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Lewes and Eastbourne
Councils

Agenda and minutes

Venue: Ditchling and Telscombe Rooms, Southover House, Southover Road, Lewes, East Sussex, BN7 1AB.

Contact: Committee Services on 01273 471600. 

Note: This meeting is a public meeting. The number of public seats, however, are limited and need to be carefully managed to ensure that the meeting is Covid-secure. For this reason, we would like to ask that anyone intending to attend as a member of the public, contacts the Democratic Services team in advance by email: committees@lewes-eastbourne.gov.uk. Anyone attending the meeting will be requested to check in at the venue and to wear a face covering for the duration of the meeting and while in the building, unless you have a medical exemption. 

Items
No. Item

1.

Election of Chair

To elect a Chair of the Joint Staff Advisory Committee for the remainder of the 2021/2022 municipal year.

 

The Chair will be appointed at the first meeting of each municipal year. It will be normal practice for the chairmanship of the Committee to rotate between authorities and a staff representative (e.g. year 1 - Eastbourne Borough Councillor, year 2 - Lewes District Councillor, year 3 - staff representative).

Minutes:

Resolved:

 

That Councillor Chris Collier be elected as Chair of the Joint Staff Advisory Committee for the remainder of the 2021/22 municipal year.

 

2.

Election of Vice-Chair

To elect a Vice-Chair of the Joint Staff Advisory Committee for the remainder of the 2021/2022 municipal year.

 

A Vice-Chair will be appointed at the first meeting of each municipal year from any constituent group.

Minutes:

Resolved:

 

That Councillor Stephen Holt be elected as Vice-Chair of the Joint Staff Advisory Committee for the remainder of the 2021/22 municipal year.

 

3.

Minutes pdf icon PDF 156 KB

To confirm and sign the minutes of the previous meeting held remotely (via Microsoft Teams) on Wednesday, 3 March 2021 (attached herewith).

Minutes:

The minutes of the meeting held remotely (via Microsoft Teams) on 3 March 2021 were submitted and approved, and the Chair was authorised to sign them as a correct record.

4.

Apologies for absence/Declaration of substitute members

Minutes:

Apologies for absence were received from the Councils’ Chief Executive Officer, Rob Cottrill, Head of Human Resources, Helen Knight, Eastbourne Borough Councillor Jane Lamb and Lewes District Councillor James MacCleary.

5.

Declarations of interest

Disclosure by councillors of personal interests in matters on the agenda, the nature of any interest and whether the councillor regards the interest as prejudicial under the terms of the Code of Conduct.

Minutes:

There were none.

6.

Urgent items

Items not on the agenda which the Chair of the meeting is of the opinion should be considered as a matter of urgency by reason of special circumstances as defined in Section 100B(4)(b) of the Local Government Act 1972.

Minutes:

There were none.

7.

ICT developments

Verbal update by Head of ICT

Minutes:

The Committee received a verbal update regarding the Councils’ ICT developments.

 

The Head of ICT highlighted ongoing work and progress in respect of Microsoft Office 365, telephony, meeting hybrid technology and team productivity. He further highlighted upcoming projects including a new staff desk booking system, new internal communications hub and the Councils’ new website.

 

The Committee discussed the internet communications tools Yammer and Zoom.

 

The Committee thanked the Head of ICT for his team’s work on making Zoom available to the Councils, as it provided greater communications flexibility with other organisations.

 

Resolved: That the verbal update be noted.

8.

Exclusion of the public and press

To consider, under Section 100(A) of the Local Government Act 1972 (as amended), excluding the public and press from the meeting during the discussion of Items 9, 10, 11 and 12 on this agenda as there are likely to be disclosures of exempt information as defined in paragraphs 1, 2 and 4 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Act.

 

Minutes:

Resolved:

 

That, in accordance with Section 100(A)(4) of the Local Government Act 1972 (as amended), the public and press be excluded from the meeting during the discussion of items 9, 10, 11, and 12 on the agenda as there was likely to be disclosures of exempt information as defined in paragraphs 1, 2 and 4 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Act.

9.

2nd Quarter 2021/22 Accident report

Presentation by the Specialist Advisor - Health and Safety

Minutes:

The Committee received a presentation in respect of key aspects of health and safety matters across both authorities.

 

Resolved: That the presentation be noted.

10.

Sickness Absence Quarter 2 2021/22

Report of Head of Human Resources

Minutes:

The Committee received the Officer’s report which provided an update regarding the Council’s sickness figures for the period Quarter 2 (1 July to 30 September 2021) and outlined the way in which the figures were presented for both Lewes District Council and Eastbourne Borough Council.

 

Resolved:

 

That the Quarter 2 (1 July to 30 September 2021) sickness figures and the way in which the figures were presented for both Lewes District Council and Eastbourne Borough Council, be noted.

11.

Consideration of matters raised by the employees' side

To consider any matters raised by the employees' side in respect of the items on this agenda.

Minutes:

There were no additional matters raised by the employees’ side over and above those which had been recorded in the minutes of the meeting.

12.

Consideration of health and safety matters raised by the employees' side

To consider any matters raised by the employees' side in respect of health and safety.

Minutes:

There were no additional health and safety matters raised by the employees’ side over and above those which had been recorded in the minutes of the meeting.

13.

Date of next meeting

To note that the next meeting of the Joint Staff Advisory Committee is scheduled to commence at 2:30pm on Wednesday, 2 March 2022, in the Court Room, Eastbourne Town Hall, Grove Road, Eastbourne, East Sussex, BN21 4UG.

Minutes:

That it be noted that the next meeting of the Joint Staff Advisory Committee was scheduled to commence at 2:30pm on Wednesday, 2 March 2022, in the Court Room, Eastbourne Town Hall, Grove Road, Eastbourne, East Sussex, BN21 4UG.