those tests were conducted so the scores should be better now.

·         Different members of the Committee will bring different skills and knowledge and professional advice is available to the Committee as well.

·         Unison provides training for scheme member representatives through both national and regional fora.

Sean Collins responded that while there are professional advisers available, committee members needed to have sufficient knowledge to challenge them appropriately.  If a problem arises the Pension Regulator will want to know the information the Committee had, what it had challenged and what it had done about it.

It was agreed that the special meeting be held on 4 February 2022.  The recommendations were proposed by Councillor Bulmer, seconded by Councillor Edosomwan and agreed.

RESOLVED: to

a)            Agree 4 February 2022 as the date for the special meeting to discuss the 2022/23 Business Plan and Budget;

b)           Note the priority areas already identified at paragraph 6 and agree there were no further additional items they wished to cover at the special meeting;

c)            Note the results of the Knowledge Assessment exercise, and agree the draft training programme included at Annex 2 to this report;

d)           Commit to undertaking the training appropriate to their role.