HR Strategy 2004 –2008

Adopted July 2004

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July 2004
 CONTENTS

Page
3 INTRODUCTION

4 KEY INFLUENCES & CHALLENGES

4 PROFILE OF WORKFORCE

5 OUR PEOPLE AIMS & OBJECTIVES

6 SCDC AS AN EMPLOYER

7 OBJECTIVES INTO ACTION

8 Appendix 1
Staffing levels at April 2004
Age profile at April 2004
Length of service at April 2004
Gender profile at April 2004
Grade Profile by Gender at April 2004
Part time/full time by gender at April 2004

11 Appendix 2 HR STRATEGY OBJECTIVES

Objective 1 To attract and retain the right people
Objective 2 To encourage staff development
Objective 3 To provide an environment to maximise performance
Objective 4 To influence and support organisational change
Objective 5 To deliver diversity

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July 2004
 INTRODUCTION
The purpose of this Strategy is to identify the key issues which need to be addressed
over the next four years to maximise the contributions of all our employees,
recognising that the Council will only achieve its aims and objectives if it has a
skilled, motivated, committed and well-managed workforce.

It is a changing time in local government and this Strategy gives details of our
approach to people management so that we meet current and future developments
and challenges at national, regional and local level.

This Strategy recognises that securing improvements to services is dependant on the

commitment of all staff and proposes a framework in which full advantage is taken of
the knowledge and expertise of all employees. It supports the Council’s Corporate
Strategy and helps deliver the aims and objectives in the Performance Plan and
Departmental business and service plans.

This Strategy will also provide the agenda to develop corporate and HR activities and
work programmes.

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July 2004
KEY INFLUENCES & CHALLENGES
There are many things that will influence the way we approach people management
over the coming years. The key influences are:-
• Community Leadership - the developing Local Strategic Partnership
• Best Value, the CPA and the drive for continuous improvement
• Financial pressures including the need to control the pay bill
• Equality of opportunity and the need to respond to our new statutory
obligations
• The growing emphasis on work-life balance
• More complex employment legislation and new legal requirements
emphasising individual rights
• The labour market which is increasingly tight with unemployment currently at
0.8% (as at April 2004)
• Recruitment and retention including staff motivation
• E-government and the impact on the way we work and the way we deliver
services

This is also set against a background of rising public expectations for more choice in
the way services are provided and higher quality. These expectations can only be
met if our structures, working practices and procedures promote flexibility and a clear
understanding about corporate requirements and priorities.

PROFILE OF THE WORKFORCE

SCDC employs 507 people on its Establishment.

An analysis of the workforce is attached as Appendix 1. The snap shot view shows
that there is a significant imbalance in the grade of male and female employees.
52% of the people working for the Council are women, yet of these, only 12.5% are
paid scp 31 (£27,750) or above, compared with 29% for men.

The Council, in common with other employers has an aging workforce; 61% of our
staff are over 40 years old. The long term staffing plan must address the fact that
almost 200 staff are over the age of 50.

More detailed analysis will be carried out as part of the Council’s requirement to
implement workforce planning. In advance of this, the issues identified in this profile
have informed the priorities and actions contained within this HR Strategy.

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July 2004
OUR PEOPLE AIMS & OBJECTIVES
To be effective, the HR Strategy needs to compliment the Council’s corporate
objectives and ways of working.

The Council’s corporate objectives are:

1. High quality, accessible, value for money services
2. Quality village life
3. A sustainable future for South Cambridgeshire
4. Partnership,

and the priorities identified for the next three years are:

Annual Priority In:

Priority 04/05 05/06 06/07

High Quality Accessible Services

1 ESD and customer service 

Quality Village Life

2 Affordable Homes 
3 Decent Homes
4 Reducing Fear and Crime
5 Facilities for Young People
6 Cleaner Villages

Sustainability
7 Sustainable development and quality of design at
Northstowe and edge of Cambridge Developments 
8 Addressing rural transport
9 Recycling and waste minimisation/management 

In 2003, we adopted six core values to which all of our staff and representatives are
expected to adhere. These are:-
1. Customer Service
2. Working together, teamwork and partnership
3. Using initiative and learning from our mistakes
4. Politeness and respect for others
5. Simple, clear ways of doing things
6. Doing what we say we will do

Drawing on these objectives, priorities and values, five ‘people’ objectives have been
developed which define SCDC as an employer.

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July 2004
SCDC AS AN EMPLOYER
The objectives of SCDC as an employer are:

1. To attract and retain the right people

We will aim to be an organisation that people are proud to work for through:-

• Offering flexible employment and reward packages for staff, acknowledging

market forces where appropriate
• Providing a challenging and exciting work environment
• Employing a diverse workforce, which brings the right skills and experience to
the organisation

2. To encourage staff development

We will develop the organisation through its people by:-

• Providing a corporate approach to learning and development

• Developing the skills of our managers to take the corporate and service
agendas forward
• Introducing a culture of shared learning across the Council
• Promoting and assisting career development and the concept of lifelong
learning

3. To create an environment to maximise performance

We will manage and motivate our staff through:-

• Providing a safe and healthy environment to work in

• Developing a performance culture
• Ensuring a range of up to date and user friendly people policies to assist
Managers’ manage their staff
• Providing opportunities for teamwork and partnership working

4. To influence and support organisational change

We will continually influence the success of the organisation by:-

• Encouraging employees to contribute to innovation and change within their

service
• Providing robust and supportive people policies to assist the change process
• Providing training and development programmes so staff can acquire new
skills
• Developing effective partnerships with the Unions, managers and employees

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July 2004
5. To deliver diversity
We will value and embrace the creativity and uniqueness of all our employees
through:-

• Ensuring the fair and consistent treatment of all our employees

• Developing policies to support a diverse workforce
• Monitoring workforce profiles and taking positive action to redress any
imbalance we find
Over the next four years South Cambridgeshire District Council intends to realise the
aims and objectives set out in this Strategy. Members and managers will be
responsible for ensuring that people management is incorporated into all aspects of
the Council’s business. Management Team is responsible for the delivery of this
Strategy, reporting to the Staffing and Resources Portfolio Holder. The Human
Resources Manager is responsible for the delivery of the annual action plan.

This is an evolving document and will be reviewed on an annual basis to ensure it is

meeting the purpose for which it was developed.

OBJECTIVES INTO ACTION

A four year action plan has been produced to assist the Council in meeting its people
management objectives (Appendix 2). This takes into account the Council’s
priorities, service plans, financial Strategy and capacity to deliver.

Any policies produced from this Strategy will be reviewed and evaluated following
implementation.

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July 2004
 Appendix 1

Staffing Levels at April 2004

300

250
Employees
Number of staff

200 FTE

150

100

50

0
Chief Finance and Housing and Development
Executive Resources Environmental Services
Services
Department

Age Profile At April 2004

140

120

100
Number of Staff

80

60

40

20

0
16-19 20-29 30-39 40-49 50-59 60-64
Age

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July 2004
 Length Of Service At April 2004

250

200

150
Number of staff

100

50

0
Under 1 Year 1-4 Years 5-9 Years 10-19 Years 20-29 Years 30-39 Years More Than 40
Years

Years served

Gender Profile at April 2004

Female (264) Male (243)

52% 48%

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July 2004
 Grade Profile by Gender at April 2004

180

160

140

120

100
Amount

80 Male
Female
60

40

20

0
Grade 0-10 Grade11- Grade 21- Grade 31- Grade 41- Grade 51- Grade 61-
20 30 40 50 60 70
Grade

Part Tim e/ Full Tim e By Gender At April 2004

250

200

150
Number of staff

Part Time
100 Full Time

50

0
Male Female
Gender

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July 2004
 Appendix 2
HR STRATEGY
OBJECTIVES

Objective 1 – To attract and retain the right people

Objective Action Timescale Performance Measure

To introduce a policy on market supplements 2004/2005

To review the flexitime and core hours system 2004/2005
To introduce a system for managing temporary
2004/2005
To offer flexible employment and reward agency staff
packages for staff, acknowledging market forces To benchmark salaries against the market 2005/2006
where appropriate
To review alternative working hour options e.g.
% requests granted for flexible
term time, annualised hours, compressed 2005/2006
working
hours
To develop a system of flexible benefits 2007/2008 Sx5 = % of staff leaving

To provide a challenging and exciting work To carry out an employee attitude survey 2004/2005 % completion rate for survey
environment To introduce resources for team building 2005/2006
To employ a diverse workforce which brings the To produce a workforce plan including a skills
2004/2005
right skills and experience to the organisation audit
To review the provision of the Recruitment £ per vacancy. Time taken to fill a
2004/2005
Agency service vacancy
To review the probationary policy and
2004/2005
procedure
To revise the CRB policy and procedure 2004/2005
To review existing retirement policies 2005/2006
To participate in the National Graduate 2006/2007
Development Programme
 To introduce measures for succession planning 2006/2007

HR STRATEGY
OBJECTIVES

Objective 2 – To encourage staff development

Objective Action Timescale Performance Measure

To introduce a corporate appraisal scheme 2004/2005 SX20 = % of appraisals completed

To provide a corporate approach to learning and To introduce competency frameworks including 2005/2006
development leadership and management competencies
To aim to be an IIP accredited organisation 2006/2007 To achieve IIP accreditation

To implement a programme of NVQ 2004/2005

Management Training
To develop the skills of our Managers to take To implement an in-house Management 2006/2007
forward the corporate and service agendas Development Programme
Through the Corporate Training Programme, to Ongoing
run refresher training for Managers
As part of the Management Development 2004/2005
Training, to establish Action Learning sets
To introduce a culture of shared learning across
the culture To introduce policies for mentoring and 2005/2006
coaching
To introduce a policy for secondments 2005/2006

To be achieved through other actions:

To promote and assist career development ad the • IIP
concept of lifelong learning • Succession planning
• Competency frameworks
• Appraisal scheme

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July 2004
 HR STRATEGY
OBJECTIVES

Objective 3 – To provide an environment to maximise performance

Objective Action Timescale Performance Measure

To develop and introduce a stress BV12: number of days lost through

2004/2005
management policy sickness

To contribute towards the development of a 2004/2005

To provide a safe and healthy environment to smoke free policy
work in
To review the working time policy 2004/2005

To implement the Data Protection code of 2004/2005

practice for medical records

To be achieved through other actions:

• Appraisal scheme and links with
corporate processes
To develop a performance culture • Management Development Training
• IIP
To revise the capability policy 2004/2005

To introduce a HR/Payroll system, including 2004/2005

To ensure the availability of up to date people
policies and procedures to support Managers
To provide opportunities for teamwork and
partnership working
improved management reports
To introduce a staff ‘handbook’ 2004/2005
To be achieved through other actions:
• Corporate Training Programme
• A Secondment Policy
• Action Learning Sets
• Team building resources

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July 2004
 HR STRATEGY
OBJECTIVES

Objective 4 – To influence and support organisational change

Objective Action Timescale Performance Measure

To encourage employees to contribute to

To carry out the employee attitude survey 2004/2005 % response rate to survey
innovation and change within their service

To provide robust and supportive people policies

To revise the redundancy policy 2005/2006
to assist the change process

Through the Corporate Training Programme to % of staff attending in-house

To provide training and development programmes
train all staff on the corporate skills on a rolling On going training
so staff can acquire new skills
basis % of paybill on training

To establish a staff consultative forum 2005/2006

To develop effective partnerships with the Unions,
Managers and employees
To set up a partnership arrangement with
2005/2006
recognised unions

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July 2004
 HR STRATEGY

OBJECTIVES

Objective 5 – To deliver diversity

Objective Action Timescale Performance Measure

To complete the Single Status Review 2004/2005

To ensure the fair and consistent treatment of all
our employees
To develop an Action Plan to implement the To achieve level 1 of the Equality
2005/2006
Race Equality Scheme Standard

% of women in senior management

To review the job share policy 2004/2005
positions

To develop policies to support a diverse workforce To review the Bullying and Harassment Policy 2004/2005

To introduce a career break scheme 2005/2006

To monitor workforce profiles and take positive To introduce an HR/Payroll system including % of disabled staff
2004/2005
action to redress any imbalance improved management reporting % of staff from ethnic minorities

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July 2004