Issue - meetings

Report of the Corporate Director of Community

The Forum received a report of the Corporate Director of Community, which summarised the Council’s health and safety performance for the year 1 April 2017 to 31 March 2018.  The report gave an overview of health and safety for 2017-18 financial year, as well as the last six months’ actions. An officer introduced the report and highlighted paragraphs 2.1 – 2.5, including appendix 1, details of which were set out in the report.

The Corporate Health and Safety had gone through a refresh programme and a Corporate Health and Safety Action Plan had been put in place setting out the short, medium and long term plans.  This had been signed off in July 2018 by the Governance, Audit, Risk Management and Standards Committee.

In January 2018, the first Corporate Health and Safety Board was held and chaired by the Corporate Director of Community.  A clear steer started to be given to move it forward in partnership with the Unions.

To support the Council’s work and commitment to Health and Safety, funding was secured for a Corporate Health and Safety Manager position on a temporary basis (6-9 months).  This position, which was expected to be in place in the New Year, would help take forward the Corporate Health and Safety Action Plan.  

The report also set out the key current issues being the redevelopment of the depot site, DNP tabled storage (from the recent manslaughter case), putting in place safe operating procedures and a recent housing reception incident.

An officer responded to various questions, as follows:

-               the flu vaccination voucher scheme offered to staff in 2014 had continued to be offered to vulnerable members of staff to help maintain staffing levels, however, he would clarify the position with Occupational Health who oversaw the scheme and inform the Member accordingly;

-               it was intended to expand on the London Healthy Workplace Charter in Harrow once the basics were in place.  The Council had been awarded the first stage of the London Healthy Workplace Charter in 2014, showing commitment in key areas, such as: corporate support, attendance management, physical activity and mental health and well-being;

-               work with Occupational Health would continue in order to identify absence/days lost and associated costs.  It would help identify trend and whether the Council was improving;

-               in relation to the comment that the report did not reflect the reality of incidents, the officer stated that the report provided an overview of incidents but that it would be possible to drill down further in order to identify individuals, particularly in relation to the comment about physical assaults.

Both the Council side and Employees’ side  representatives made the following comments:

-               the need to protect staff within the building as there appeared to be easy access into the building;

-               the need to ensure that those working at the Reception Desk, including security staff, were safe from attack.  Additionally, there was no form of protection for staff working at the Reception Desk and that a glass screen  ...  view the full minutes text for item 9

Report of the Corporate Director of Community.