Council Overview and Scrutiny meeting as it happened

Rochdale Council Overview and Scrutiny meeting 28 November

The senior management review is being discussed after recommendations are presented to them after the Employment Committee meeting this afternoon.

The committee agree that the pay rises should be based on a progressive scale.

The committee ask when this framework regarding the progressive scale will be ready.

Councillor Clegg states that some officers have been with the council and have not received any form of pay rise.

Councillor Greenall states that the council is looking to the senior management for stability and that the council has to recognise that.

Councillor Kelly wants this item thrown out as he believes that a decision can’t be made without the framework of a scale in place.

Councillor Clegg states that doing nothing would be as immoral as giving massive pay rises and says we can't do nothing.

Councillor Farnell says that if you think the public were outraged last time this hit, then wait until this news hits.

Councillor Farnell further states that the public will not accept huge pay raises when there are people suffering job loses and pay freezes.

It is revealed that currently, 80% of Council employees are paid less that £21,000 a year.

Councillor Farnell states that this is the wrong decision at the wrong time.

Councillor Farnell makes a recommendation that the council does not accept the decision of the Employment Committee and waits for a full scale be in place.

Six committee members agree with this recommendation and four support the original plan by the Employment Committee.

A further recommendation has been made that council does not accept the decision and takes into consideration no change. This will be noted for the council meeting on 11 December.

The Discretionary Crisis Fund update is next.

It is revealed that Rochdale Foodbank currently receives £500 a month from the fund.

65% of applications came from the Rochdale Township, 5% from the Pennine Township, 18% from the Middleton Township and 10% of applications from the Heywood Township.

Progress has been made with Heywood Foodbank in regards to the fund.

50.5% of applications are refused.

Councillor Linden pledges his support for the officers.

Capital Financial update.

There is an underspend of £2.1 million, which is the same as the last report.

Collection Fund update.

There is a forecast on business rates of £197,000, which is a downfall from the last report.

The business rate collection rate remains on target.

Revenue and Financial update.

There are reports of in year savings of £2.7 million.

Councillor Clegg says that this is really good financial management.

Care complaints.

212 complaints were made during the second quarter. This is an increase from 132 but it is reported that there is always an increase during this quarter.

206 complaints were resolved with customer satisfaction.

Social Care complaints.

There were four complaints within Adult Care during the second quarter.

Adult services received four times as many compliments than complaints.

Children’s services saw 15 new complaints at stage one and three at stage two.

Stage two complaints all have investigations ongoing.

Corporate Health Staffing Indications.

The report shows improved performance.

Meeting ended.