Agenda item

The Chief Executive gave Members an overview of the circulated report. 

 

In response to Member’s queries, it was explained that additional work would be taken forward as part of recovery planning to ensure there was a strengthened approach to community development. This would ensure alignment between Local Area Co-ordination and other community development and place-based work across the Council.

 

Members questioned whether the responsibility of Community Safety should sit with Social Services.  The Chief Executive clarified that the function synergy with Social Services and Education, Leisure and Lifelong Learning. On balance there was more capacity likely to be available in DELLL at the present time to sustain the current work. It was explained that Community Safety did not fit into just one area, it spanned the Social Services and Education agendas.

 

Members queried whether there would be a conflict of interest with the Director of Finance and Corporate Services chairing the Corporate Governance Group.  The Chief Executive reassured Members that essentially the Corporate Governance Group co-ordinated and provided professional oversight of the governance arrangements of the Council and took responsibility for preparing the Annual Governance Statement which came before Cabinet once a year and is also endorsed by Audit Committee as part of the finalisation of accounts processes. 

 

A discussion took place regarding combining roles of Legal Services, Democratic Services and Electoral Services.  The Chief Executive explained that Democratic Services had a close operational relationship with Legal Services, which included wide-ranging liaison between the Head of Legal Services and the Democratic Services Team.  In regards to Electoral Services it was highlighted that the Council had an experienced Elections Manager, but for succession planning and resilience planning reasons the proposals would provide for the Head of Legal Services to become more involved in this work.

 

Members questioned whether there was an impact on officer remuneration arising from the proposals. It was confirmed that there were no such impacts arising from the proposals for the affected Heads of Service or Directors. 

 

RESOLVED:  that the following recommendations are approved:

 

1.           That the post of Assistant Chief Executive and Chief Digital Officer be deleted.

 

2.      That a new post at head of service grade be created of Chief           Digital Officer, reporting directly to the Director of Finance           and Corporate Services.

 

3.      That the Chief Executive, in consultation with the Leader and

    Cabinet Member for Equalities and Corporate Services be

authorised to prepare a suitable job description and person

specification for the role of Chief Digital Officer and to initiate

the processes necessary to recruit a suitable person to the role.

 

4.      That line management of the Digital Services Division be

incorporated into the portfolio of the Chief Digital Officer.

 

5.      That the responsibility for developing the Council’s Income

Generation Strategy be vested in the role of the Head of

Finance. Line management of the Commercial Co-ordinator be transferred to the Head of Finance. The Head of Finance to also be responsible for chairing the Capital Programme

Steering Group and reporting to the Corporate Directors’ Group on capital programme matters.

 

6.      That the portfolio of the Director of Finance and Corporate Services be amended to include responsibility for chairing the Corporate Governance Group, overviewing the preparation of the Annual Governance Statement and associated activities; and to incorporate the responsibilities of the Senior Information Risk Owner.

 

7.      That the role of the Strategic Manager Policy and Democratic

Services be revised to remove responsibility for Democratic

Services and Electoral Services and to increase the level of

responsibility vested in the role for the residual functions. The

post to be re-designated Strategic Manager Policy and

Executive Support.

 

8.      That the Head of Human Resources be re-designated Head of Human and Organisational Development, reporting directly to the Chief Executive. The role to include the current

responsibilities of the Head of Human Resources but also to

include line management of the Strategic Manager Policy and Executive Support

 

9.      That the Head of Legal Services be re-designated Head of Legal and Democratic Services, reporting directly to the Chief Executive. The role to include the current functions of the Head of Legal Services but expanded to include line management of the Electoral Services Manager and the Democratic Services Manager.

 

10.    That the line management of the Strategic Manager

Partnerships and Community Cohesion be changed with the

post and associated workforce/portfolio reporting directly to the Head of Participation.