This week, the South Derbyshire Council held two key meetings, covering significant topics that impact the community.

Improvement and Scrutiny Committee - Resources

The Improvement and Scrutiny Committee - Resources meeting on Thursday, 27 June 2024, covered several important issues:

Potential Closure of Council-Operated Care Homes

The committee discussed the potential closure of up to 11 council-operated care homes. This proposal has raised public concerns, especially since there were no plans to reduce care homes as recently as January. However, the council clarified that an initial savings proposal of £5.209 million necessitated reducing service volumes and remodelling the care home offer. They determined that there is sufficient capacity in the Derbyshire care home market to meet standard residential care demand, leading to a focus on specialist dementia care. The committee emphasised the need for transparency and detailed the events and decisions leading to this proposal.

Review of the Strategic Approach to Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion

Wes Downes, Policy Manager, and Sally Pearson, Head of Learning and Development, presented findings from a public consultation on the proposed Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) Statement and Equality Objectives. The consultation, which ran from 28 February to 13 March 2024, received around 100 responses, primarily from council employees. The feedback showed high levels of agreement with the EDI statement and objectives, leading to amendments that explicitly reflect the council's commitment to colleagues and communities. The committee resolved to note the consultation results, the final proposed EDI Statement and Equality Objectives, and updates on key EDI activities undertaken in 2023-24.

Trade Union Time Off

The committee reviewed the current situation regarding trade union time off within Derbyshire County Council. The council follows the ACAS Code of Practice on time off for trade union duties and activities, which mandates reasonable time off and pay for union representatives. The existing trade union recognition agreement, in place since April 2021, is under review, with initial amendments shared with Unison, Unite, and GMB. The committee noted the current situation and the proposals to review the recognition agreement.

For more details, you can refer to the Public reports pack and the Minutes of the meeting.

Improvement and Scrutiny Committee - People

The Improvement and Scrutiny Committee - People meeting was held on Wednesday, 26 June 2024. Unfortunately, no transcript or detailed summary was provided for this meeting.

This week’s meetings highlighted the council's ongoing efforts to address critical issues such as care home operations, equality, diversity, and inclusion, and trade union relations. These discussions and decisions are vital for shaping the future of services and policies in South Derbyshire.