Appendix I Workforce Plan 2016-2020 Progress September 2020
Key Theme |
Need / Driver |
Outcome |
Action |
Responsibility |
Update / Timescale |
Organisational culture and change
|
Increased partnership work. |
Flexibility in workforce movement. |
Secondments arranged into and out of partner sector
Redeployment policy |
HR Manager
HHR |
Ongoing
Implemented April 2020 |
Maintain and develop the organisation culture to be consistent with the values and priorities |
Increased levels of employee engagement |
Employee engagement survey and action plan
Team talks/briefs; One Council meetings; Service planning and appraisal
Develop a Council engagement plan |
Wider Leadership Team (WLT) |
Outcome of survey presented to CLT, WLT and all staff. Corporate action plan to be developed.
Team talks ongoing. One Council briefing on 22 January 2020 included staff awards. Monthly webinars introduced to update on our recovery and return to offices.
Engagement plan for 2020/21 has been updated and events are delivered regularly – monitored by CLT
|
|
Minimise stress amongst the workforce |
Training for staff and managers to recognise and manage stress and reduce the organisational causes of stress |
L&D Manager
|
Webinars introduced on wellbeing and mental health. Mental Health First Aid supervision sessions regularly organised.
Wellbeing surveys introduced to review wellbeing of staff and managers during Covid-19 |
||
Increased income generation including through regeneration and commercialisation |
Organisation structure designed to meet key priorities |
Senior management structure and development programme
Strengthen project and programme management capacity and skills
|
Chief Executive Officer (CEO) with Corporate Leadership Team (CLT) and WLT |
On-going capital projects
Payroll service for Dartford Borough council - ongoing. Support provided to Sevenoaks council on payroll. |
|
Senior Leadership is visible |
Employees feel that senior leaders are approachable, listen and live the values |
One Council briefings, back to the floor and attending local team meetings
|
Policy, Wider Leadership Team (WLT) |
One Council briefings All staff webinars Back to the floor carried out by the WLT |
|
Staff Forum meetings to gain representative views
|
CLT |
Staff forum review complete |
|||
WLT to visit staff during wellbeing week and birthday teas |
WLT |
Ongoing
|
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Employees are engaged with organisation purpose |
Employees know where they fit in to the organisation and how they help deliver priorities
|
Team talks delivered by line managers |
WLT Line managers |
Ongoing |
|
Key Theme |
Need / Driver |
Outcome |
Action |
Responsibility |
Update/ Timescale |
Resourcing
|
The organisation is fully resourced with the right skills to deliver council priorities |
Streamlined processes for greater efficiency |
Review induction programme for all staff |
Head of HR (HHR) Web Team |
New digital onboarding induction programme has been designed – to be launched Sept 2020 |
Council is presented in the best light to attract good candidates |
Council job page with attractive information for candidates |
HR Manager |
New job page created with information on the borough and the council.
|
||
Competitive employment package to attract and retain good people |
Appropriate use of market supplements in skill shortage areas |
HR Manager |
Ongoing and has improved recruitment in hard to fill areas (Planning and Building Control) |
||
Maximise effectiveness of the full team to deliver council priorities |
Line managers are trained and address performance and absence issues |
Line managers |
Absence management and Performance management training on-going. New absence records created in iTrent to monitor Covid-19 absence and general sickness |
||
A representative and balanced workforce |
Increase the % of employees under the age of 25 |
Apprenticeship programme |
HHR |
Training and qualifications agreed for existing staff through the apprenticeship levy. Recruitment of apprentices to continue. Careers fairs at local schools and colleges to continue |
|
A representative and balanced workforce |
Council that values equality, diversity and inclusion |
Meet the Disability Confident employer status
Calculate and report on the Gender Pay Gap
|
HHR |
Ongoing – further supported by the work experience opportunities provided to the students from the Grow 19 college. Figures are updated and published on the Govt website to meet the deadline of 31 March 2020. Minimal difference between male and female pay rates |
|
The organisation is fully resourced with the right skills to deliver Council priorities |
No skill / knowledge gaps because of retirements or turnover |
Succession planning and multi-skilling to ensure business continuity |
WLT |
To complete ‘Developing Everyone’ analysis following Appraisals in March/April 2020 |
|
Organisational effectiveness increased, workloads reduced |
Change in mind-set of employees to overcome challenges in their roles |
L&D Manager
|
Personal Best training for staff delivered. Personal Best for Leaders – introduced programme for managers and supervisors. |
||
Key Theme |
Need / Driver |
Outcome |
Action |
Responsibility |
Update/Timescale |
Development
|
Develop consistency of approach by leaders and managers |
Managers and leaders know what is expected of them as a ‘Maidstone Manager’
|
Management development; 360°feedback. All new managers to go through the manager induction programme
|
L&D Manager and WLT |
Line manager induction programme to be developed and communicated to managers via Managers Forum and Intranet.
|
Pilot new software on performance management |
L&D Manager |
To implement Clear Review system for performance management and regular ‘check in’ meetings.
|
|||
The organisation is fully resourced with the right skills to deliver council priorities |
Blended approach to learning All employees engaged in personal development |
All employees have development plan; training plan in place to address future skill gaps |
L&D Manager Line managers |
Reinforced through the introduction of the ‘Developing Everyone’ appraisal process. Will be included as part of Clear Review process |
|
Development of new eLearning package with tailored programmes |
L&D Manager |
Ongoing
|
|||
A flexible workforce |
Internal recruitment and selection enables horizontal movement to develop careers and give employment stability |
Streamline processes for internal re-deployment. Training for new roles and ways of working eg arising from service reviews and business transformation |
HHR |
Ongoing |
|
A flexible workforce |
Develop a range of skills |
Secondments encouraged
|
HHR |
Ongoing |
|
Work shadowing process developed to facilitate people spending time in other areas |
HHR |
WLT/CLT Job Swap programme in place. |
|||
A safe workforce |
A strong health and safety culture with minimal accident levels. |
Deliver the Health and Safety action plan |
Health and Safety Officer Line managers |
Ongoing monitoring through the Health & Safety Committee. |
|
Key Theme |
Need / Driver |
Outcome |
Action |
Responsibility |
Update/Timescale |
Rewards
|
Retain competitive position as an employer |
Reinforce benefits package so that employees feel they are fairly rewarded. |
Update and re-issue employee handbook |
HR Manager |
To update with new Strategic Plan |
Health and wellbeing initiatives developed |
HR Manager Community Development |
Ongoing, Well-being week took place in February 2020. Roll out wellbeing events during the rest of the year. Flu vaccinations organised for Sept 2020 Webinars introduced on staff wellbeing and support provided through EAP and occupational health |
|||
Total benefits statement developed |
HHR |
Developed TRS in iTrent and delivered statements to all staff |
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Enhance rewards and benefit provision at the Council |
HR Manager |
Ongoing - Improved cycle to work scheme offer |
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Employees feel they are fairly rewarded |
Review pay for lower graded staff Review and promote current rewards and benefits |
HHR |
Implemented Real Living wage in April 2020 for lowest paid staff. Webinars delivered on rewards and benefits Regular communication provided on staff benefits |
||
Staff feel valued for their contribution |
Awards ceremony continued and strengthened |
HHR |
Included as part of One Council event in January 2020 |
||
Mechanisms developed to increase the ways for recognising staff |
HHR |
Ongoing – webinar to all staff in July to say ‘thank you’ Revised recognition process through policy & performance introduced |