Meeting documents

Cabinet
Wednesday, 21 June 2006

CA210606-08

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Division(s):

ITEM CA8

CABINET – 21 JUNE 2006

ESTABLISHMENT MONITORING

Report by Head of Human Resources

Background

  1. This report provides an update on activity since implementation of the new Establishment Review and associated Recruitment Approval process on 1 August 2005. It makes particular reference to the objectives and targets of the Review and progress made against them. In addition it gives details of the agreed establishment figure at 30 June 2005 and staffing numbers at 31 March 2006.
  2. Objectives of the Review

  3. The overall objectives of the review are to:-

    • gain control over the numbers of staff, which should result in an initial stabilisation and subsequent reduction in numbers as well as cost savings;
    • achieve a shift in distribution of resources to front-line services and certain approved business critical roles;
    • reduce overall costs associated with temporary/interim staff and recruitment advertising;
    • handle redeployment more effectively;
    • raise accountability across the Council in terms of resource allocation.

Progress against targets

  1. To ensure that we delivered the agreed objectives of the Establishment Review a number of targets were proposed. These are outlined below with a statement of progress to date.
  2. The identification of an agreed establishment figure as a base-line. The proposal was that we use the 30 June 2005 actual staff numbers and ask Heads of Service and Business Managers to confirm the number of vacancies they were carrying at that date. This total would become the establishment figure – which would be reported in terms of FTE (Full Time Equivalents). This was done and the results are shown at Annex 1 (download as .doc file) ; the total of Established Posts at 30 June 2005 was 5064.
  3. A documented case for each vacancy, with a detailed audit trail for a decision to recruit or remove from establishment would be put in place. This has been done. An agreed format for applications was put in place for 1 August 2005.
  4. An agreed description of front-line, business critical and back-office services would be in place. This has been done via the creation of a list of posts which are exempt from the scope of the establishment review. All other posts go through the recruitment approval process. This exempt list was reduced in scope with effective from 1 April 2006.
  5. A centralised system of approvals for recruitment based in Corporate HR. This has been done, with the system going live on 1 August 2005. We now have a clear "business as usual" process in place across the Council with the objective of turning around requests within two working days of receipt.
  6. The involvement of the Cabinet member for Change Management in the process. Regular updates on progress are in place.
  7. All staff in the redeployment pool to be considered for each vacancy before it is advertised and a documented decision placed on file. This is an integral part of the recruitment approval process; directorate HR teams check the redeployment register before any advertisement is placed. To ensure even tighter control of the process, all redeployment activity across the Council is currently being pulled together within the Corporate HR team. Re-badged as the Job Finder Service, this enables us for the first time to have redeployment activity and recruitment approval process in one place.
  8. There were also annual reduction targets set for the costs of hiring temporary staff and recruitment advertising. We are continuing to drive efficiencies in both areas and awarded a new recruitment advertising contract to Tribal Resourcing as part of that drive to reduce costs. We are about to receive our first full set of management information on the new contract. Numbers will be reported to Cabinet as soon as they are available.
  9. Current Numbers

  10. The establishment and staffing numbers (FTE) as at 31 March 2006 are shown at Annex 2 (download as .doc file) by directorate and at Annex 3 (download as .doc file) with service breakdown. As can be seen below, the 31 March figures show the first fall (albeit small) in FTE when compared with the previous quarter. In headline terms the numbers are as follows:-

    • 30 June 2005 – Establishment 5064 (FTE in post 4537)
    • 30 Sept 2005 – Establishment 5277 (FTE in post 4635)
    • 31 Dec 2005 – Establishment 5131 (FTE in post 4663)
    • 31 Mar 2006 - Establishment 5196 (FTE in post 4656)

  1. There have been 319 applications through the Recruitment Approval process during the period 1 August 2005 and 31 March 2006. Although the number of applications declined remains small, focusing on the figures alone hides the fact that a number of applications were returned to the recruiting managers for further information – which allowed applications which would have been declined on initial submission to be approved after more work was carried out. There is also no doubt that the cases made for filling posts have been much stronger as the process has evolved.
  2. In addition, a number of applications approved to fill on a temporary basis were originally requested as permanent appointments. This is making a contribution towards the initial stabilisation of numbers and should afford opportunity to subsequently reduce them.
  3. During the period 1 January 2006 to 31 March 2006 there were 444 new starters with the Council, 285 of which were Schools and 159 non-schools.
  4. Process Improvements

  5. There has been a lot of activity since 1 August to make sure that we are able to secure real benefit from the Establishment Review and Recruitment Approval process. More needs to be done but the view from the HR community is that we have a process in place which, when allied to the work that has been carried out on cleaning the organisational management information on SAP, gives us accurate people information to work with.
  6. The agreed establishment figure still needs to be recast to reflect the organisational changes made as part of Directorate Realignment. Work is being finalised to define new structures as part of the directorate re-alignment and these will be reflected in the June 2006 report.
  7. Heads of Service have been asked to provide reports by their service area on the following basis:

    • Establishment figure (FTE) at 31 December 2005
    • Authorised vacancies (FTE) included in that number
    • FTE employed at 31 December 2005
    • Reason for movement over the last quarter – details of new posts, resignations, temporary appointments
    • Vacancies at 31 March 2006 (FTE)
    • Number of posts removed from the establishment in this quarter
    • Number of posts added to the establishment in this quarter
    • Grant funded posts (FTE)
    • Vacancies included in these numbers covered by agency staff – in terms of FTE and cost

  1. Further improvements to the process are planned for the coming months including engaging Business Managers more effectively to ensure that the "directorate story" is further developed and monthly reports being produced on overall staffing numbers at a directorate level.
  2. RECOMMENDATION

  3. The Cabinet is RECOMMENDED to:
          1. note the report;
          2. confirm that the Establishment Review continues to meet the Cabinet’s requirements in reporting and managing staffing numbers.

STEVE MUNN
Head of Human Resources

Background Papers: Nil

Contact Officer: Sue James, Corporate HR Officer, Tel 01865 815465.

June 2006

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