The Organisation and Communities Scrutiny Panel was scheduled to consider reports on Human Resources performance for 2024/25 and the Legal Services Annual Performance Report. The panel was also due to review future work items scheduled for its next meeting.

Human Resources Performance 2024/25

The panel was scheduled to review the Human Resources Performance 2024/25 report, which outlines the council's Workforce Strategy and people management practices. The report details progress on key priorities for attracting, recruiting, and retaining talent, strengthening diversity and inclusion, supporting and developing staff, promoting wellbeing, and leading change.

Key highlights from the report for 2024/25 included the launch of the Workforce Strategy, a reduction in agency spend, increased uptake of apprenticeships and leadership development programmes, and advancements in equality, diversity, and inclusion initiatives. Looking ahead to 2025/26, priorities include embedding the Workforce Strategy Action Plan, launching the Workforce Wellbeing Strategy, reviewing recruitment and retention strategies, and preparing for legislative changes. The report also detailed workforce diversity statistics, including ethnicity, disability, gender, age, and sexual orientation, as well as sickness absence data and employee relations cases.

Legal Services Annual Performance Report

The panel was scheduled to consider the Legal Services Annual Performance Report, which examines the performance of the Legal department. The report was intended to assess the timeliness, accuracy, and quality of legal advice provided, how the service manages demand and caseloads, workforce capacity and skills, and the effectiveness of governance, compliance, and risk management processes.

The report outlines the Legal Service Model, which uses a mixed economy approach of in-house delivery and outsourcing. It details the structure of the in-house team, which is split into six areas: Housing & Litigation, Planning & Procurement, Adult, Employment & Education, Regeneration & Property, Safeguarding Children, and Legal Support & Practice Management. The report highlights increased demand in areas such as Housing Disrepair, Safeguarding, and FOI/GDPR requests, and discusses efforts to reduce agency staffing and convert fixed-term staff to permanent contracts. Specific team performances were detailed, including the significant increase in workload for the Housing and Litigation Team due to new legislation like Awaab's Law and the Rent Reform Act. The Planning & Procurement team noted growth due to development agendas and new legislation. The Adults, Education & Employment team highlighted challenges in Safeguarding Adults and increased demand in mental health and Court of Protection cases. The Safeguarding Children team detailed their work in care proceedings, pre-proceedings, adoption, and inquests, noting increasing case complexity and duration. The FOI/Data Protection section reported a significant rise in ICO complaints. The Employment team noted a consistent high volume of cases and successes in defending claims. The Regeneration & Property team detailed work on commercial leasing, property disposals, school property matters, and housing delivery programs, with a focus on upcoming legislation.

The report also included the Legal Services Vision and Values document, outlining the department's commitment to being a high-performing in-house legal service that supports the Royal Borough's priorities and objectives.

Commissioning of Future Reports

The panel was scheduled to note the work items planned for the meeting on 12 February 2026. These included an update on the Digital Strategy, covering ICT progress and the use of AI in service delivery, and an update on Community Engagement. The panel was asked to consider the scope of these forthcoming reports and specify any detailed requirements.