Agenda item

A Wilkie presented the report. He advised that sickness had reduced during the quarter and the turnover rate remained healthy compared to the sector with notable success in recruitment across the board. This has been assisted by the market forces policy that allows the Council to pay slightly above pay scales in cases of particular roles that are more challenging to recruit, such as for specialist roles.

A Wilkie referred to Cllr Gale's previous query regarding the new menopause policy and advised that it would provide support for any members of staff experiencing menopause. This is currently going through the staff consultation stage and will then proceed through standard policy approval process over the coming months.

A Wilkie commented on customer call handling times and advised that work was taking place to improve this through recruitment, training and analysis. Work is underway to review the interactive voice recognition system (IVR) to provide a better service for residents. A new team is in place to focus on the climate and environmental emergency work and a more focused programme of work will be produced.

K Soley noted the large scale community events that took place over Q1, including The King's Coronation events, Armed Forces Day, Windrush 75 celebrations and the annual staff recognition awards. There were also a number of digital initiatives, including the weekly digital newsletter and positive growth across all social media channels.

Cllr Guest referred to paragraph 2.2 of page 14 of the report and the reduction in sickness absence. The main contributors to sickness absence is musculoskeletal, cold and flu and mental health, and Cllr Guest asked if musculoskeletal absence is primarily seen in the refuse collection service and Clean, Safe and Green staff. A Wilkie confirmed that this absence was primarily seen in these areas and that this was why initiatives such as the on-site physio have been introduced to help staff and reduce numbers.

Cllr Guest asked how else sickness absence has been reduced other than introducing an on-site physio. A Wilkie referred to the sickness management policy and health and safety training, and that managers are made aware of any issues to help prevent issues becoming worse. A Wilkie stated that evidence suggests these measures are working as sickness rates are reducing, though there was more work to do.

Cllr Guest referred to paragraph 3.1.3 on the IVR and asked how this is being improved. A Wilkie explained that technology providers have been engaged to help improve voice recognition and that residents should soon experience improved customer journeys where they will reach their intended point much quicker. Work has taken place with both services and residents to understand how they describe the issues they want to talk about to help understand the terminology used.

Cllr Guest asked if the project manager referred to on page 17 of the report under paragraph 5.1 was a replacement for Melanie Parr. A Wilkie confirmed that it was.

Cllr Guest referred to page 18 of the report and paragraph 6.3, noting that the target performance was achieved in June despite a continued vacancy in the digital team. Cllr Guest asked for an update on recruitment of this role. A Wilkie advised that the role is currently being recruited for and that he would provide members with an update on progress.

The Chair commented on the publicly accessible AI tools being deployed by organisations to assist with self-learning of how people describe their systems and he hoped these are also being investigated for IVR.

The Chair thanked officers for the performance reports and the information contained within them.

Actions

To update members on progress regarding recruitment for vacancy in the digital team (A Wilkie)