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Agenda and minutes
Venue: Town Hall, Queen's Square, Priory Meadow, Hastings TN34 1QR
Contact: Michael Courts on 01424 451764 email mcourts@hastings.gov.uk
Items No. Item MATTERS FOR CABINET DECISION
Proposed changes to the Senior Officer Structure PDF 419 KB
(Cabinet Decision)
Additional documents:
Minutes:
The Executive Manager of People and Business Support presented a report on proposals from the Leader and Deputy Leader of the Council on changes to the council’s senior officer structure.
The council had submitted a bid for the government’s efficiency support grant, in which it had committed to undertake a review of the organisation’s senior management structure as part of its transformation and efficiency programme.
The Leader of the Council had launched a consultation document, which set out proposals for the new structure. The council had also engaged a critical friend from SOLACE Enterprises to oversee the consultation process and to assist the council with its proposals.
The consultation document proposed a new structure based on two chief officers rather than three; a Director of Corporate Services and Governance and Director of Operational Services. The Director of Corporate Services and Governance would fulfil the statutory post of head of paid service, however, responsibility for chairing the corporate management group and representing the council at external bodies would be shared between both directors.
The report acknowledged that the council would need to focus its actions on a smaller number of key activities; whilst retaining capacity at senior officer level to ensure these tasks are met effectively. The proposed structure was in line with comments made during the last review of the senior management structure and ongoing efforts to highlight the principle of being One Council through the organisation’s working practices.
Once a decision had been taken by Cabinet on the new structure, the employment committee would oversee the appointment of the two directors. A further round of consultation with staff affected by the changes would be undertaken and the council would need to comply with the JNC terms and conditions of employment, should a redundancy situation arise.
A review of the number and remit of heads of service would be undertaken, once the directors had been appointed, and it was anticipated that the new structure would be implemented from 1 April 2015.
Councillor Birch, moved approval of the recommendations as set out in the resolution below, which was seconded by Councillor Chowney.
RESOLVED (unanimously) that the Cabinet: -
1) agrees that the current three Directors posts be abolished and be replaced by two new posts. The two new posts are proposed to be
a) Director of Corporate Services and Governance, which will be designated Head of Paid Service, and have the Heads of Service for Finance, Corporate Services and Marketing and Communications reporting to it;
b) Director of Operational Services which will have the Heads of Service for Housing and Development, Regeneration and Planning Policy, Environmental Services and Amenity, Resorts and Leisure reporting to it.
2) That the Cabinet instructs the Executive Manager, People and Organisational Development to
i). produce, in consultation with the Leader, person specifications and job descriptions to reflect the specific requirements of each post taking into account the consultation response referred to above and the move away from generic job descriptions;
ii). commence formal consultation with ... view the full minutes text for item 43.
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