Agenda and minutes

The Chairman opened the meeting by welcoming all present, including visiting Members, and extending a special welcome to Chief Inspector Stewart Brinn and Inspector Nigel Key of Lincolnshire Police.

RESOLVED that the minutes of the meeting held on 4 September 2018 be approved and signed as a correct record.

Members may make any declarations of interest at this point and may also make them at any point during the meeting.

Councillor Mrs Jessie Milne declared a non-pecuniary interest for agenda item 6a in that she was a Member of the Joint Staff Consultative Committee.

Councillor Paul Howitt-Cowan declared a non-pecuniary interest for agenda item 6a as he was a Reserve Member for the Joint Staff Consultative Committee.

Matters arising schedule setting out current position of previously agreed actions as at Monday, 1^st October 2018.

The Committee gave consideration to the Matters Arising Schedule, setting out the current position of previously agreed actions, as at 1 October 2018.

The Democratic and Civic Officer advised Members that there was one outstanding amber item regarding public artworks and general street scene across the district which would be reviewed and added to the work plan as appropriate.

RESOLVED that the Matters Arising Schedule as at 1 October 2018 be received and noted.

Presentation by Inspector Nigel Key from Lincolnshire Police for bi-annual report on crime, disorder and safety in West Lindsey.  

The Chairman introduced Chief Inspector Stewart Brinn and Inspector Nigel Key and welcomed them again to the meeting. Chief Inspector Brinn thanked the Committee for the invite and explained that he and Inspector Key would cover the areas of interest as requested by Members prior to the meeting, however, should there be any queries that could not be addressed on the night, they would find out the relevant information and feedback to Members in the following days.

Chief Inspector Brinn explained that, in relation to recruitment and retention of officers, there had been 60 new recruits across the county in the previous six months. Over 10% of these new recruits had been placed within West Lindsey and after the recruitment of additional Police Community Support Officers, the area was considered to be up to numbers for PCSOs. Members heard that there was a very low transfer rate out of Lincolnshire and that the most common reason for leaving the force was, in fact, when officers retired.

Of concerns regarding funding cuts, Members heard that although there had been plans around 2016 for the police funding to be reviewed and awarded under a different format, the review had never been enacted. Chief Inspector Brinn explained that if current funding arrangements were to continue, by financial year 2021/2022 the savings required to meet the budget would equate to the loss of 56 police officers across the county and a 40% reduction in numbers of PCSO’s. He highlighted that they were hoping there would be a funding uplift and by the time of his next visit to the council he hoped to have a more accurate picture.

The Chairman assured Chief Inspector Brinn that Members of West Lindsey District Council would do all they could via the local MP to support the police to receive increased funding. It was also highlighted that the Police and Crime Panel worked hard to support the police in seeking increased funding.

Note:              Councillor Mrs Anne Welburn declared a non-pecuniary interest in that she was on the Police and Crime Panel.

As a result of these discussions it was proposed, seconded and voted upon unanimously that it be

RESOLVED that a letter be written to Sir Edward Leigh, MP, from the Challenge and Improvement Committee in support of additional funding for Lincolnshire Police.

A visiting Member enquired of the police how numbers of officers had reduced specifically in Gainsborough over the past few years. Members were given a snapshot of numbers of police roles in the area since 1991 through to the present day and it was stated that current numbers were a fraction of how it used to be. This was reflected in funding cuts and how policing had needed to evolve in order to function most efficiently. It was also highlighted that this was not an issue just for Gainsborough or West Lindsey but was in fact a nationwide problem.

A Member of Committee enquired whether there were any areas that had not been effected by  ...  view the full minutes text for item 38.

The Committee gave consideration to a report detailing the results from the 2018 staff survey. This had been seen previously by the Joint Staff Consultative Committee (JSCC) and Members were asked to review the results of the staff survey and assure themselves that the JSCC were sufficiently supporting the staff engagement group with actions and communications as a result of the survey. It was explained that staff were asked to respond to the same 14 questions as the previous year and that, of these questions, all bar one had shown a positive improvement on the results from last year. It was also highlighted that the results in 2017 had been hugely positive in comparison with previous survey results and it was testament to the work accomplished in recent months that the results continued to improve.

A Member of the Committee enquired why only a few areas had been discussed in the JSCC and whether there had been any discussion about increasing staff engagement. It was explained that the staff engagement group played an important role in the communications with the wider staff body and that it was important for the group to focus on specific issues so as to be able to make clear and measurable changes. It was also noted that the survey response rate was significantly higher than demonstrated in other sectors and was considered a strong level of response for local government. There was a further question regarding staff recognition schemes and it was confirmed that the ‘Thank You’ card system was still in place as well as formal recognition through the annual appraisal process.

It was highlighted that the poorest rating was regarding dissatisfaction with the work environment, with around 40% of employees stating they were not happy with the accommodation. It was explained that this was an area of focus for the staff engagement group and that some changes, such as the breakout space on the third floor, had already been implemented. Other initiatives, such as screening the top windows to avoid sun glare and also replacing the office lights, would start to have a beneficial impact across all teams. The Committee was told about several staff consultation events that had been held in order to gauge comments and feedback for suggestions as to how the office space could be redesigned for better use. It was agreed that the involvement of staff in these consultations was a massive step forward and that the importance of engaging staff could not be underestimated.

There was discussion regarding difficulties within the building such as temperature control and use of space and it was asked whether the responses to the survey had been departmentalised. The Head of Paid Service explained that, in order to ensure a maximum level of response, the survey did not request any information that might make it possible to identify a person from their responses. This meant that details such as role, department or area of work were not disclosed via the survey.

Members were  ...  view the full minutes text for item 39.

The Democratic and Civic Officer introduced the forward plan for all committees and explained that the items selected by C&I were already highlighted.

There was discussion about the planned reports regarding broadband options and the leisure review, with a view to Members being kept informed of updates and progress. It was agreed for the Democratic and Civic Officer to action this as appropriate.

RESOLVED that the forward plan be noted.

Members of Committee gave consideration to the committee work plan for the coming months. It was noted that there were several items to be considered by the Committee over coming months however with no further comment it was

RESOLVED that the work plan be noted.