To consider the Service Plan for Health and Safety Regulation 2016/17. (TO FOLLOW).
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Minutes:
Pursuant to Minute No. 16/9, the Committee considered a report by the Commercial Team Leader (a copy of which is appended in the Minute Book) to which was attached a draft Service Plan for Health and Safety Regulation for 2016/17. Members were reminded that consideration of the Plan had been deferred from the Committee’s last meeting to enable Officers to address Member’s concerns regarding the activities of the Commercial Team, given the estimated reduction in the number of inspections and interventions for 2016/17.
By way of introduction, the Commercial Team Leader explained that the Service Plan had been updated since the Panel’s last meeting to include a Plan of Work for 2016/17. Specific details of which were set out in Section 5.4 of the Plan. Members were advised that this work would be guided by the content of Local Authority Circular 67/2 (rev5), the National Local Authority Enforcement Code and the HSE’s Help GB Work Well Strategy. It would also align with the priorities identified within the Council’s Corporate Plan.
In welcoming the improvements that had been made since the last meeting, the Committee agreed that the Service Plan for future years should include more specific details within Section 5.4 of the activities that the authority would be undertaking during the course of that year. Having noted that some of the work would have commenced by the date of the Committee’s next meeting in November, it was agreed that further details would be presented to the Committee at this time.
With reference to the preparation of future Service Plans, the Committee suggested that discussions should start at an earlier stage for the 2017/18 year. Members also commented on the references within the Plan to the impact of large-scale events such as the Secret Garden Party and suggested that it would be useful to quantify the significant staff resources that were required during the planning and operational phases within the Plan for future years.
In response to a specific question as to the resource implications and benefits of signing up to the Enforcement Concordat, the Committee were advised that the Concordat was essentially a good practice guide and should the Council not observe its principles, it would be difficult to defend the Council’s actions within a Court of law or tribunal situation.
With regards to the resources available to support the delivery of the Plan, Members questioned whether the staffing levels within the Commercial Team were sufficiently robust to cover any unforeseen or unexpected eventualities. Officers explained that the draft Plan had been adjusted to reflect the resources that were currently available and should any unforeseen incident occur, approval could be sought to bring in temporary resources to the team. In terms of the ongoing vacancy within the Commercial Team, Members were advised that a re-structure of the Community Division was currently being undertaken, which should enable a decision to be taken with regard to this post in the early Autumn.
Members also emphasised a role for the Executive Member to ensure that resources were allocated effectively and operating efficiently within the Service. In response to which, the Chairman explained that he and the Vice-Chairman would be meeting with the Executive Councillor for Community Resilience shortly and could pose these questions to him at that time.
To enable the Committee to obtain a better understanding of the workload and activities undertaken by the Commercial Team, the Commercial Team Leader extended an invitation to all Committee Members to join the Team on any routine visits to business premises. Those who were interested in doing so were asked to contact the Commercial Team Leader directly.
Whereupon and on the understanding that further information would be presented to their next meeting on the Plan of Work for 2016/17, it was
RESOLVED
that the Service Plan for Health and Safety Regulation for 2016-17 as appended to the report now submitted be approved.
(At 14.05pm, Councillors J E Corley and Mrs J Tavener took their seats at the meeting during the discussion on this item).
Supporting documents: