Agenda and minutes

Venue: Hendon Town Hall, The Burroughs, London NW4 4BG

Contact: Maria Lugangira 020 83592761 Email: maria.lugangira@barnet.gov.uk  Public Questions and Comments must be submitted by 10am on the third working day before the meeting. The deadline for this meeting is 10am on Wednesday 15 March 2017.

Items
No. Item

1.

Minutes pdf icon PDF 87 KB

Minutes:

RESOLVED that the minutes of the meeting held on 6th December 2016 be approved as a correct record.

 

2.

Absence of Members

Minutes:

None.

 

3.

Disclosable Pecuniary interests and Non Pecuniary interests

Minutes:

 

The following interest was declared at the meeting:

 

Councillor

Agenda Item(s)

Interests declared

Ammar Naqvi

7

Non-pecuniary interest by virtue of being a co-opted Governor at Barnfield School.

 

 

 

4.

Report of the Monitoring Officer (if any)

Minutes:

None.

5.

Public Question and Comments (if any)

Minutes:

Mrs Kate Salinger addressed the Committee and made a public comment in relation to agenda item 7 Annual Review of Polling Districts and Polling Places.

 

6.

Members Item (if any)

Minutes:

There were none.

7.

Annual Interim Review of Polling Districts and Polling Places pdf icon PDF 276 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Chief Executive (Returning Officer) presented the report on behalf of the Chief Executive (Returning Officer) which sought the committees approval on the arrangements being proposed by the London Borough of Barnet’s Returning Officer for polling districts and polling places (including proposed changes to five current polling places) to be used at all relevant future elections and referendums that take place within the borough.

 

Following discussion, the following motions were seconded, put to the vote and agreed:

 

a.         To refuse the proposed change within Coppetts Ward (CDB and CDD polling districts); being a proposal to combine polling districts CDB and CDD (by removing the current boundary between them) and place the polling place at St John’s Parish Centre, Friern Barnet Road, N11 3EQ

 

b.         To refuse the proposed change within Totteridge Ward (CFA polling district); being a proposal to locate the Polling Place for CFA at Totteridge and Millhillians Cricket Club for future elections.

 

c.         To agree the remaining proposed changes to polling place arrangements as set out in Appendix A, B and C.

 

RESOLVED that the General Functions Committee:

 

1.            approve the polling place arrangements as proposed by the Returning Officer set out in Appendix A, B and C to the committee report subject to the following exceptions:

 

a.         To refuse the proposed change within Coppetts Ward (CDB and CDD polling districts); being a proposal to combine polling districts CDB and CDD (by removing the current boundary between them) and place the polling place at St John’s Parish Centre, Friern Barnet Road, N11 3EQ

 

b.         To refuse the proposed change within Totteridge Ward (CFA polling district); being a proposal to locate the Polling Place for CFA at Totteridge and Millhillians Cricket Club for future elections.

 

c.         To agree the remaining proposed changes to polling place arrangements as set out in Appendix A, B and C.

 

8.

Annual Electoral Registration Report 2016 pdf icon PDF 238 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Chief Executive (Returning Officer) presented the report which provided the Committee with an overview on the status of the Register of Electors in Barnet as at 1 December 2016 and on the work done by officers on behalf of the Council’s Electoral Registration Officer.

 

He explained that the annual report on the Electoral Register has been produced in accordance with the accepted recommendations of the ‘Review of the London Borough of Barnet’s Registration and Elections Services’ as undertaken by Dr Dave Smith and reported to the Council’s General Functions Committee in November 2016.

 

The Head of Electoral Services highlighted the key activities undertaken by the Electoral Registration Team in 2016 – specifically activity in relation to maintenance of the register of electors and the timings of a number of these activities during 2016.

 

He informed the Committee that the key priority for this year would be  the implementation of the improvement recommendations resulting from the recent independent ‘Smith’ review. He explained that this work was already underway and would continue to progress throughout the coming year and into the run up to the Local Government elections scheduled for 3 May 2018. He confirmed that additional reports on the progress of the implementation of the improvement recommendations would be provided to future meetings of General Functions Committee. 

 

The Committee welcomed the detailed report.

 

RESOLVED - That the General Functions Committee considered and commented on this first annual Electoral Registration report.

9.

Creation of Assistant Director post, Adults & Health Joint Commissioning Unit pdf icon PDF 261 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Commissioning Director for Adults and Health introduced the report which sought approval to proceed with the creation of an Assistant Director post in the Adults Joint Commissioning Unit. She explained to the Committee that this has arisen following on from a formal staff consultation and subsequent restructure of the Adults Joint Commissioning Unit – the restructure affected fewer than 20 staff.

 

Having considered the report, the Committee RESOLVED to approve;

 

1.            The creation of an Assistant Director post in the Adults Joint Commissioning Unit, as set out in this report.

2.            The advertising of, and recruitment to, the Assistant Director post.

10.

Pay Policy Statement pdf icon PDF 232 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Strategic HR Director presented the report which asked the Committee to review the Council’s Pay Policy Statement for the financial year 2017/18 and to recommend it for approval by Full Council on 4th April 2017.

 

With regards to the Barnet Living Wage he confirmed that for 2017/18 there no employees paid below the Barnet Living wage rate.

 

Having considered the report, the Committee RESOLVED;

 

1.            That the General Functions Committee agrees the Council’s Pay Policy Statement for the financial year 2017/18 and recommends it for approval by Council on 4th April 2017.

 

11.

Senior Management Pay Review pdf icon PDF 242 KB

Minutes:

The Chief Executive and Head of Paid Service introduced the report which sought the Committee’s approval to formally authorise a review the senior management salary structure and reporting lines. He confirmed that consultation with staff had been undertaken through which included individual meetings with those directly affected. He further confirmed that consultation would continue with affected individuals while the restructure was implemented. 

 

Having considered the report, the Committee RESOLVED;

 

1.    That a review of the Senior Management pay Structure is undertaken and a report of the results be brought back to a future meeting of this Committee.

 

12.

Senior Management Children and Family Services Restructure pdf icon PDF 265 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Commissioning Director (Children & Families) introduced the report with sought approval the Committee to (i) proceed with the proposed restructure of the Senior Management Children & Family Services and (ii) implement the pay and grading of the amended positions, in line with the Council’s existing senior management pay scales.

 

In line with the Committee’s terms of reference the Chairman, duly seconded moved the additional recommendation.

 

That the Committee approve the salary set out in paragraph 6.4 for the new posts created in the proposed structure.

 

On being put to the vote the recommendation was carried

 

Having considered the report, the Committee RESOLVED to;

 

1.    The deletion of 6 posts from the Council’s establishment, the creation of 3 posts, re-grading of 2 posts and the realignment of the senior management structure as set out in Section 6 of this report.

 

2.    Agree to implement a restructure in accordance with the ‘Proposed Structure’ chart at Appendix A of this report together with the relevant recruitment to vacant posts.  The list of posts on the establishment at this level will be as set out on that chart.   The restructure will have a phased implementation from 1st April 2017. 

 

3.    That the Committee approve the salary set out in paragraph 6.4 for the new posts created in the proposed structure.

 

13.

Bi-Annual Health and Safety Report pdf icon PDF 247 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Head of Health, Safety and Wellbeing (Commissioning Group) presented the report which provided information on Barnet Council’s health and safety performance for the period 1st April to 30th September 2016. The report detailed information for corporate performance as well as for individual Delivery Units. It further detailed the statistical information and commentary for the first 6 months of 2016/17, and included:

·         Accidents and Incident statistics

·         Audit results

·         Health and Safety Training undertaken

The Head of Health, Safety and Wellbeing summarised the planned audits and work undertaken in the quarter improved with the focus on inspection of construction sites. In addition to these, 5 audits were undertaken over this period within the Family Services and Streetscene Delivery Units as well as in 2 schools.

 

With regards to training he confirmed that298 training modules had been completed within these 2 quarters, with DSE, fire safety and manual handling modules have the biggest uptake.

 

Having considered the report the Committee resolved to note the report.

 

14.

Approval of premises for Weddings and Civil Partnership Registrations: Clayton Crowne Hotel (previously Crowne Moran Hotel) 142-152 Cricklewood Broadway, Cricklewood, NW2 3ED pdf icon PDF 262 KB

Minutes:

The Committee received a report in the name of the Proper Officer for Registration. The report sought determination on an application received from The Clayton Crowne Hotel to have their approval renewed as a venue for marriages and civil partnership registrations in pursuance of Section 46A of the marriage Act 1949 and the Marriages and Civil Partnerships (Approved Premises) Regulations 2005 and in pursuance of Section 6 (3A) (a) the Civil Partnership Act 2004. The renewal would be for a further period of three years.

 

Having considered the report the Committee resolved;

 

1.    That the General Functions Committee approve the application received from The Clayton Crowne Hotel to renew approval for the solemnisation of civil marriages and civil partnerships for a further period of three years from the date of expiry of the most recent approval.

 

15.

Nomination of Local Authority Representatives on School Governing Bodies pdf icon PDF 255 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The committee received a report in the name of the Head of Governance. The report asked the Committee to nominate representatives to local authority governor vacancies on the school governing bodies listed in Appendix A to the report.

 

Nominations were circulated in respect of 13 schools. The nominations were uncontested.

 

The Committee RESOLVED;

 

1.             That the following representative be nominated to vacancies on school governing bodies

 

School Governing Body

Representative

Childs Hill – NW2 1SL

Nicholas Sowemimo

Christ Church CE – EN5 4NS

Duncan Macdonald

Livingstone School – EN4 9BU

Joanna Bown

Mathilda Marks Kennedy – NW7 3RT

Mrs Deborah Cohen

St Pauls Primary School  CE – NW7 1QU

Lisa Mazzucoelli

Woodridge  - N12 7HE

Keith Hill

 

 

 

2.         Nominations to the following school governing bodies be deferred.

 

School Governing Body

Dollis Junior School – NW7 3ED

Holly Trinity School CE – NW2 8GA

Sunnyfields School – NW4 4JH

Woodcroft School – HA8 0QF

Bishop Douglass – N2 0SQ

St Michaels Catholic Grammar – N12 7NJ

Barnfield  School – HA8 0DA

 

16.

General Functions Committee Work Programme pdf icon PDF 221 KB

Minutes:

The Committee reviewed and noted the work programme for March 2017 – June 2017

 

 

17.

Any item(s) that he Chairman decides is urgent

Minutes:

There were none.