Agenda item

Report of the Director of People and Culture on seeking approval of the People First Strategy, attached.

RESOLVED

(a) that the new People Strategy for Devon County Council (DCC) be recommended to the Council for approval; and

(b) that the Director of People & Culture be given delegated authority to make minor amendments to the Strategy, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Organisational Development, Workforce & Digital Transformation.

(Councillors Biederman, Brazil and Whitton attended in accordance with Standing Order 25(2) and spoke to this item).

The Cabinet considered the Report of the Director of People and Culture, which sought approval of the People First Strategy, circulated prior to the meeting in accordance with regulation 7(4) of the Local Authorities (Executive Arrangements) (Meetings and Access to Information) (England) Regulations 2012.

The Report highlighted that issues flagged from the Race Equality Audit (2021) coupled with other behavioural related concerns identified in Children’s Services over the last year, had driven the need to refocus on activities in relation to staff and the organisation’s culture.  This work commenced with the appointment of a new Director of People & Culture and marked a shift towards the Council being more values based, purpose driven, and people centred in its work.

A key priority for the new Director and one of the current corporate priorities was the delivery of a new People Strategy.

The Strategy had been designed based around a focus on the 6 key themes of:

1.             Voice

2.             Recruitment

3.             Wellbeing

4.             Belonging

5.             Learning

6.             Reward

The 6 themes had been shaped by feedback from previous staff surveys, the Race Equality Audit, benchmarking, research of the recruitment market, themes identified through ‘Exit Interviews’ and feedback from staff reference groups. 

The Strategy had also sought to highlight the collective role as corporate parents and the Council’s responsibility to children in care and care leavers. 

The feedback was also being used to shape an Action Plan to support the delivery over the next 2 years, which would be brought back to Cabinet in September for review, with progress regularly reported to the Senior Leadership Team (SLT).

The Cabinet noted that the Strategic Plan was currently being reviewed and the delivery of the People Strategy was one of the priorities. The successful implementation of it would enable staff to be best placed to deliver the outcomes within the Strategic Plan.

Equality matters was a focus of each theme within the Strategy and the area of ‘Belonging’ would predominantly centre around delivery of actions in relation to DCC’s Equality, Diversity & Inclusion agenda.  The Action Plan detailing the delivery of each theme, would require full Equality Impacts Assessments.

In summary, the adoption of a People Strategy would provide a more effective and joined up approach to address workforce related issues. This would further enable better use of existing resources, avoiding duplication and outline a more holistic and proactive way to address the issues raised as well as greater clarity over progress and reporting arrangements.

The matter having been debated and the options and alternatives and other relevant factors (e.g. financial, sustainability, risk management, equality and legal considerations and alignment with the Council’s Strategic Plan) as set out in the Director’s Report having been considered:

it was MOVED by Councillor Saywell, SECONDED by Councillor Hart, and

RESOLVED

(a) that the new People Strategy for Devon County Council (DCC) be recommended to the Council for approval; and

(b) that the Director of People & Culture be given delegated authority to make minor amendments to the Strategy, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Organisational Development, Workforce & Digital Transformation.