Agenda and minutes

To Approve and Sign as a Correct Record the Minutes of the Meeting of the Chief Officer Employment Committee held on 7 November 2024.

Having been proposed and seconded, on being put to the vote it was: -

RESOLVED that the Minutes of the Meeting of the Chief Officer Employment Committee held on 7 November 2024 be confirmed and signed as a correct record.

Members may make any declarations of interest at this point but may also make them at any time during the course of the meeting.

There were no declarations of interest made at this point in the meeting

To resolve that under Section 100 (A)(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the public and press be excluded from the meeting for the following items of business on the grounds that they involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in paragraphs 1 and 2 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Act.

RESOLVED that under Section 100 (A)(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the public and press be excluded from the meeting for the following item of business on the grounds that it involved the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in paragraphs 1 and 2 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Act.

Due to the recent departure of the Director of Operational andCommercial Services, and the upcoming departure of the Director of Corporate Services (Section 151 Officer), there was need to review the Council’s senior management structure.

Members therefore considered a report which set out: -

a)     the temporary senior structure that was currently in place to ensure continued delivery of services that had previously sat within the Operational and Commercial Services Portfolio; 

b)     proposals for interim arrangements to cover the responsibilities of the outgoing Director of Corporate Services (S151 Officer), which included changes to the line management of the Assistant Director of People and Democratic Services (Monitoring Officer); and interim proposals to cover the statutory Section 151 Officer role; and

c)     proposals related to the development of a permanent senior structure, allowing opportunity to incorporate any recommendations arising from the Council’s upcoming Corporate Peer Challenge.

The Chief Executive and Head of Paid Service presented the report, taking Members through the report in detail and offering rationale for the proposals.  It was stressed that the main decision for the Committee at this current time was to approve the replacement of the Director of Corporate Services, albeit in a revised role, with an indicative timetable for recruitment contained within the report.

An indictive permanent structure had been included within the report but Members were advised a further, more detailed report would be submitted to the Committee, anticipated March 2025, before Members were asked to make a definitive decision on the matter.

It was noted that the indictive permanent structure, saw a number of positions titled Strategic Head created.  The Head of Paid Service outlined the concept of the Strategic Head roles, and the supporting capacity they would provide to those Directors with larger portfolios. These would not be new roles, with identified Officers anticipated to move into the roles, in line with HR Policies bringing their existing workload into the new roles.

Whilst two possible future structures had been included in the report, the Head of Paid Service stressed his preference was that of the three Director Model and unless Members indicated otherwise, this would be the basis on which the future report was prepared.

Given Strategic Head roles would carry significant responsibility, the Leader outlined his expectations around hours and attendance of Officers in such positions.

Members indicated their contentment with the Interim 151 arrangements, the revised job role for the Director of Finance and Assets (151) and the need to recruit at the earliest opportunity.

There was some discussion around the current market and how back-filling would be approached, noting ideally any back-filling would, where possible, be at lower levels of the organisation, often making it easier to accommodate.  It was further confirmed that Officer(s) in the finance department would receive additional remuneration whilst fulfilling interim roles

For the avoidance of doubt, the Head of Paid Service requested that it be made clear through the minutes that recommendation (5) did not mean the committee would at this meeting be agreeing  ...  view the full minutes text for item 16.