Agenda item

This report presents proposals for the restructuring of senior management roles and responsibilities within the City of York Council. 

RESOLVED: (i)         That Option 1 be approved as the preferred senior management structure of the City of York Council and that the posts of

·        Director of Customer and Business Support Services

·        Director of Communities and Neighbourhoods

·        Director of Adult, Children and Education Services

be created and the post of Director of City Strategy, with the revised responsibilities outlined in the report, be retained.

(ii) That approval be given for the financial investment required to release the savings as outlined in Table 1, paragraph 28 of the report.

(iii) That the report be referred to a meeting of the Staffing Matters & Urgency Committee for due consideration.

(iv) That Officers be instructed to make all necessary arrangements for implementation of the proposed senior management structure of City of York Council, using the Council’s agreed processes and frameworks for such matters.

(v) That the Chief Executive be requested to keep under review the proposed implementation timescale, with a view to shortening the period leading up to the full implementation of the recommendations, if possible.

REASON:      Option 1 is considered to be the option best suited to the needs of City of York Council at this time, as it provides for:

·        Increased focus on customer service

·        Greater responsiveness to the needs of communities and neighbourhoods

·        A strengthened contribution from the Council to the economic development of the City

·        Greater co-ordination and consistency in work with adults and children, increased opportunities for partnership working and commissioning with the health sector on health and social care provision and work on overlapping agendas for adult and children’s services, such as 14-19 education

·        A small senior leadership team with the greater part of the management resource involved in direct service delivery.

Members considered a report which presented proposals for the restructuring of senior management roles and responsibilities within the Council, as part of the comprehensive ‘More for York’ efficiency programme agreed in July 2009.

The proposals had resulted from a review of the Council’s senior management structures conducted between 30 September and 4 December 2009, which had included extensive consultation with Members, staff, partners and regulatory bodies.  Key findings from the consultation were set out in paragraphs 17.1 to 17.7 of the report.  The review had produced two options that most clearly satisfied the objectives for reorganisation set out in paragraph 2 of the report.  These were:

Option 1 – Chief Executive plus four Directors of:

·        Customer and Business Support Services

·        Communities and Neighbourhoods

·        Family Services

·        City Strategy

Option 2 – Chief Executive plus five Directors of:

·        Customer and Business Support Services

·        Communities and Neighbourhoods

·        Health and Wellbeing

·        Children, Culture and Leisure

·        City Strategy

An analysis of each option was provided in paragraphs 20.1 to 21.11 of the report.  Indicative costs and savings were set out in the table at paragraph 28.  Option 1 was recommended, on the basis that it would provide increased focus on customer services, greater responsiveness to the needs of communities, a strengthened contribution to the City’s economic development, greater co-ordination and consistency in work with adults and children (including partnership working) and a smaller senior leadership team with a greater management involvement in direct service delivery.

During their discussion, Members acknowledged the impact that the proposed changes would have, both on the way in which the Council worked and at a personal level for those Officers affected.  They thanked Officers for their work in preparing the proposals in such a short time and stressed the need to move forward with proposed economies as quickly as possible to avoid any cuts to front line services.  The Executive Member for Children & Young People's Services suggested that the post of Director of Adult, Children & Family Services be amended to ‘Director of Adult, Children & Education Services’, to reflect the role of education and schools within Council services.

RESOLVED: (i)         That Option 1 be approved as the preferred senior management structure of the City of York Council and that the posts of

·        Director of Customer and Business Support Services

·        Director of Communities and Neighbourhoods

·        Director of Adult, Children and Education Services

be created and the post of Director of City Strategy, with the revised responsibilities outlined in the report, be retained.

(ii) That approval be given for the financial investment required to release the savings as outlined in Table 1, paragraph 28 of the report.¹

(iii) That the report be referred to a meeting of the Staffing Matters & Urgency Committee for due consideration.²

(iv) That Officers be instructed to make all necessary arrangements for implementation of the proposed senior management structure of City of York Council, using the Council’s agreed processes and frameworks for such matters.³

(v) That the Chief Executive be requested to keep under review the proposed implementation timescale, with a view to shortening the period leading up to the full implementation of the recommendations, if possible.⁴

REASON:      Option 1 is considered to be the option best suited to the needs of City of York Council at this time, as it provides for:

·        Increased focus on customer service

·        Greater responsiveness to the needs of communities and neighbourhoods

·        A strengthened contribution from the Council to the economic development of the City

·        Greater co-ordination and consistency in work with adults and children, increased opportunities for partnership working and commissioning with the health sector on health and social care provision and work on overlapping agendas for adult and children’s services, such as 14-19 education

·        A small senior leadership team with the greater part of the management resource involved in direct service delivery.