Agenda and minutes

The Committee is asked to approve as a correct record the minutes of the meeting held on 10 June 2024.

The minutes of the meeting held on 10 June 2024 were approved as an accurate record with no matters arising, with the addition of the listed attendees.

Report of Service Director of Human Resources and Workforce Development

The Committee received a performance report of Gateshead Council’s Health and Safety Performance. This included a review of incidents from 2023/24, sickness absence data, and health and safety training.

The Committee discussed the numbers and system of voluntary first aiders and requested further information about the health and safety training offered to managers. The Committee expressed particular concern about the increase in injuries of staff in schools and discussed a planned campaign in schools on violence at work.

RESOLVED

1. Further information will be given to the Committee about manager engagement with health and safety training.
2. The Committee noted the contents of the report.

Report of Resiliance Planning Manager

Corporate Resources Overview and Scrutiny Committee receive annual updates on the Council’s Resilience and Emergency Planning activities. This report provided a summary from the date of the last report in June 2023 through to the current date.

Following a restructure within the Council’s Public Health Service, a Head of Service position was created to oversee the Community Safety and Resilience and Emergency Planning functions, which led to other staffing changes within the service.

The report also had updates on the emergency response team’s activity and multi-agency preparedness.

The Committee discussed long term flood planning, where this sits within the Council and public information on flood preparation.

RESOLVED

i.              The Committee noted the contents of the report and were notified of reports on flood planning that have been presented to other Overview and Scrutiny Committees.

Report of Democratic Services

The Committee were presented with a report for the 2024-25 work programme. The list of agenda items for the municipal year was listed in Appendix 1.

The Committee queried an expected item on Gateshead’s Old Town Hall, which will be going to Corporate Advisory Group.

RESOLVED

i.              That the Committee commented and noted the 2024-25 work programme.