Item 13 - Appendix 1
West Dunbartonshire Council · 27 May 2026
Back to Corporate Services Committee — 27 May 2026 and its agenda
Text extracted from the council's PDF. Layout and reading order may differ from the original.
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Appendix 1 - Workforce Planning 25-26 Strategic Actions Overview actions. 3lst March 2026 1. Our People (Workforce Profile) Strategy Develop and implement wellbeing, employee engagement, equality, and training plans to enable capabilities, improved resilience and promotion of a diverse workforce. SERVICE KEY ACTIONS TO CONTINUE INTO 2026/27 Citizens, Culture and Facilities – Amanda Graham, Chief Officer • Review employee engagement following Facilities Management model implementation - consultation for service redesign is complete. Facilities management has implemented ongoing engagement as part of redesign and will have a further staff survey following implementation of the new service model in 2026/26 • Investigating technology options with Council data analyst to deliver improved absence and leave planning in contact center alongside market research • Libraries looking at automation to provide work force scheduling tool and subject to outputs this may transfer to Contact Centre Education Services – Gillian Hamilton, Chief Officer • Moving to implementation of Children's Support Service review • Children’s Support Service Review currently paused Housing Services, Peter Barry, Chief Officer • The Building Services improvement plan continues to be implemented with significant progress made with ongoing focus on automation, communication, and culture. ITEM 13 - APPENDIX 1
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• Regular 1-to-1s with frontline staff are embedded, alongside monthly toolbox talks, monthly newsletters, and biannual Be the Best conversations. There has been a noticeable positive shift in culture, with continued emphasis on maintaining effective back-to-basics conversations. People & Technology, Victoria Rogers, Chief Officer • People & Change restructure and transition completed • Developed and delivered wellbeing session for People & Change team to support team in busy transition period following restructure • Monthly Team Meeting format updated to reflect current needs of team with weekly team calls adjusted to reflect requirements to help to ensure team development and wellbeing is supported within the reduced capacity of the new team structure. Resources, Laurence Slavin, Chief Officer • Assessed succession planning across service areas to ensure preparedness for known and potential exits/absences from the Council and supports for individuals and wider team. Actions completed including creation of temporary roles to aid succession planning in Finance and realigning Finance Business Partner roles to support transition to new structure • Planning commenced in Asset Management in preparation for planned retirements • Consider future structured approach to workforce planning rather than piecemeal reductions including Finance restructure, changes within Audit team, succession planning in Assets and mapping of critical roles in Business Support. • Reviewed age profile for succession planning across Asset services in anticipation of flexible working/retirement
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applications over next 1-2 years to ensure resilience Roads & Neighbourhood, Gail MacFarlane, Chief Officer • Continued monitoring of workforce demographics to ensure resilience and promotion of service for breakdown of gender stereotypical roles through Modern Apprenticeship and Recruitment Programmes • Working 4U have continued to promote of roles with a gender Bais across all genders. This includes sessions within schools to attract or encourage school students to have a broader understanding of the opportunities available to them • Roads Structure Review commenced identifying single point dependencies • Grounds and Waste services will promote use of trickle with front line staff at the next “toolbox talks”. • Commenced reviewing of succession planning requirements (Critical Roles). Action progressing with Roads Structure Review commenced and Grounds and Waste Review to commence. • Service working with HR to develop a workforce update highlighting the benefits of Trickle to front line staff CASE STUDY: P&T – People & Change Re-structure As part of workforce planning activity to support compliance with the Strategic Operating Model (SOM), several targeted changes were implemented across People & Change specialist teams. These changes focused on maintaining statutory and core service delivery while reducing management layers and accepting a measured reduction in capacity for discretionary and improvement activity. Within Organisational Development, the removal of a senior lead post improved SOM compliance and strengthened alignment with Strategic HR through revised line management arrangements. Core learning and development provision continued unchanged, supported by an existing strategy to 2027. The primary impact was a reduction in capacity to design new interventions or respond to bespoke requests. In Health & Safety, the move to a single lead model reflected successful succession planning and increased generalist capability across the team, including fire safety competencies. Statutory duties continued to be met, although some audit and inspection cycles were extended from two to three years from 2025/26, reflecting reduced capacity and the loss of specialist experience. Strategic HR experienced a reduction in senior management capacity through the deletion of a People & Change Partner post, increasing spans of control to achieve SOM
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compliance. While core reactive and operational support continues to be prioritised, preventative, wellbeing, and improvement activity has reduced. The approach taken across the teams mitigated against the loss of 2 experienced members of the team in a short space of team, with the retirement of the previous Strategic People and Change Manager being brought forward, this meant that the pool of People and Change Partners were able to apply for a promoted post with the vacancy created through the appointment being taken as the saving and avoiding a compulsory redundancy situation. Through the use of the Organisational Change Policy and Procedure and successful succession planning, the team have been able to transition to the new structure effectively whilst mitigating impact on core service delivery. 2. Recruitment & Retention Strategy Develop and implement employee life cycle plans in line with the People First Strategy to attract and retain the workforce. SERVICE KEY ACTIONS TO CONTINUE INTO 2026/27 Citizens, Culture and Facilities – Amanda Graham, Chief Officer • Recruitment has centred around facilities management and the re-structure with several new promoted posts being available for internal employees giving increases of grade and hours as well as development opportunities • Remaining vacancies to be filled externally following exhaustion on internal employee talent pools. Education Services – Gillian Hamilton, Chief Officer • Completion of annual staffing exercise is complete to support the recruitment and retention of teachers in line with service and workforce needs, school roll projections, national policy and organisational change procedures • Exit strategies for temporary funding streams that impact on employee roles has commenced along with Organisational Change procedure – further work will proceed in 2026/27 • Allocation of probationer teachers still to take place along with bulk recruitment exercise for teachers. Housing Services, Peter Barry, Chief Officer • Reviewed methods to improve recruitment & retention for hard to recruit roles within each service area • Increased scope for advertising roles for plumbing and • Work is also underway to explore costings and information for a Housing Options Toolkit for all
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Joiners. This had a positive impact after apprenticeship additional year is allocated to retain staff and improve qualification levels. • Implemented quarterly check-ups with area coordinator to ensure retention of workforce and ensure best experience for the apprenticeship, this has resulted in positive experiences and encouraged take up of driving licences for improved future employment. • Reviewed Career Pathways in Housing and access to qualifications/learning to allow employees to progress by encouraging staff to undertake HNC construction management course. • Work is also underway to explore costings and information for a Housing Options Toolkit for all frontline Housing Operations staff. frontline Housing Operations staff. People & Technology, Victoria Rogers, Chief Officer • New role profile templates developed and tested to support job evaluation, recruitment & retention, succession planning & career pathways and employee development. • Implementation will commence in 26/27 with approach considering reduced resource available. Regulatory & Regeneration, Alan Douglas, Chief Officer • Completed implementation of management review in legal services by filling vacant posts including section head posts • Completed implementation of restructure in Building, Planning and Environmental Health Services by filling remaining vacant posts where possible. • Developed a building standards training post and a technical support officer is attending an HNC Architectural Technology course to ensure resilience • Further work to be completed regarding new posts that will require to be filled. Resources, Laurence Slavin, Chief Officer • Actions planned for this year in relation to responding to recruitment requirements in terms of national shortages,
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attraction to the role and gender barriers, career pathways, and development opportunities • Developed pathways, where feasible, for career progression and foster continuous learning and development to ensure the council is retaining and developing talent CASE STUDY: Housing Services – Building Services & Modern Apprenticeships Building Services has, in recent years faced problems in relation to recruiting skilled trade employees into the service and the retention of apprentices after their training time was served. A benchmark comparison of other Local Authorities was undertaken and indicated that our salary rates were average compared to the external market. It was acknowledged however that our terms and conditions and security of employment are better than the private sector and that we cannot compete with short term (higher renumerated) contracts. In order to retain our apprentices and create a talent pool to ensure we are appropriately resourced in the future the Service offered apprentices 1 year fixed term contracts at the end of apprenticeships with a view to make permanent if possible. The Service also promoted an advanced craft qualification which the Council fully funded. As a Council employee there is always an opportunity to undergo additional training which we part fund too. In addition to advertising on My Job Scotland alone, the service have also shared vacancies and opportunities on the Council Facebook page to widen the search when recruiting whilst promoting our Terms and conditions of employment. Although recruitment remains a challenge, with these additional steps we can ensure that any recruitment opportunities are explored fully. The number of apprentices leaving within a year of the time being served is now low and we look to provide any learning opportunities where possible to retain them. Depending on the external market at the time of the recruitment there may not be a good response but re- advertisement often yields more interest. Next steps would be to continue to build on the initiatives in place and through the monthly Workforce Update continue to promote ongoing training opportunities as well as tapping into any partner training which is applicable for continuing development.
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Priority 3: Roles & Structures Strategy: Implement service review process including role design, use of new technology and new ways of working to add resilience, address gaps, and establish opportunities for efficiencies. SERVICE KEY ACTIONS TO CONTINUE INTO 2026/27 Citizens, Culture and Facilities – Amanda Graham, Chief Officer • Considered roles in relation to optimum operating model along-side budget savings with work underway to consider the delivery of savings for 26/27. • Arts and Heritage review has commenced and has identified a requirement to changes to roles and/or structure of the team with SOM compliance considered • Libraries Review has commenced and preparation is underway to consider work required to review and develop role profiles for Library staff where there is a requirement to review profiles (Management team). Role profiles for front line staff amended to account for Protection of Vulnerable Groups (PVG) requirements • Consider peer supports in contact centre for Learning & Development and efficiencies. One to one process has identified opportunities, and we have delivered the same via reception and contact centre • New model has been developed and will ensure we provide appropriate resilience for service delivery staff development and support career progression for front line staff. • Arts and Heritage review to continue Education Services – Gillian Hamilton, Chief Officer • Reviewed roles within staffing team to ensure they are fit for purpose and future focussed with a particular attention to project delivery roles • Reviewed Early Years Assistant role to ensure that it is fit for purpose. • Consultation with trade unions is due to commence.
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• 2025/26 Savings options implemented across the service with consideration of service delivery and impacts on teams New Faifley Campus opened with required changes to teams in Auchnacraig & Lennox made to ensure that transition was appropriately supported • Implement Children's Support Service review commenced with new role in place • Reviewed of how the Professional Learning Team deliver the service to ensure new requirements met with limited resource following changes to General Teaching Council Standards (GTCS) levels. Engagement maintained with GTCS, West Partnership, and neighbouring Local Authorities to support implementation of the updated MyGTCS platform. Full engagement with GTCS training materials to support successful rollout. Guidance and training actively promoted to provisionally registered teachers, supporters, and head teachers. • All Probationer Teachers completed training on MyGTCS platform functionality and responsibilities. • Expansion of Additional Support Needs support with the new Riverside establishment opening in August 2025 • Implemented use of new technology and new ways of working to add resilience, address gaps, and establish opportunities for efficiencies including online payment processes implemented to support automated payment of childcare hours and Out of School Care and fully remote access to the Psychological Service database delivered in collaboration with ICT. • Shared Google Classroom promoted and used effectively to streamline access to student data and resources for Student Coordinators and School Regents with Google File structure established based on How Good is Our Local Education • New job profiles undergoing job evaluation implementation is aligned to support service review which is currently delayed
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Authority and the National Improvement Framework, ready for population. • Continued use and updating of local protocols and systems for managing student placements including active engagement with stakeholders, new guidance, and training opportunities to ensure high quality, GDPR compliant placement processes. Includes ongoing engagement with national networks to ensure alignment with national protocols and partnership working with universities to ensure accurate and timely placement information. • Initial scoping with PEPs to align self-evaluation to new guidance and list of Performance Indicators for Education, Learning and Attainment produced to audit duplication and repetition. Supporting templates and datasets produced for Early Years Data Leads and New Primary Data Leads established • Excel training for new Primary Data Leads delivered in January 2026. • Completion of local authority self-evaluation How Good is our Local Authority evaluation in quality indicator 1.2 Improving outcomes and How Good is our Local Authority evaluation in quality indicator 1.1 Leadership, Direction and Continuous Improvement. Engagement with QUAD local authority officers to evaluate strengths and areas for improvement. • Dates and topics agreed for Early Years Data Leads to support expansion of system wide data work. • Engagement with Education Officer (Senior Phasing) regarding Secondary Data Leads Programme via Curriculum Support Networks- proposal completed and agreed in principle. Housing Services, Peter Barry, Chief Officer • Modernised service delivery through workforce flexibility and capacity including pilots for multi-skilling and flexible working to improve efficiency, Value for Money, and customer satisfaction • Flexible retirement and flexible working have been • Work is ongoing with Strategic HR partner to review Housing Assets structure for SOM compliance
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considered and implemented where possible • A continual drive towards Value for money exercises and ideas run through all monthly meetings to achieve relet standards and repairs policy standards adequately without exceeding obligations, managing throughput and customer expectation. • Reviewed Fixed Term contracts within Building and filled permanently for resilience. • Work is ongoing with Strategic HR partner to review HA structure for SOM compliance People & Technology, Victoria Rogers, Chief Officer • Implement ICT revised team structure and adjusted service provision. Structure is SOM Compliant with adjustments at management level. Regulatory & Regeneration, Alan Douglas, Chief Officer • Reviewed structure in line with SOM principles to identify and address areas of non-compliance where necessary. Changes identified to management level roles • Reviewed impact of saving options and management adjustments identified as part of budget process for 25/26 and implement any required changes. • Planning, Building Services and Environmental Health identified within options. Savings for Review of Environmental Health and Antonine Wall achieved with minimal impact on overall service delivery. • Implementing flexible structure in Building Standards team that allows appointments to be made based on service need whilst providing potential career pathway in key areas of work. • Actions to implement changes required have begun • Planning savings in progress - Lead Planner post was not able to be filled but service has now been successful in recruitment. Combining Dog and Pest Control ongoing and savings expected to be achieved in line with target. • Building Services Structure agreed. Structure will be in place 26/27
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Resources, Laurence Slavin, Chief Officer • Review Internal Audit Service - Activity planned for 25/26 completed. Service reviewed and new delivery model identified and implemented. • Continued to embed the new structure within Finance in line with timetable; temporary posts in place, succession planning completed, Finance Business Partner roles realigned. • Service re-structure in Asset management commenced • Implementation will continue into 26/27 as planned until completion. • Service re-structure in Asset management in relation to working hours, trainee post, career progression, Som Compliance and staff development and resilience delayed due to resources but will continue in 2026/27 Roads & Neighbourhood, Gail MacFarlane, Chief Officer • Review structure and roles in Roads & Neighbourhood to reflect service delivery requirements in line with budget savings for 2025/26 and SOM Compliance • • Cross service review underway to review service capacity and resources. CASE STUDY: Citizen, Culture & Facilities - Facilities Management – Re-structure Facilities Management (FM) is one of the Council’s largest services, employing around 600 staff delivering cleaning, janitorial and catering services across operational and educational buildings. Prior to the redesign, the service faced long-standing challenges including high absence levels, recruitment and retention difficulties, fragmented contracts and limited career pathways. In response, a comprehensive service redesign was undertaken, informed by a service review, staff survey, working groups, extensive consultation wih employees and ongoing engagement with Trade Union colleagues. Over 400 one-to-one meetings were held with staff, supported by regular communications and access to wellbeing and HR support. Implemented on 30 March 2026, the new model provides a more resilient, flexible and efficient service, with fairer contracts, clearer progression
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routes and reduced reliance on overtime and agency cover. Next steps include embedding the new structure, ongoing staff engagement and monitoring workforce outcomes to ensure benefits are sustained. 4. Skills & Capabilities Strategy Develop and implement training plans and development opportunities to improve capabilities and resilience within the workforce. SERVICE KEY ACTIONS TO CONTINUE INTO 2026/27 Citizens, Culture and Facilities – Amanda Graham, Chief Officer • Addressed performance issues within services to ensure quality services in Facilities management and contact centre. Performance is being proactively managed with Facilities Management. Telephone performance reviewed and reported to PMRG Sept 2Report produced and outcome and actions completed. Visited all SMT for discussion on customer service and complaint management. Awareness and adherence sessions • Developed forum for managers for ‘lessons learned’ across service for peer support and consistency of application meeting every 6 weeks to review instances and share best practice. • Develop and implement learning and development opportunities to improve capabilities and resilience within the workforce. Education Services – Gillian Hamilton, Chief Officer • Employees worked with corporate support teams to explore further opportunities to use robotic process automation in school offices and reduce volume of manual admin tasks. A list of possible automation projects has been submitted. • Ensure employees are appropriately skilled to implement the digitisation of school transportation processes. • List of possible automation projects has been submitted for consideration • This action is shared with Internal Transport. Education team are upskilling in terms of GIS and
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• Implement Continuing Lifelong Professional Learning guidance for Early Years employee group that are SSSC registered to ensure compliance with new registration requirements • Identified and develop opportunities to maximise impact of Share point across the service and adapt ways of working as required • Update on changes to professional learning requirements shared with Heads and Managers at the Leaders Meeting and Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) advice support guide issued to all staff teams. • Pathways Model shared with all establishment leaders alongside Professional Review and Development (PRD) paperwork and guidance reinforcing expectations around PRD engagement. • Leadership Pathways Model promoted through bulletin, social media, staff focus groups, and Google platforms. • Leadership Pathways Model updated to align with Support Staff and Support Staff in Specialist Settings, clarifying core and enhanced expectations. • ELCO workforce survey completed to gather views on further training and support needs. • Evidence gathering underway through data review and the first focus group (WDC DHTs) to identify leaders and establishments not yet involved in coaching development. • Whole service professional learning offer established in collaboration with all Education services. • Comprehensive central professional learning overview developed and shared for Terms 1–2, updated in January for Terms 3–4, providing streamlined access for all ELCC, Primary, and Secondary staff. • Overview promoted via Professional Learning Coordinators webforms, and IT are upskilling in filling in the forms online instead of paper-based systems.
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Term 1 Forum and HT Induction. • Multi agency Calendar of Professional Learning shared across platforms as part of the WDC Professional Learning Overview and through networks and forums. • Central booking system for professional learning spaces embedded. • Temporary Staff Learning Passport implemented to support staff in evidencing training, impact, and development needs. • Six Improving Our Classrooms (IOC) participants undertaking this year’s programme; all have completed five core sessions and begun data interrogation to inform Casetudy improvement Questions. • Learning visits scheduled for January/February to support triangulation of evidence. • Four IOC mentors recruited from last year's cohort, with one returning mentor added. • Education team upskilling in GIS and webforms. • IT team upskilling to complete forms online instead of using paper based systems. Housing Services, Peter Barry, Chief Officer • Refresh management skills and effectiveness to meet service demands and financial pressure - focus at management meeting has been to apply financial constrictions and make saving where possible. • Management skills and effectiveness refreshed through the introduction of Power BI service reports across Housing Operations, now in place for Team Leaders and above. • New reports covering areas such as, abatements, decants, voids, and lettings are actively used. Balanced scorecards are scheduled between Team Leaders and Management to
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help reduce spend while maintaining value for money and service quality. • Ongoing monitoring continues to ensure management capability remains effective in addressing service demands and financial pressures. People & Technology, Victoria Rogers, Chief Officer • Digital Skills of team developed in order to support roll out of M365 and Sharepoint- as appropriate Resources shared, further learning will now be part of business as usual skills development for team. • Strategic Human Resources, HR Connect and Payroll are in process of migrating to M365 and Sharepoint, team meetings taken place to develop teams awareness of functionality and support resources shared to develop skills. Regulatory & Regeneration, Alan Douglas, Chief Officer • Identified learning opportunities that support the development of skills and knowledge required for hard to fill posts in Building Standards team - revised structure to support career pathway agreed by Strategic Resources & Recovery Group • The service secured a funded place on an HNC Architectural Technology course that has been attended by an officer from the technical support team. • Implementing in conjunction with HR and Job Evaluation. Resources, Laurence Slavin, Chief Officer • Developed pathways, where feasible, for career progression and foster continuous learning and development to ensure the council is retaining and developing talent - In Business Support given the financial pressures, SOM and limited training budget, focus has been on maximising internal opportunities such as job shadowing, project-based development, and knowledge sharing across teams.
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• Regular 1 to 1 discussions will continue to identify aspirations and support career conversations, ensuring staff feel valued and engaged despite constrained resources. • Focus on cross skilling of roles/skills for resilience and career progression in Asset Management & Finance Services. Roads & Neighbourhood, Gail MacFarlane, Chief Officer • Upskilling drivers across the service to undertake the range of driving duties to promote cross service working and improve resilience - Drivers put through LGV training and C1+E trailer training. • Fit for future actions progressed including training for mechanics and new ilearn developed within Fleet Services to promote development opportunities. Cross service consideration being given to hard to recruit roles. • Mechanics trained in maintenance of Electric vehicles and to continue to monitor development of technology to stay up to date CASE STUDY: Education Services – Leadership Pathways Model Leadership development across the service lacked consistency, transparency and systematic monitoring, making it difficult to ensure equitable access to high-quality professional learning. There was no single mechanism to track participation, identify gaps across sectors or ensure staff were being supported consistently regardless of role or establishment. Workforce analysis highlighted further risks, including an ageing leadership profile, anticipated retirements, recruitment challenges and uneven engagement in existing opportunities. These issues collectively demonstrated the need for a manageable, equitable and transparent model to strengthen leadership capacity and support sustainable workforce planning.
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To address these challenges, we developed and implemented the WDC Leadership Pathways Model—a structured, progressive and service-wide approach to leadership development. The model includes a universal strand offering all staff access to high-quality leadership learning, and a targeted workforce-planning strand that tracks participation to ensure transparency and equity. It was co-designed with staff across all sectors to identify role-specific leadership skills and align professional learning with GTCS and SSSC Standards, corporate leadership frameworks, PRD processes and the wider WDC professional learning offer. Designed as a live, adaptive framework, the model is regularly updated to remain responsive to emerging needs. The model has delivered clear benefits, creating a consistent, transparent and standards-aligned approach to leadership development. Staff now access a streamlined “one stop shop” offering coherent, role-specific learning and clear pathways for progression. Engagement has strengthened significantly: uptake of the national Into Headship Award has nearly doubled, with many participants progressing into acting or permanent Head Teacher roles. Of the 60 staff engaged in the model in session 24/25, 42% moved into the promoted post they were preparing for. Staff report improved communication about opportunities, greater equity of access and easier navigation of professional learning. The model has also enhanced workforce planning by enabling targeted, needs-led professional learning informed by robust monitoring data. Next steps will continue the focus on deepening integration of the Leadership Pathways Model within the WDC Be the Best Framework to ensure all staff, including non-teaching colleagues, access leadership development. We will continue embedding leadership development within PRD processes, using evaluation data to refine professional learning offers and expand high-quality, role-specific opportunities. Ongoing monitoring will strengthen the workforce-planning strand by maintaining a clear profile of staff preparing for promotion. We will also widen communication channels and support leaders and Professional Learning Coordinators to champion the model, ensuring early-career staff experience leadership development as a core expectation of practice and sustaining a future-focused leadership workforce.