Human Resources Business Strategy
London Borough of Barnet
Resources
March 2006
Contents
1. Purpose of this Document
2. Vision
3. The Council’s Approach to Preparing this Strategy
4. Overview
5. Strategic Principles
6. A Look Ahead to the Second-Level Strategies
7. Delivering this Strategy
1.
Purpose of this Document
1.1
The work of the London Borough of Barnet is governed by an overarching strategic
framework:
1.2

The Community Plan contains a long-term set of objectives for the whole borough
and describes how the organisation works with key local partner organisations to
improve Barnet as a place to live and work.

The Corporate Plan describes the organisation’s medium-term priorities and how they
will be delivered, including the sixth priority of “a better council for a better Barnet”.
The council must continuously improve how it works and the resources it works with,
to deliver its five key priorities and to meet its aim of being a rated an ‘excellent’
local authority by the Comprehensive Performance Assessment (CPA). It includes the
council’s commitment to “develop our staff and become an employer of choice.”

To achieve this ‘sixth priority’, the council intends to implement the Organisational
Strategy, which will guide the practical approach of the organisation.
This Human Resources Business Strategy is one of the principal strategies, along with
Information Systems and Accommodation that lie ‘under’ the Organisational Strategy. It
will be taken forward each year in the corporate services Key Priority Plan. The
preparation of this document has been guided by the Organisational Strategy and the
council’s vision for itself:
“A smaller entity with a smaller, but more efficient, corporate support function
and a greater concentration of resources on outcomes”
2.
Vision
2.1
The successful delivery of any strategy depends on the participation, commitment and
innovation of the people involved. So to meet the council’s increasing challenges, it must
implement a human resources strategy that motivates all employees to sustain excellent
customer service, always to focus on outcomes that improve the lives of residents, and
to do this in the most efficient way possible.
3.
The Council’s Approach to Preparing this Strategy
3.1
The Human Resources Business Strategy has been developed by concentrating on the
council’s strategic thinking about its vision and how it will affect its most valuable
resource, its staff.
3.2
The starting point has been the council’s vision of itself which has led to the analysis of
‘where it is now’ and ‘where it wants to be’ but taking the wider ‘environment’ into
consideration.
3.3
More detailed special projects, new human resources policies and other initiatives
involving strategic planning will flow out of this strategy. This Human Resources
Business Strategy shows how the organisation as a whole, and each service area, will
maximise the contribution of the council’s staff to delivering services and achieving the
Corporate Plan priorities.
3.4
The council’s greatest asset is its people - approximately three-quarters of the council’s
budget goes towards staff. For employee contribution to realise its full potential,
managers and staff will have to embrace change and more flexible and efficient ways of
working.
4.
Overview
4.1
The Human Resources Business Strategy is a five year strategy. There are three levels
of documents:

This first-level document summarises Barnet’s approach to strategic human
resources issues and the organisation’s goals for its people. It will define the key
principles that are expected to be unchanging over the next five years.

A series of three second-level supporting strategies look at objectives in key areas of
human resources policy. These will broadly be fixed, but could be adapted if
circumstances change – as they will be ‘living’ documents. They address in detail the
drivers of change and discuss aspects of Barnet’s human resources practice that will
have to identify change. The three second-level strategies are:
1. Workforce Development Business Strategy
2. Talent Management Business Strategy
3. Improving the Health & Safety Culture Business Strategy.

At the third level, the policies and standards support these higher level strategies,
providing guidance for their practical implementation. In some cases these reflect
Barnet’s individual approach, some are based on national agreements covering the
entire local government sector, while others (such as health and safety policies) are
derived predominantly from statutory legislation, guidance and codes of practice. The
third-level of documents will be reviewed regularly and will provide the detail
underlying the council’s human resources agenda.
4.2
By linking this architecture, the organisation will ensure that sound principles are
underpinned by fit-for-purpose, specific standards, policies and strategic plans.
5.
Strategic Principles
5.1
The various second-level strategies discuss, in detail, the major issues and changes that
the council will have to implement in its human resources policies over the next five
years. But some key, overarching principles will apply in all circumstances.
5.2
Barnet will strive always to develop its people, recognising and responding to the diverse
needs of its staff and to become recognised as an employer of choice. It will actively
promote itself as a good practice employer.
5.3
The council will strive always to create and sustain a healthy and safe working
environment, free from harassment and discrimination, treating all staff with dignity and
respect
5.4

All human resources policies, procedures, terms, conditions and benefits will be
universal and consistent standards will apply to all Barnet’s employees at every level
of service and across the entire organisation.

The council is committed to reaching the highest level of the Equalities Standard for
Local Government within the five-year timeframe of this strategy.
Where possible, the council will seek to maximise the employment opportunities for local
people, although it will not actively discriminate against anyone from outside Barnet to
achieve this.
5.5
The council is one organisation and there will be one set of human resources policies
that will apply to all service areas.
5.6
The Resources Department will work in partnership with service areas to implement this
strategy and to assist them with their human resources needs, such as recruitment,
performance management and staff development.
5.7
All Barnet’s human resources policies will be targeted towards improving the economy,
efficiency and effectiveness with which the council delivers services and leads the local
community. The principles of achieving best value and effectively using resources will
guide the development of human resource policies.

The council will seek with an open mind the most effective solution to the delivery of
services, but with no predisposition as to maintaining the delivery of any given service
either in-house or being outsourced.

One of its corporate values is to offer choice in production - the council will not do
what can best be done elsewhere.

New employment structures which might arise, such as the outsourcing of staff, the
transfer of staff to new organisations or to joint employment with its strategic partners,
or the creation of trading units, will be judged on a case-by-case basis based the
ability to best serve the needs of the local community.
5.8
A key objective of Barnet’s approach to human resources will be to create a more flexible
workforce, performing more fluid roles and adapting to changing circumstances.
5.9
It is recognised that managers and staff will need to be actively engaged to ensure that
they understand the changes and can adapt to the changing environment. The advice
and assistance of the trade unions will be sought to achieve the aims of the strategy and
to ensure that Barnet follows best practice in terms of consultation.
5.10 The council will make a commitment to developing all its staff, but equally all staff will be
required to meet their objectives and achieve outcomes that improve the service
received by the borough’s residents.

The council will maintain its independently conducted annual survey of staff and
continue to try and understand their evolving views on the council’s effectiveness in
general, and its success in making itself a desirable place to work.
5.11
This Human Resources Business Strategy will be continuously monitored and evaluated
for timeliness and relevance. The council will produce an annual update on the state of
its human resources initiatives.
6.
A Look Ahead to the Second-Level Strategies
6.1
The areas of human resources addressed in the Workforce Development Business
Strategy are:



6.2
Performance Management and Development;
The flexibility of working practices and the Organisation of Work;
Human Resources Planning and Workforce Development.
The areas of human resources addressed in the Talent Management Business Strategy
are:




Recruitment and Selection;
Pay, Benefits and Rewards;
Career Development;
Learning and Development.
6.3
Health and safety are considered in the Improving the Health & Safety Culture Business
Strategy and the many specific health and safety policies and procedures drafted by the
council.
6.4
Managers, staff and the trade unions will be actively consulted on the second- level
strategies as they are developed. To meet the strategic principles the whole organisation
has to have ownership of the strategy.
7.
Delivering this Strategy
7.1
As a precursor to the implementation of the Organisational Strategy and the Human
Resources Business Strategy, the council’s human resources function has been
restructured. The council’s human resources professionals are now located in the
Resources Department, which will take the lead in supporting the delivery of this strategy
and in monitoring its implementation.
7.2
The Resources Department is composed of three divisions:
7.3

A ‘shared service’ centre which will undertake the routine, ‘transactional’ business
relating to the organisation’s personnel, accommodation, finance, printing and
information technology needs. Shared services will realise economies of scale and
achieve service standardisation, which will mean that there will be a step change in
the efficiency with which human resources transactions, such as the placing of
recruitment advertising or the contracting of temporary or agency staff, are
conducted. The Resources Department will make a commitment to the council to use
this 'engine' to increase the accuracy of the employee information it holds and to
increase the speed and level of customer service it provides to service areas and
Barnet’s staff in undertaking such transactions.

An organisational development team composed of experts in learning and
development, information technology and customer care. The role of this group will
be to use an ‘internal consultancy’ model to take a holistic view of a service area,
drawing together data from personnel systems, financial information, complaints and
learning and development analysis to assist the service continuously improve.

A strategic finance and corporate services team, which will consult with service areas
on the strategic issues such as shaping budgets, accommodation requirements,
information technology capabilities and human resources issues. It will be the
representatives of this team, devolved to each service area to assist with human
resources advice that will play the key liaison role in implementing this strategy.
Although the Resources Department will take the lead in implementing and monitoring
this strategy, it will be ‘owned’ by the entire organisation. The responsibility for
achieving its objectives will rest with every employee of the council – in the supporting,
second-level strategies, throughout the documents are given various commitments and
actions:



For the council’s senior management including the chief executive and directors;
For service areas and service management teams;
And for each and every member of staff.