Agenda item

This Item is for Information.

The Committee/Commission considered a report (Agenda Item 4) concerning a policy and range of procedures drafted to improve the management of the Council’s transport arrangements. Members were informed that the Chief Executive had agreed the policy under the authority previously delegated to him but that Corporate board had requested that the Personnel Committee have the opportunity to comment on and note the documents. Mark Edwards explained that he had ownership of the document as he had overall responsibility for transport arrangements for the Council. The document had however been drafted in consultation with colleagues in HR and Assurance.

One of the main drivers for producing the documents was to assist with reducing the Council’s insurance policy. While the cost of the policy had increased significantly this year the rate of increase had been reduced as a consequence of the introduction of the policy and procedures. It was hoped that once the policy became further embedded there might be an opportunity to reduce the premiums in the future.

Mr Edwards explained that training measures would be put in place in order to reduce the number of incidents. As part of the training programme an assessment would be undertaken to establish which staff posed the greatest risk. The online training package including a self risk assessment tool which would evidence the level of training individual employees would require.

The Personnel Committee felt that it would be appropriate for the information required from Members to be collected annually by the Members Support officers and that copy of the documentation would be retained in the Policy and Communication unit alongside the other information pertaining to Members. Members would be advised of this requirement by the Head of Highways and Transport during the induction sessions run after the next election. Members requested that clarity be provided as to what would be considered as council business in respect of Members. This should be explained to Members as well as being articulated in the policy. Officers would also be notified of the policy as part of their induction process.

While it was hoped that the policies and procedures would be adopted by all the Council’s schools, in an effort to reduce their insurance premiums, Members were reminded that they were not obliged to adopt Council policies.

Members requested that a number of minor amendments be made to the documents as set out below:

·        Covering Report, paragraph 3.1 (7), remove the numerical value of the excess (to avoid the need to constantly update), and to ensure that it was clear that the excess would be passed onto the relevant service area;

·        Covering Report, paragraph 3.1 (2), clarify what ‘our drivers’ meant;

·        Fleet and Driver Risk Management Policy, paragraph 6.5 remove specific reference to excess amounts

·        Fleet and Driver Risk Management Policy, paragraph 7 (Roles and Responsibilities), needed to include a reference to Members, although it was noted that Members were referred to in paragraph 4.1.2 (Applicability);

·        Fleet and Driver Risk Management Policy, table item (6) the term ‘in vehicle technology’ to be clarified;

·        Fleet and Driver Risk Management Policy, paragraph number 9.2 to be removed as it was not required;

·        Work Related Road Safety Standard/ Procedure – Members queried why practices which were a legal requirement were included in the list of Corporate safe Driving Practices (e.g. wearing seatbelts). Officers explained that it was good industry practice t remind drivers of their legal responsibilities;

·         Work Related Road Safety Standard/ Procedure, paragraph 5.1, third bullet point – members were concerned about using the phrase ‘normal working day’. While they understood the reasons for its inclusion they felt that it could potentially be misused and they therefore asked that this section be more explicit;

·        All Documents the reference to Members be standardised as they were referred to in a number of ways throughout the document.

RESOLVED that the Transport/Fleet/ Driver Risk management Policy and Procedures be approved subject to the inclusion of the above minor amendments.