Agenda Document Pack - Joint Consultative Board (Non-Teaching) - 10/09/2026
Renfrewshire Council · 10 September 2026
Back to Joint Consultative Board (Non-Teaching) — 10 September 2026 and its agenda
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02/09/2026 Notice of Meeting and Agenda Joint Consultative Board (Non-Teaching) Date Time Venue Thursday, 10 September 2026 15:00 Via Teams, Membership Councillor Audrey Doig (Convener): Councillor Fiona Airlie-Nicolson (Depute Convener): Councillor Chris Gilmour: Councillor Lisa-Marie Hughes: Councillor Sam Mullin: Further Information This is a meeting which is open to members of the public. A copy of the agenda and reports for this meeting will be available for inspection prior to the meeting at the Customer Service Centre, Renfrewshire House, Cotton Street, Paisley and online at http://renfrewshire.cmis.uk.com/renfrewshire/CouncilandBoards.aspx For further information, please email democratic-services@renfrewshire.gov.uk Recording of Meeting This meeting will be recorded for subsequent broadcast via the Council's internet site. If you have any queries regarding this please contact committee services on democratic- services@renfrewshire.gov.uk To find the recording please follow the link which will be attached to this agenda once the meeting has concluded. https://youtu.be/vAqG4_epOU4 MARK CONAGHAN Head of Corporate Governance Page 1 of 12
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02/09/2026 Items of business Apologies Apologies from members. Declarations of Interest Members are asked to declare an interest in any item(s) on the agenda and to provide a brief explanation of the nature of the interest. 1 Health & Safety Report by Director of Finance & Resources. 3 - 8 2 Details of Grievances Report by Director of Finance & Resources. 9 - 10 3 Agency Workers Report by Director of Finance & Resources. 11 - 12 4 HQ Car Parking Verbal report by UNISON. 5 Social Care Welfare Facilities Verbal report by UNISON. Page 2 of 12
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OFFICIAL ___________________________________________________________________ To: Joint Consultative Board: Non-Teaching On: 10th September 2026 ___________________________________________________________________ Report by: Director of Finance and Resources ___________________________________________________________________ Heading: Health, Safety, and Wellbeing Activities Update. ___________________________________________________________________ Summary 1.1 This report provides an update on the health, safety and wellbeing arrangements and performance of the Council since the last board in June 2026. 1.2 The Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 (as amended) place duties on the Council to ensure, as far as is reasonably practicable, the health of their employees and others that could be affected by work activities. 1.3 This report demonstrates the Council’s continued commitment to ensuring the health, safety, welfare, and wellbeing of our employees. It supports the aims of the “Our People, Our Future” People Strategy, the Councils’ Values and contributes to the delivery of best value outcomes. _________________________________________________________________ 2.0 Recommendations 2.1 Members are asked to note the following health, safety and wellbeing activities and performance of the Council. _____________________________________________________ Item 1 Page 3 of 12
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OFFICIAL Background 3.0 Health, Safety and Wellbeing Activities and Performance 3.1 A safe and healthy organisation is one that successfully balances the needs of individuals with the needs of the organisation. Health and safety at work is not only about health and safety management, occupational health and promoting healthier lifestyles, it is recognised that the way in which work is organised and how people behave, is significant to nurturing positive outcomes. To be truly effective, health and safety must be an everyday process and continue to be an integral part of the workforce culture at all levels across the Council. 4.0 Health, Safety and Wellbeing Activities and Performance 4.1 Ongoing engagement with key stakeholders, including Trade Unions, One Ren, RVJB, Scotland Excel, and the NHS, supports the review of policies and guidance and the delivery of effective health and safety planning and operations, ensuring compliance with statutory duties and evolving organisational needs. 4.2 To ensure a collaborative approach to health and safety engagement with employees, the Corporate Health and Safety Committee (CHSC) continues to progress health and safety issues that cannot be resolved at Service level. 4.3 The health and safety team provides professional advice, guidance, and support to the Council’s construction activities The team continue to support major Council projects as well as other smaller projects across Council assets. 4.4 The Council’s Workplace Inspection Programme which looks at the welfare and safety arrangements across the Council’s estate has stayed steady since the last report to members, with the Council’s health and safety team carrying out 28 site visits during Q1 of 2026-27, which include site inspections and support to the services management team. 4.5 The health and safety team ensures compliance with safety standards by assessing supplier documentation during the Council’s procurement process. Over Q1 of 2026- 27, they examined 33 high-risk and 5 low-risk vendor assessments. 4.6 The Corporate Fire Working Group was due to meet in June; however, this has been delayed to bring the meeting in line with corporate meeting dates. The team continue to work through the actions from the previous meeting. 4.7 The Council remains committed to reducing workplace incidents as far as is reasonably practicable and actively encourages employees to contribute to achieving this important objective. Each Service Health and Safety Committee or Group, which includes employee representatives, is tasked with focusing on the underlying causes of incidents. In addition, weekly meetings between Service Health and Safety Coordinators and the health and safety team support the development of strategies and local accident reduction programmes. 4.8 During Q1 of 2026-27 there were 653 health and safety incidents. 9 of these incidents were reported to the HSE. The most pressing challenge for the Council remains incidents of violence and aggression, accounting for 60% of all Page 4 of 12
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OFFICIAL reported cases. All incidents are investigated, and preventative actions are put in place to prevent likelihood of recurrence. 4.9 The health & safety team continues to work with the partners across the services to focus on targeted preventative measures, including improving and building on relationships, improving the culture of health & safety & investigating accidents & incidents to identify measure to reduce likelihood of recurrence. 4.10 Protecting the mental health and wellbeing of our workforce remains a key priority as defined in the Council’s Health and Wellbeing Plan. The number of Council trained and accredited mental health first aiders increased to 136 (from 109 at the end of 2025/26). The Council’s mental health first aiders support our workforce by initially providing a safe space to discuss mental health concerns and available specialist support in areas such as financial or psychological wellbeing. Plans are in progress to increase the number of MHFA’s this coming year. 4.11 The Quality of Working Life (Stress) Risk Assessment (QWLRA) is an important tool to identify perceived workplace stressors and to generate an action plan that may remove or reduce the impacts of the perceived stressors. 4.12 The Council works closely with its Occupational Health provider to deliver its Health Surveillance programme. The programme provides focussed support mainly to employees within Environment, Housing and Infrastructure and Children’s Services. During the Q1 of 2026-27 there were 275 appointments, covering a mixture of audio, hand arm vibration, skin, respiratory and workplace functionality. There have been no RIDDOR reportable diseases reported to the HSE during the reporting period. 4.13 During Q1 of 2026-27, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) conducted 0 visits, the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA) conducted 0 visits, and the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFR) conducted 2 visits. None led to enforcement action. 4.14 Data support for insurance claims, subject access requests (SAR), and freedom of information (FOI) requests continues to be a key function of the health and safety team. A total of 6 SAR, 4 FOI requests were processed during the Q1 of 2026-27. 4.15 The health and safety team play a critical role in supporting the Council’s Corporate Events Plan by actively leading on risk management and safety planning for the year. The team supported Events with Gala Days for Renfrew & Barshaw, and Sma’ Shot Day. The team will now look to support the Events team with upcoming Halloween and Christmas events. 5.0 Future Plans 5.1 The HSE have selected priority programmes which concentrate on hazards or sectors where improvements are needed. The HSE’s priority programmes for 2026 that may impact on the Council are: • Mental health, stress, violence, and aggression, with psychological risks now being integrated into routine checks Page 5 of 12
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OFFICIAL • Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs), pushing for engineering controls over administrative fixes • Occupational lung diseases, asbestos management, noise, legionella, and hazardous dusts like silica • High-risk issues: falls from height, workplace transport, electrical safety, and explosions 5.2 The overall aim within the Council is for Services to continue to address concerns in relation to the above issues and incorporate these into their health and safety action plans which should include relevant performance indicators. This will ensure that health and safety continues to be a significant driver and should result in enhanced health and safety performance. 5.4 The Council will continue to work in partnership with our occupational health provider People Asset Management and our employee counselling provider ‘Timeforthriving’ to review and develop innovative health and well-being programmes with the focus on supporting attendance at work. 5.5 Over the next twelve months, key areas to be targeted in relation to health safety and wellbeing are: • Continued monitoring of accident, incident and ill health trends and analysis. • Promotion of occupational health services to support employees to remain at work, including physiotherapy and occupational health surveillance • Developing a consistent approach to vibration management • Conducting inspections at services and developing action plans to drive improvement of health & safety performance • Developing the skills and competence of the health and safety team to further support council services with health & safety management • Evaluating suitable vendors that can provide a dedicated health & safety management system to assist with the management of health & safety across the council. This aims to include: o Accident & incident reporting o Risk assessments o Auditing & inspections o Action plans and; o Reporting of health & safety compliance Page 6 of 12
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OFFICIAL Implications of the Report 1. Financial - Continuing to improve health and safety performance will reduce accidents/occupational ill health/claims and associated costs. 2. People & Organisational Development - The activities detailed in the report supports the Council’s commitment to the health, safety, and wellbeing of employees. 3. Community/Council Planning – The activities detailed in the report support the Place objectives contained within the Community and Council plans. 4. Legal - The activities detailed in the report support the Council to comply with current health and safety legislation. 5. Property/Assets - Having a robust health and safety management system in place and an effective risk control system can reduce the risk of property damage and potential loss of premises which could be caused by fire for example. 6. Information Technology – The ERP system continues to be the main recording system for incidents. 7. Equality & Human Rights - The Recommendations contained within this report have been assessed in relation to their impact on equalities and human rights. No negative impacts on equality groups or potential for infringement of individuals’ human rights have been identified arising from the recommendations contained in the report as it is for noting only. If required following implementation, the actual impact of the recommendations and the mitigating actions will be reviewed and monitored, and the results of the assessment will be published on the Council’s website. 8. Health & Safety - This report supports and demonstrates the Council’s commitment to ensuring effective health and safety management. 9. Procurement - The Finance and Resources, Health and Safety Section make a significant contribution to the effective management of risks within the Council’s procurement system. 10. Risk - The activities detailed in this report underpins the strategic management of risk across Renfrewshire Council. 11. Privacy Impact - Not applicable. 12. Climate Risk – Good health and safety practices contribute to effective environmental controls. 13. Children’s rights – Not applicable 14. Cosla Policy Position- Not applicable _______________________________________________________ List of Background Papers- None ________________________________________________________________ Author: Rhona Barnes, Financial & Corporate Administrative Support Manager rhona.barnes@renfrewshire.gov.uk Page 7 of 12
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RENFREWSHIRE COUNCIL - JOINT CONSULTATIVE BOARD (Non-teaching) SEPTEMBER 2026 DETAILS OF GRIEVANCES (Informal stages onwards) SERVICE INFORMAL STAGE FORMAL STAGE 1 FORMAL STAGE 2 TOTAL 09/26 TOTAL 05/26 Chief Executives Service 0 0 0 0 0 Environment, Housing & Infrastructure Services 0 6 0 6 5 Children’s Services 0 0 0 0 0 Health & Social Care Partnership 0 1 0 1 3 Finance & Resources 0 0 0 0 0 TOTAL 0 7 0 7 8 (Information as at September 2026) Operation of the Grievance Procedures - The time limits below may be modified by mutual consent. It is also noted that, depending on the complexity of the issue, reasonable time should be allowed to ensure the issue is investigated as fully as possible. If a supervisor has been unable to provide a remedy or the employee is dissatisfied with the response to the informal stage the employee can pursue the grievance to formal stage 1. On receipt of the paperwork a meeting will be arranged (but not necessarily take place) within 5 working days. Following the meeting, a written reply will be made to the employee as soon as possible, but in any event, within 5 working days of the meeting taking place. Item 2 Page 9 of 12
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OFFICIAL-SENSITIVE# Service Job Title Current Number of Renfrewshire Council Employees in this Role Current Number of Vacancies in this Role Number of Agency Workers in this Role in June 2026 Number of posts being covered by Agency Workers in this role in June 2026 Number of Agency Workers in this Role in July 2026 Number of posts being covered by Agency Workers in this role in July 2026 Environment, Housing & Infrastructure Services Facilities Operative 273 27 22 2 6 12 Housekeeper 46 9 14 19 6 16 Driver (Waste) 50 8 4 4 4 4 Waste Collector 87 13 4 4 4 4 Waste Recycling Operative/Site Attendant 8 4 2 2 2 2 Repairs & Maintenance Support Officer - Utilities 0 2 2 2 0 0 Housing Management Consultant 0 2 3 3 2 2 Clerk of Works 6 1 1 1 1 1 Assistant Cost Manager 3 0 1 1 1 1 Repairs & Maintenance Officer 18 1 1 1 1 1 Driver - Social Transport 37 2 4 2 4 2 Electrician 13 0 6 6 6 6 Slater 6 0 1 1 1 1 Plasterer 15 1 2 2 2 2 Plumber 1 1 0 0 1 1 Bricklayer 3 3 0 0 1 1 Streetlighting Officer 2 1 1 1 1 1 Skilled Roadworker 16 0 2 2 3 3 Storeperson 4 4 0 0 1 1 Neighbourhood Services Operative (Seasonal) 45 7 7 7 7 7 Total for Environment, Housing & Infrastructure 633 86 77 60 54 68 Finance & Resources Customer Service Adviser 37 3 1 1 1 1 Corporate Support Officer 5 1 1 1 1 1 Total for Finance & Resources 42 4 2 2 2 2 Renfrewshire Health & Social Care Partnership Home Care Worker 376 4 10 1 14 2 Social Care Assistant 95 8 34 6 19 4 Overnight Carer - TECS 0 1 4 1 5 1 Community Alarms Responder 25 9 10 1 10 1 Day Care Officer 4 4 6 1 5 1 Social Worker 117 1 1 1 0 0 Occupational Therapist 24 0 1 1 1 1 Total for Renfrewshire Health & Social Care Partnership 641 27 66 12 54 10 Overall Total 1316 117 145 74 110 80 AGENCY WORKERS - AUGUST 2026 Item 3 Page 11 of 12
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