Issue - items at meetings - Senior Officer Structure

Report of the Chief Executive (copy attached).

1.         That the proposals to move to a permanent senior officer structure which builds on the progress achieved since September 2012 and ensures managerial leadership capacity and clear accountabilities be noted;

2.         That the proposed changes set out in the report and the changes to the Scheme of Delegations to Officers set out in Appendix Two to the report be agreed;

3.         That the Chief Executive be authorised to take all steps necessary or incidental to the implementation of the proposals set out in the report, including the power to make transitional arrangements and any minor modifications she considers necessary;

4.         That the Monitoring Officer be authorised to make amendments to the relevant parts of the Council’s constitution to reflect the changes authorised in the report and to make any necessary consequential amendments; and

5.         That the changes should come into force with effect from 1st April 2013.

147.1                The Chief Executive introduced the report and stated that following consultations with Members and officers she was pleased to report that the proposed senior officer structure had a great deal of support.  She stated that she had been keen to build on the good work that the Director of Finance had undertaken in her capacity as Acting Chief Executive.  She also noted that the proposed post of Assistant Chief Executive was to be a service head, directly managing areas as well as working closely with her to build on the culture of the organisation.  She stated that the Head of Law & Monitoring Officer held a crucial role for the organisation and senior management team.  She also wished to welcome the transfer across of the Public Health service and believed that the inclusion of Community Safety under the Director’s remit would be beneficial to the council and the city.  She therefore hoped that the new structure could be agreed.

147.2                The Chair stated that he believed it was an important report which set out a very clear and open structure which could take the authority forward and meet the challenges that were ahead.  He wished to thank the Chief Executive and officers for their work in bringing the report forward.

147.3                Councillor Mitchell welcomed the report and stated that the Labour & Co-operative Group fully supported the proposed structure and welcomed the clear lines of accountability.

147.4                Councillor Peltzer Dunn welcomed the report and the approach taken by the Chief Executive, which he believed was a good step forward and reflected the wishes of Members to have clear areas of accountability.  In regard to the proposed Assistant Chief Executive post, whilst he acknowledged that it would exist in other local authorities he wondered how it would be perceived in the organisation.

147.5                The Chief Executive stated that she saw it as a service head role and was not intending on it being regarded as her Deputy, but rather the chance to offer a career opportunity internally in this instance for someone to hold a wide remit corporately.  She hoped that Members would accept her view and wait to see how it developed once the structure was in place and the post filled.

147.6                Councillor Wealls queried whether it was intended to move away from the commissioning model but to retain the discipline of commissioning.

147.7                The Chief Executive stated that essentially it was intended to use the commissioning model where it was appropriate, but to recognise that it did not lend itself equally to every area of the organisation.  The discipline could be used to look at service delivery and she did not want to lose the skills that had evolved in the organisation however she did not see the need for a separation of roles between commissioners and heads of service.

147.8                The Chair noted the comments and put the recommendations to the vote.

147.9                RESOLVED:

(1)         That the proposals to move to a permanent senior officer structure which builds on the progress achieved since September 2012 and ensures managerial leadership capacity and clear accountabilities be noted;

(2)         That the proposed changes set out in the report and the changes to the Scheme of Delegations to Officers set out in Appendix Two to the report be agreed;

(3)         That the Chief Executive be authorised to take all steps necessary or incidental to the implementation of the proposals set out in the report, including the power to make transitional arrangements and any minor modifications she considers necessary;

(4)         That the Monitoring Officer be authorised to make amendments to the relevant parts of the Council’s constitution to reflect the changes authorised in the report and to make any necessary consequential amendments; and

(5)         That the changes should come into force with effect from 1st April 2013.