The Constitution and Members' Development Committee of Middlesbrough Council convened on Thursday, 27 June 2024. The primary focus of the meeting was the presentation and discussion of the People Strategy, which aims to enhance the skills and knowledge of council employees and members to improve outcomes for residents. The committee agreed to note the strategy, share draft action plans, present updates in future meetings, and conduct a Members Skills Audit.

People Strategy

The Head of Human Resources presented the People Strategy to the committee. This strategy is part of the broader Cultural Transformation Programme, which includes the Member Development Strategy and the Partnership Strategy. The People Strategy is designed to ensure that both employees and members possess the necessary skills and knowledge to achieve better outcomes for residents under the future Target Operating Model.

The strategy focuses on six key themes:

• Recruitment and Retention
• Culture and Communication
• Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
• Learning and Development
• Performance and Recognition
• Health, Safety and Wellbeing

The implementation will involve a mix of existing action plans and new approaches, such as the Health and Wellbeing Strategy, Succession Planning, and Talent Management. The Head of Human Resources emphasized that the strategy would be monitored in line with approved governance and corporate performance management arrangements. Progress will be tracked monthly and reported to the Independent Advisory Board, with some objectives taking more than a year to achieve. The strategy will be reviewed annually to adapt to organizational needs.

The success of the People Strategy will be measured by several indicators, including higher candidate attraction rates, successful recruitment, reduced turnover, decreased sickness absence, a more diverse workforce, positive employee engagement rates, higher staff satisfaction, and fewer standards complaints.

A discussion followed the presentation, during which a member expressed interest in contributing to the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion theme. It was also agreed that a members skills audit would be beneficial to understand the skills of elected members.

The committee made the following decisions:

1. The People Strategy was noted.
2. Draft action plans will be shared with the Constitution and Members' Development Committee.
3. An update on the action plans and timescales will be presented at a future meeting.
4. A Members Skills Audit will be undertaken.