This meeting was scheduled to be a wide-ranging review of workforce and staffing matters at Richmond and Wandsworth Councils. It included discussion of the key indicators of workforce performance like headcount, turnover and sickness absence, as well as a review of the staff survey. The Committee was also scheduled to receive an update on the recruitment of a new permanent Chief Executive and consider a report about politically restricted posts.

Workforce Indicators and Trends

The Committee was scheduled to review a report on the Councils' Workforce Indicators and Trends.

The report shows that the number of full-time equivalent employees at the council has increased over the last 12 months. There has also been a £1 million increase in the amount spent on agency workers. This has been driven by the Adult Social Care and Public Health directorate, which now accounts for 50% of spending on agency workers.

Staff turnover has reduced, though voluntary resignations and retirements remain high: Although voluntary resignations continue to be the primary reason for leaving, retirements also represent a significant portion of exits each quarter. ¹ The report notes that time to hire is improving and that the number of employee relations cases was low. The report also notes that mental health is now the most common reason for long-term sickness absence.

Proposed Pay Policy 2025/26

The Committee was scheduled to consider a report on the Councils' proposed Pay Policy for 2025/26.

The report sets out the Councils' proposed pay policy for the coming financial year, which is mostly unchanged from last year. The report notes that Recruitment and Retention of staff remains a significant pressure in the sector and that turnover in the year to December 2024 was 11.8%. This is an improvement on the previous year, and the report sets a target for turnover to reduce to 8%.

The report sets out a number of proposals to help with recruitment and retention, including a review of pay and benefits, a commitment to pay the London Living wage, and a scheme designed to help staff avoid high-interest loans to cover unexpected costs. The report also describes how the council is making it easier for staff to access flexible retirement.

Update on politically-restricted posts

The Committee was scheduled to consider a report on politically restricted posts at the Council.

The report was submitted to comply with the statutory requirement for councils to maintain a list of Politically Restricted Posts. The report proposes a list of such posts which it was scheduled to ask the Committee to approve for publication.

The report explains that the effect of being included on the list of politically restricted posts is to prevent that person from holding an elected office or playing an active role in politics.

Annual Staff Survey and action plans

The committee was scheduled to consider a report on the 2024 staff survey.

The report sets out the results of the annual staff survey, the third time it has been carried out. The headline results are that 59% of staff responded to the survey, and that Richmond and Wandsworth's engagement index (measured by those who would recommend the organisation as a good place to work) was 71%, which is 7% higher than the benchmark for the public sector. The report notes that this is particularly good performance at a time of significant organisational change: We have strong and resilient engagement performance, amidst a backdrop of organisational change. This is unusual during such periods of change and therefore the results should be celebrated. ²

The report identifies a number of areas for focus, including: Organisational Culture; Confidence in the Future; Career Development; Organisational Leadership and Reward and Recognition. The report proposes a number of further steps, including the establishment of focus groups to discuss the five key themes, the publication of a corporate action plan, and the development of an Employee Voice Strategy.

Proposed Delivery Plan for HR and OD functions

The committee was scheduled to note the contents of a presentation about the People Delivery Plan.

The report is a presentation about the People Delivery Plan for HR and OD functions. It was created because in 2024 the Director's Board considered a report that highlighted the risks associated with not addressing the required level of capacity and capability in both the HR and OD functions.³ The presentation describes a programme of work that is designed to improve HR and OD services and ensure that they can meet the organisation's strategic priorities.

The presentation describes the three key pillars of the programme:

• Operational - Supporting Daily Excellence
• Strategic - Shaping the Future
• Enabling - Foundations for Success

It then goes on to describe the progress that has been made in each of the pillars, before setting out the risks and challenges associated with the plan, and the next steps for the programme.

Chief Executive/Chief Officer recruitment update

The Committee was scheduled to receive a verbal update on the recruitment of a new Chief Executive.

The report pack notes that the Committee would receive a verbal update on the recruitment process for the new permanent Chief Executive.