The Improvement and Scrutiny Committee - Resources of Derbyshire County Council met on Thursday 27 June 2024. The committee discussed several significant issues, including the potential closure of council-operated care homes, the strategic approach to Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI), and trade union time off.

During the meeting, a member of the public, D Ingham, raised a question regarding the council's plans for care homes in Derbyshire. They highlighted a discrepancy between the council's earlier statement in January, which indicated no plans to reduce care homes, and a subsequent proposal in April suggesting the closure of up to eleven homes to achieve budget savings of £5.209 million. Council officers clarified that the initial savings proposal was focused on reducing service volume and remodelling the care home offer rather than closing specific homes. They explained that further analysis revealed sufficient capacity within the Derbyshire care home market, prompting the proposal to rationalise council-operated homes and prioritise specialist dementia care. This issue has sparked significant public interest, as the potential closure of care homes directly impacts some of the most vulnerable members of the community.

The committee also received an update on the proposed EDI Statement and Equality Objectives. Wes Downes, Policy Manager, and Sally Pearson, Head of Learning and Development, presented the key findings from the public consultation, which took place between 28 February and 13 March 2024. The consultation garnered around 100 responses, mostly from council employees. The feedback indicated a high level of agreement with both the EDI statement and the objectives. Based on the feedback, the EDI Statement was revised to explicitly state the council's commitment to both its colleagues and the community.

The committee also discussed trade union time off within Derbyshire County Council. The council currently adheres to the ACAS Code of Practice on time off for trade union duties and activities. The recognition agreement with Unison, Unite, and GMB, which includes provisions for trade union time off, is currently under review. Initial amendments have been shared with the unions, and further discussions are planned. This topic is of particular interest as it pertains to the relationship between the council and its employees, who are represented by trade unions.

The Improvement and Scrutiny Committee - People met on Wednesday 26 June 2024. There was no video provided for this meeting.