Agenda item

Stephanie Griffin introduced this report and made the following comments:

·         The staff survey for 2020 had just started and 750 responses were already being received

·         There were a number of key themes arising from 2019 survey and work had been carried out for each of these

·         3,200 responses had been received on 2019 survey

·         A great deal of work had taken place concerning organisational values in relation to embedding workshops with key staff and the use of employee touchpoints. Each week there had been a Celebrating Success competition

·         There was a leadership development programme involving Team Leaders and Team Managers

·         The Internal Communications had been refreshed. New channels were being used to reach employees including follow-up surveys

·         Technology was being used to help colleagues improve their skills was

·         Supported internships were being developed for staff with learning disabilities. Whilst the previous target had been a bit ambitious, there had been 9 last year which were very positive success stories

·         Performance and Talent Management – there were a lot of drop-in sessions to support in developing talent management

·         Measures were being put in place to develop work force planning. As it was acknowledged that these were being inconsistently applied, work was taking place with the LGA to ensure good practice

·         Apprenticeships – 270 were needed to sustain the intake

·         Workforce and Well Being – First Aid Training and the introduction of a line manager with responsibility for mental health had been introduced. A very positive response had been received to these measures

·         Emotional Resilience – there had been an increased focus on menopause support groups

·         Structure Pay and Policy – the organisation’s values were underpinned by its policies. HR policies had been renewed

·         Brand and Recruitment – online recruitment had been linked to I-Trent

·         Social Media – BCC’s presence was being increased on social media

·         Retention of Staff – it was acknowledged that further work was required in this area. Improved succession planning was one area which needed greater work. Creative ways were required to help staff develop their career, including attachments to projects and secondments to avoid losing talent. The Bristol Leadership Challenge identified staff who might take part.

·         Individual officers had been given responsibility for all the different streams of work. All the different work streams had been brought together in this document

In response to questions, officers made the following comments:

·         A provider had been commissioned to help training staff on disability and equality Action: Stephanie Griffin to advise HR Committee Members of details

·         Officers would investigate the possibility of internships for people with learning disabilities such as at the Vassal Centre Café Action: Stephanie Griffin to investigate

·         It was noted that there would be a review of key HR policies for 2021/22 Work Programme Action: Mark Williams to add to the Work Programme

·         Senior Leadership Recruitment needed to include equality of diversity. This was something that could be given a priority now that the SLT team was in place Action: Mark Williams/John Walsh to investigate

·         Hard copies of all staff surveys had been submitted to remote locations. In addition, road shows and targeting of front line staff were also being used to ensure people outside the City Hall were reached. It was important to encourage people to set aside time to complete the survey, particularly on the front line

·         For statistical reasons, the 2020 survey was largely the same as 2019 except for some areas, such as whistle-blowing

·         Measures were being put in place to ensure that staff were properly supported since 2019 survey showed that 50% of staff did not feel supported

·         In order to address staff concerns about confidence in responding to issues they raise, SLT had acknowledged the need for increased visibility. A great deal of work had been carried out with teams. All divisions had been requested to produce action plans concerning this. A weekly blog had been created. Generally, line managers indicated that they felt well supported.

Action: a letter to be sent to all the HR team thanking them for their work on this survey – Stephanie Griffin