Minutes of meeting
Renfrewshire Council · 14 May 2024
Back to Renfrewshire Council Joint Negotiating Committee for Teaching Staff — 14 May 2024 and its agenda
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Minute of Meeting Renfrewshire Council Joint Negotiating Committee for Teaching Staff Date Time Venue Tuesday, 14 May 2024 14:00 Corporate Meeting Room 2, Renfrewshire House, PRESENT Representing Renfrewshire Council Management Councillor Rodden; E Henry and G Lyons, both Interim Head of Education, J Colquhoun, A Hall and M Thomas, all Education Manager (Development), K Henry, Head Teacher, St Andrews Academy and J Houston, Head Teacher, Mossvale Primary School (all Education & Children’s Services). Representing Renfrewshire Council Teaching Staff K Fella and M Russell (both Joint Secretary), JP Tonner, Y Murray, D Tollan and B Kelly (all EIS); R Kane (SSTA); T Lawson (NASUWT) and D Baxter (Adviser to Teachers' Side). IN ATTENDANCE S Fanning, Strategic Lead Partner (Health & Safety) and E Currie, Senior Committee Services Officer (both Finance & Resources). APOLOGIES Councillor Paterson and L Gibson (NASUWT). DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST AND TRANSPARENCY STATEMENTS There were no declarations of interest or transparency statements intimated prior to the commencement of the meeting.
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1 CHAIRPERSON In accordance with the terms of the local recognition and procedure agreement, it was agreed that Councillor Rodden would chair this meeting. DECIDED: That Councillor Rodden chair this meeting. 2 MEMBERSHIP UPDATE The Interim Head of Education advised that M Boyd, Head of People & Organisational Development, had now left the employment of Renfrewshire Council and that her position on the Management Side of this Committee would be taken up by K Clark, Strategic Lead Partner (People). DECIDED: That the position be noted. 3 MINUTE OF PREVIOUS MEETING There was submitted the Minute of the meeting of this Committee held on 26 March 2024. DECIDED: That the Minute be approved. 4 MATTERS ARISING In relation to the anomalies within the business world reporting system it was noted that examples of issues experienced had been provided to the Principal HR & OD Adviser in order that they be addressed. In relation to mobile phone use in schools it was noted that the Interim Head of Education would re-issue the Council’s policy on mobile phone use in schools to all head teachers. Further that a working group be convened with a view to refreshing this policy which could then be updated further once the Scottish Government’s position on this matter was clear. DECIDED: That the updates provided be noted 5 ACTION LOG The action log for the JNC was submitted. Members were advised that the outstanding action in relation to ASN was ongoing and that a working group to discuss grievance procedures had been established. DECIDED: That the updates to the action log be noted
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6 MANAGING ABSENCE There was submitted a report by the Joint Secretary (Teachers’ Side) relative to the revised Managing Absence Policy. The report intimated that the Council had recently distributed a staff newsletter to all employees advising that a revised Managing Absence Policy was now in operation. Teachers had been included in this communication and it was noted that this revised policy was not applicable to teachers. Members were advised that this matter was on the agenda for the next meeting between management and head teachers and the Strategic Lead Partner (Health & Safety) advised that the issue of the revised policy to all staff had been an error and apologised to members. DECIDED: That the position be noted. SEDERUNT Kevin Henry entered the meeting prior to the consideration of the following item of business. 7 EDUCATION SCOTLAND INSPECTIONS OF RENFREWSHIRE SCHOOLS There was submitted a report by the Interim Head of Education relative to inspections of Renfrewshire primary and secondary schools by HM Inspectors, Education Scotland over the past two academic sessions. The report intimated that in 2022/23, five primary schools and two secondary schools had been inspected by HM Inspectors as part of a national sample of education and that, to date in the current session 2023/24, four primary schools and one secondary school had been inspected. The report outlined the models of inspection used and the respective gradings for the schools inspected. DECIDED: That the very positive outcomes in relation to inspections of Renfrewshire primary and secondary schools by HM Inspectors, Education Scotland, over the last two academic sessions be noted. 8 VIOLENCE AND AGGRESSION POLICY There was submitted a report by the Interim Head of Education relative to the revised Violence and Aggression Policy which would be submitted to the meeting of the Education & Children’s Services Policy Board to be held on 23 May 2024. A copy of the revised policy was appended to the report. The report advised that Renfrewshire Council had a duty of care under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 to ensure the health, safety and welfare of employees at work. The revised policy provided clear structures to ensure that employees were protected from violence and aggression and related to the prevention, management and reporting of violent incidents in establishments.
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Following discussion, it was agreed that the professional learning gathered would be shared with head teachers; that head teachers be requested to remind teaching staff of the reporting arrangements in place within their schools; and that the Strategic Lead Partner (Health & Safety) arrange a meeting with the Teachers’ Side to discuss the matters raised during the meeting around recording incidents on business world. DECIDED: (a) That the revised Violence and Aggression Policy, as appended to the report, be approved; (b) That the professional learning gathered be shared with head teachers; (c) That head teachers be requested to remind teaching staff of the reporting arrangements in place within their school; and (d) That it be noted that the Strategic Lead Partner (Health & Safety) would arrange a meeting with the Teachers’ Side to discuss the matters raised during the meeting around recording incidents on business world. 9 INCLUSION UPDATE There was submitted a report by the Interim Head of Education providing a progress update in relation to the Staged Intervention Framework and associated processes launched in August 2023. The report advised that the introduction of this framework followed the GIRFEC Refresh which focused on bringing about improvements to support the wellbeing and learning of all of our children and young people with additional support needs in mainstream and early years establishments. The report intimated that there continued to be a significant amount of development work being undertaken with significant progress being made within this portfolio and that there were plans in place to continue to ensure that our provision for children and young people with additional support needs was fair and equitable and that resources were deployed as close to the child as possible. It was noted that in relation to the CIRCLE framework, the first sentence of the paragraph should read ‘Almost all establishments are now trained in CIRCLE’ and not ‘Almost all establishments are not trained in CIRCLE’. DECIDED: That the very positive progress the Inclusion Portfolio continued to make to improve outcomes for children and young people be noted. 10 FLEXIBLE WORKING There was submitted a report by the Joint Secretary (Teachers’ Side) relative to the Council’s Flexible Working Policy revised in June 2023. The report outlined the benefits of this policy together with the concerns expressed with regards to the application of this policy to teachers. The report sought clarification around the application of the policy in schools to ensure that a consistent and fair
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approach was being adopted across all establishments. Following discussion, it was agreed that information be issued to all head teachers reminding them of the application of the Council’s Flexible Working Policy in schools. DECIDED: That information be issued to all head teachers reminding them of the application of the Council’s Flexible Working Policy in schools. 11 IN SERVICE/PUBLIC HOLIDAYS AND PART-TIME CONTRACTS There was submitted a report by the Joint Secretary (Teachers’ Side) relative to an inconsistency in the formula applied when calculating part-time teachers’ pro-rata attendance at in-service days and also the unexpected repayment of salary or ‘days owed’ to the Council by some part-time staff as they had not been made aware of their public holiday entitlement at the start of the session. The report sought a meeting with management and HR/OD to discuss part-time teachers’ commitments at in-service days and also requested earlier sharing of the annual holiday reckoner, which indicated holidays and closure days. DECIDED: That a meeting be held between both sides to discuss the matters raised. 12 PAYROLL AND SALARY OVERPAYMENTS There was submitted a report by the Joint Secretary (Teachers’ Side) relative to payroll and salary overpayments. The report outlined teachers concerns when faced with clerical errors in calculating their salary and being asked to repay amounts over a fixed period which risked causing them financial hardship and provided further detail on the concerns raised and the actions sought. Following discussion, it was agreed that a working group be established to discuss the concerns raised during the meeting; that information on the directional videos available to staff online which provided step-by-step guides relating to payroll matters be provided to teachers; and that the iPads provided to schools to enable staff access to business world be located and put back into use within the Council estate. DECIDED: (a) That a working group be established to discuss the concerns raised during the meeting; (b) That information on the directional videos available to staff online which provided step- by-step guides relating to payroll matters be provided to teachers; and (c) That the iPads provided to schools to enable staff access to business world be located and put back into use within the Council estate. 13 REMOVAL OF TEACHER EXCHANGE SCHEME There was submitted a report by the Interim Head of Education relative to the removal of Renfrewshire’s Teacher Exchange Scheme.
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The report intimated that the scheme provided a year-long experience in a different school and had been designed to offer non-promoted, permanent teachers the opportunity for professional development whilst also supporting the Council to build capacity within its teaching workforce. Since establishment in school session 2016/17, only three successful exchanges had taken place between those who met the eligibility criteria. The report intimated that only three applicants had expressed an interest to participate in session 2024/25 and that none of these were matched due to requests. The report sought the withdrawal of the scheme due to the lack of interest amongst eligible teaching staff. DECIDED: That the Teacher Exchange Scheme continue and that it be promoted more widely within schools and revisited next session