The Staff and Pensions Committee of Warwickshire Council is scheduled to convene on Monday 14 September 2026. The meeting's agenda includes a review of the minutes from the Firefighters Local Pension Board and a discussion on the Workforce Strategy and Annual Strategic Workforce Assessment.

Review of Firefighters Local Pension Board Minutes

The committee is set to review the minutes from the Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Local Pension Board of the Firefighters' Pension Scheme meeting held on 1 June 2026. The Fire Local Pension Board is a statutory body tasked with assisting the Scheme Manager in ensuring compliance with pension laws and regulations. The minutes detail ongoing work related to the Pension Regulator's Code of Practice review, with a significant number of actions still outstanding, many of which depend on input from the West Yorkshire Pension Fund (WYPF). The report also addresses the Age Discrimination Remedy, commonly known as McCloud, and the Second Modified Retained Exercise, referred to as Matthews 2, which allows certain firefighters to purchase pension service. Updates are provided on the SCAPE rate change and the Firefighter Compensation Scheme consultation.

Workforce Strategy and Annual Strategic Workforce Assessment

A significant portion of the meeting is dedicated to considering the refreshed Workforce Strategy 2026 and the Annual Strategic Workforce Assessment for 2025/2026. These documents are intended to provide a strategic framework and evidence base for workforce planning, development, and organisational resilience, particularly in light of the upcoming Local Government Reorganisation (LGR). The Workforce Strategy outlines how the Council aims to attract, retain, develop, and support a skilled and adaptable workforce. The Annual Strategic Workforce Assessment offers a comprehensive analysis of the Council's workforce, including demographics, recruitment and retention challenges, leadership, skills development, and health and wellbeing. The report also recommends revising the sickness absence target to align with the CIPD all-sector average. Furthermore, the endorsement of the Annual Strategic Workforce Assessment is linked to the Council's compliance with Public Sector Equality Duties, which include publishing equality objectives and data on gender pay gaps.