Issue - meetings

The Human Resources and Organisational Development Manager introduced the report and thanked Councillor Connolly for all her comments. He said that the council had been amenable to all of the proposed changes, except for the implied contract which was due to employment legislation. 

The Human Resources and Organisational Development Manager said that BEAM now had approximately 80 volunteers. Noting that as the facility was in its infancy the policy would be revisited in the future.

The Unison Representative said that the union had been working in close collaboration with Human Resources on the policy, and that additional pointers had been identified. She confirmed that the policy had been taken to the Local Joint Panel for agreement before referral to the Human Resources Committee.     

The Chair thanked the Human Resources and Organisational Development Manager and the Unison Representative for the background on the policy.

Councillor Connolly welcomed the revised policy and thanked officers for their great piece of work, which she felt was now ready to go. She said that she thought there were still tensions in the policy around an implied employment status.

The Human Resources and Organisational Development Manager said a lot of work had been undertaken, and the tensions would never be completely resolved. He said that volunteering was an interesting space, with interest being taken to see if new government labour laws would touch on such agreements.  

Councillor Hollebon congratulated officers for the work which had gone into the policy and proposed that the Committee review the document annually.

It was moved by Councillor Hollebon and seconded by Councillor Deffley, that an additional recommendation, as detailed, be added and approved. After being put to the meeting and a vote taken, this motion was declared CARRIED.

RESOLVED – that the BEAM Volunteering Policy be annually reviewed by the Human Resources Committee.

It was moved by Councillor Connolly and seconded by Councillor Hollebon, that the amended recommendations, as detailed, be approved. After being put to the meeting and a vote taken, this motion was declared CARRIED.

RESOLVED – that (A) the amendments to the BEAM Volunteering Policy be approved; and

(B)   the BEAM Volunteering Policy be annually reviewed by the Human Resources Committee.