Agenda item

C Troy introduced the report to members and ran through the key points.
He said there had been issues with regards to the performance indicators in food safety. There is a problem with resources at the moment due to staff shortages which will continue into the next quarter. The recruitment issues have meant the ability to respond to service requests has decreased but we are doing our best to resolve the issues. The problem recently has been agency staff leaving (many are not local to the area so often move closer to home if a vacancy appears). The process then has to start again which takes up officers’ time. Although there is a slippage on proactive inspections works he assured members that any serious issues are rectified immediately.

In quarter 2, there was a voluntary closure of an Indian restaurant due to an infestation of cockroaches.

We had a Community Action day on 7^th September and happy to circulate the details of what was achieved to members.

We have been delivering health and safety training internally which allows for greater accountability and saves money. Legionella training has been carried out for all responsible managers last month.

A key area moving into next year will be an auditing role for the department. Departments were asked to give details on controls covering key risks in their area. These will be prioritised when it comes to auditing.

Following the audit from the external auditors, there was one action outstanding which has been rectified. Also, random alcohol testing is now fully implemented across the Council. There have been several testing exercises and pleased to report that all staff passed.

With regards to Private Sector housing, there has been an appeal against a HMO licence. An extra bedroom was added and we felt it was not compliant. The case was taken to a tribunal and they upheld the Council’s decision. The Council were not awarded costs as it was not a prosecution. The department is also investigating an illegal eviction.

In pest control, we have had 2 or 3 bed bug issues. They are very difficult to get rid of. Also, there have been a record number of wasp nests reported in October.

C Troy was happy to take questions

Councillor Hicks asked what an E Club scheme was.

C Troy said they were sustainable electric cars. There will be a pool of these for employees.

Councillor Matthews referred to the illegal eviction investigation. If it is an unlicensed HMO, will action be taken against the owner?

C Troy said the investigation was ongoing. The government has changed the licencing criteria so they will be providing local authorities with the resources to deal with this change. This may mean we have extra staff to carry out HMO surveys

Councillor Anderson asked if anything could be done about the staff shortages by getting school leavers or having market force supplements. When there was a shortage of planning officers, this worked well.

C Troy said he would like this issue has been flagged up. We have taken on a trainee from within the department to upskill them after failing to recruit three times. The salaries for environmental health officers are some of the lowest in Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire. The salaries are not competitive and other authorities seem to be recruiting at the same time as us. Last time, Watford was recruiting at the same time but their salary was £4,000 greater. We are losing knowledgeable and experienced staff and it is proving difficult to attract officers that have the specialist skills required. C Troy said there is a service review in progress.

Councillor Marshall echoed C Troy’s comments. The service review will need to be carried out first before we consider market force supplements as these are difficult to stop once implemented. The service needs to be competitive and comparable.

Councillor Anderson referred to the alcohol testing and thought this was very important work.

Councillor Hicks asked if exit interviews were undertaken to see why there is such a high turnover of staff.

Councillor Marshall said exit interviews are standard practice across the Council.

Councillor Birnie said maybe apprenticeships are a more valuable approach.

C Troy said there is no simple answer. The issue with apprenticeships is that qualifications are needed to start the job.

Councillor Anderson asked the committee if they would be happy for him to have a conversation with the Finance and Resources Chairman to see if we can take a report about staff shortages to both committees so that we are trying to deal with this issue.

The committee agreed.

Councillor Marshall highlighted that it was C Troy’s last committee meeting as he was leaving the Council.

Councillor Anderson thanked C Troy for all his hard work and wished him well for the future.   

Outcome

That the Strategic Planning and Environment Overview and Scrutiny Committee note the report.