Issue - meetings

(a)  To consider a report by the Overview and Scrutiny Panel (Service Delivery and Resources) regarding their deliberations on the proposed Recruitment and Retention Strategy for the Customer First Contact Centre.

(b)  To consider a report by the Director of Operational Services presenting a proposed Recruitment and Retention Strategy for the Customer First Contact Centre.

[The comments from the meeting of the Employment Panel held on 24^th May 2004 will be reported at the Cabinet meeting].

Subject to the amendment of the covering report  to reflect the employment of 12 contact centre agents whose positions will in the first instance be advertised internally and having accepted the recommendations of the Overview and Scrutiny Panel (Service Delivery and Resources) concerning the use of the term “Call Centre”, the Cabinet has approved the Customer First Recruitment and Retention Strategy.

The Cabinet has also approved the release from the existing MTP of £155,000 in 2004/05 and £297,000 from 2005/06 onwards to enable the appointment to the posts referred to in paragraph 3.2 of the report.

By way of reports by the Director of Operational Services and of the proceedings of the meeting of the Overview and Scrutiny Panel (Service Delivery and Resources) held on 04/05/04 (copies of which are appended in the Minute Book), the Cabinet considered a proposed Recruitment and Retention Strategy for the Customer First Contact Centre.

Having been acquainted with the deliberations of the Overview and Scrutiny Panel, the Cabinet agreed that the term “call centre” should in future be used to refer to the facility. Following an amendment to the covering report to reflect the need to establish 12 Call Centre Agent posts initially, which at the request of ELAG representatives would be advertised internally in the first instance, the Cabinet

RESOLVED

(a)  that the Recruitment and Retention Strategy as appended to the report now submitted be approved; and

(b)  that the release of £155,000 from the MTP in 2004/05 be approved together with £297,000 in 2005/06 onwards to enable appointments to be made to the posts referred to in paragraph 3.2 of the report now submitted