Item 6 - Minutes of JCF
West Dunbartonshire Council · 1 November 2023
Back to Corporate Services Committee — 1 November 2023 and its agenda
Text extracted from the council's PDF. Layout and reading order may differ from the original.
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JOINT CONSULTATIVE FORUM At a Meeting of the Joint Consultative Forum held in the Civic Space, Council Offices, 16 Church Street, Dumbarton on Thursday, 7 September 2023 at 2.00 p.m. Present: Councillors Jim Bollan, Karen Murray Conaghan, David McBride, Michelle McGinty and Martin Rooney; Michael Dolan and James Halfpenny (EIS); David Scott (GMB); Claire MacKenzie (SSTA); Sean Davenport, Susan Shannon and David Smith (UNISON); and Norman King, Chris Rossi and Margaret Wood (Unite). Attending: Victoria Rogers, Chief Officer – People and Technology; Alan Douglas, Chief Officer – Regulatory and Regeneration; Amanda Graham, Chief Officer – Citizen, Culture and Facilities; Gail Macfarlane, Chief Officer – Roads and Neighbourhood; Claire Cusick, Senior Education Officer; Fiona Taylor, Head of Health and Community Care; John Duffy, People, Quality and Governance Lead; Louise Hastings, People and Change Partner; Michael McDougall, Principal Solicitor; and Ashley MacIntyre, Committee Officer. Apologies: Apologies for absence were intimated on behalf of Councillor Hazel Sorrell; John Wagner (GMB); David Smith (UNISON); and Laura Mason, Chief Education Officer. APPOINTMENT OF CHAIR, VICE CHAIR AND JOINT SECRETARIES The Principal Solicitor invited the Forum to consider, in terms of its constitution, a number of appointments for the next year and it was agreed:- (a) that Chris Rossi (UNITE) and David Smith (UNISON) be appointed as joint Chairs of the Forum; (b) that Councillor David McBride be appointed as Vice Chair; and (c) that John Wagner (GMB) be appointed as Joint Secretary for the Trade Union Side and Victoria Rogers, Chief Officer – People and Technology, be appointed as the Joint Secretary for the Council Side. Mr Rossi then assumed the Chair. ITEM 6
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Mr Chris Rossi in the Chair DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST It was noted that there were no declarations of interest in any of the items of business on the agenda. MINUTES OF PREVIOUS MEETING The Minutes of Meeting of the Joint Consultative Forum held on 8 June 2023 were submitted and approved as a correct record. ANNUAL MONITORING REPORT 2022/23 – EMPLOYMENT EQUALITIES A report was submitted by the Chief Officer – People and Technology advising of employment equalities matters for the year 2022/23. After discussion and having heard the Chief Officer – People and Technology in explanation of the nature of the paragraph in question, i.e., it describes the Council’s General and Public Sector Equality Duties as set out in the Equality Act 2010 and therefore not being capable of being amended so to include bullying as would render the content false but that the Forum’s concerns could be incorporated into a separate paragraph, the Forum heard additionally from the Principal Solicitor, the Chief Officer – Regulatory and Regeneration and the People, Quality and Governance Lead in further explanation and in answer to Members’ questions. Thereafter, Councillor Bollan, seconded by Mr Halfpenny, moved:- We request the word ‘bullying’ is added to section 3.2 of the report moving forward, this would enforce what we are trying to achieve. The wording would become:- ‘Eliminating discrimination, harassment, victimisation and bullying’ As an amendment, Councillor McBride, seconded by Councillor McGinty, moved:- The JCF takes elimination of bullying as seriously as discrimination, harassment and victimisation. We request that the Chief Officer includes bullying statistics in future equality reports to JCF. On a vote being taken 4 Members voted for the amendment, namely Councillors Murray Conaghan, McBride, McGinty and Rooney, and 8 Members voted for the motion, namely Councillor Bollan, Mr Dolan, Mr Halfpenny, Mr Scott, Ms MacKenzie, Mr Davenport, Ms Shannon, Mr Smith, Mr King and Ms Wood. The motion was accordingly declared carried.
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TRADES UNION ISSUES ‘HSCP Redesign’ (item requested by Joint Trades Union) Mr Scott provided the undernoted statement in advance of the meeting in relation to the above issue. Lack of information (job profiles redesign) and request to show training records still not received. Lack consultation (medication policy). Has been discussed at all levels with management/JSF. Having heard Mr Scott, it was noted that the trades union and HSCP officers had discussed this matter outwith the Forum and that consequently it would not be raised at the present meeting. PROGRAMME OF FUTURE MEETINGS The Forum agreed the undernoted dates, times and venues for future meetings:- • Thursday, 14 December 2023 at 2.00 p.m. in the Council Chambers, Clydebank Town Hall. • Thursday, 14 March 2024 at 2.00 p.m. in the Civic Space, 16 Church Street, Dumbarton. • Thursday, 13 June 2024 at 2.00 p.m. in the Council Chambers, Clydebank Town Hall. • Thursday, 12 September 2024 at 2.00 p.m. in the Civic Space, 16 Church Street, Dumbarton. The meeting closed at 2.55 p.m.