Agenda item

This report completes the organisational review of the Council, stage one of which was approved by the Executive in July 2005.  It brings forward proposals for the restructuring of the Chief Executive’s department and seeks a decision on other matters left over from the 2005 review.  It also makes recommendations producing substantial savings, in excess of £200,000, in staff costs.

Members received a report which completed the organisational review of the Council, stage one of which was approved by the Executive in July 2005.  It brought forward proposals for the restructuring of the Chief Executive’s department and sought a decision on other matters left over from the 2005 review.  It also made recommendations producing substantial savings, in excess of £200,000, in staff costs.

 

The report was being considered at an Urgency Committee because decisions on the restructuring of the Chief Executive’s Department needed to be implemented without further delay, particularly given the imminent departure of two chief officers. 

 

The information in the report was set out in the following nine sections:

·        Section 1 – Background and introduction;

·        Section 2 – Current structure and functions of the Chief Executive’s Department;

·        Section 3 – Combining the Chief Executive’s Department and Resources;

·        Section 4 – Proposals for overall chief officer structure;

·        Section 5 – Transfer of functions and resources to other directorates;

·        Section 6 – Portfolios and detailed staffing structure;

·        Section 7 – Financial and other implications;

·        Section 8 – Other issues left over from stage one of the Council organisational review;

·        Section 9 – Summary of recommendations.

 

The report set out the following options for the overall chief structure:

 

OPTION 1

 

 OPTION 2a

 OPTION 2b

              

              OPTION 2c

 

The structure set out in Option 2c was for a combined directorate comprising the Chief Executive’s Department and Resources.  This was the option recommended in the report.

 

In response to the representations made on behalf of Unison (minute 8 refers), the Chief Executive explained that the proposals brought forward in the report were not considered to be so fundamentally different from the original proposals as to constitute a brand new set of proposals, requiring a brand new consultation exercise.  Members confirmed that where in principle decisions were being taken, consultation could continue and the decision be brought back for review by the Chief Executive.

 

With regards to paragraph 7.5 of the report, Members noted that redundancy and early retirement costs for schools were met from a corporate budget and requested that the Director of Resources provide them with a briefing note detailing the current situation and how this might change now that the Dedicated Schools Grant had been introduced.

 

It was proposed that the recommendations in the report be agreed, with amendments to recommendations 9.12, 9.17 and 9.26 to defer the appointments to the new posts of Partnership Officer, Safe City Co-ordinator and Scrutiny Officer pending further consideration of the Council’s in-year financial position as part of the first financial monitor in September 2006.

 

Councillor Merrett outlined his concerns regarding the proposal to transfer responsibility for the Local Strategic Partnership and other partnership work to City Strategy as a key part of the Chief Executive’s role was providing strategic direction for the Council and the transfer could create confusion amongst external partners as to where this responsibility lay.  Councillor Galloway expressed the view that the transfer of responsibility would allow the Chief Executive greater opportunity to be involved with the overall strategic direction, whilst passing the detailed management to the Director of City Strategy, who could ensure consistency between the various plans and strategies the Council produced.  Other concerns expressed by Councillor Merrett included the substantial nature of the cuts and their impact on senior management and other staffing resources, the transfer of the Customer function to Resources and the lack of available staff and funding to support it, and the proposals regarding management of the Scrutiny team, in terms of the potential to diminish the independence of the Scrutiny function and the removal of the dedicated Scrutiny Manager post.

 

Councillor Merrett moved and Councillor Potter seconded the following amendment:

“1.  To delete recommendation 9.1 in the report, relating to the creation of a new directorate combining the Chief Executive’s Department and Resources, and to delete recommendation 9.2, in as much as it refers to the same issue;

2.   To amend recommendation 9.3 to approve the overall chief officer structure set out in Option 2b;

3.   To amend recommendations 9.10-9.15 to retain the Local Strategic Partnership and other partnership work in the Chief Executive’s Department but accept the internal structural changes relating to the posts;

4.   To amend recommendation 9.16 to implement the recommended post of Safe City Co-ordinator;

5.   To delete recommendation 9.19, relating to the transfer from the Chief Executive’s Department to Resources of the Customer function and lead responsibility for implementation of the Council’s customer focus priority, and ask the Chief Executive to provide a further report back on the resourcing of this work;

6.   To amend recommendations 9.25 and 9.26 to retain the post of Scrutiny Manager;

7.   To amend recommendation 9.31 to defer the decision on the devolution of operational HR services until the review by the new chief officer responsible for HR has taken place and been reported back to Members.”

On being put to the vote, this amendment was lost.  Councillors Merrett and Potter requested that their votes in support of the amendment be recorded.

 

RESOLVED:    (i)      a)   That the creation of a new directorate combining the Chief Executive’s Department and Resources be approved in principle, subject to the Chief Executive holding further consultation discussions with Unison [resolutions (i) b) and (ii) a) should be interpreted accordingly];

 

b)     That the Chief Executive be authorised, in consultation with Leader, to establish the new directorate, taking account of the Committee’s decisions on the restructuring of the Chief Executive’s Department and in a way that permits an evolutionary approach to integration as opportunities present themselves;

 

                           (ii)     a)   That an overall chief officer structure for a combined Chief Executive’s Department and Resources Directorate as set out in option 2c be approved;

 

b)     That the existing posts of Deputy Chief Executive and part time Personal Assistant (and associated budgets), Head of Performance Improvement and Head of Human Resources be deleted;

 

c)      That a new post be created at director level with overall responsibility for Civic, Democratic and Legal Services, Human Resources, Policy & Improvement and Marketing & Communications;

 

d)     That the Chief Executive be authorised to proceed immediately with recruitment to the new director level post and, in consultation with the Appointments Committee, to engage the services of a recruitment consultant;

 

e)     That the establishment of an Appointments Committee consisting of three members (two from the majority party and one from the main opposition party) be approved, and Councillors Steve Galloway and Reid be appointed as the Liberal Democrat Members and Councillor Merrett as the Labour Member (with Councillor Potter as substitute);

 

f)        That expenditure of up to £20,000 on a recruitment consultant be approved, to be met from one off underspends on chief officer salaries in the Chief Executive’s Department or, to the extent that they are insufficient, from the Council’s contingency;

 

g)     That the designation of the Director of Resources as Deputy Chief Executive, to assist the Chief Executive and act in his absence or unavailability, be approved;

 

                           (iii)    a)   That the Executive’s decision in July 2005 to transfer responsibility for the Local Strategic Partnership to City Strategy be confirmed;

 

b)     That the transfer to City Strategy of responsibility, currently within the remit of the Chief Executive’s Department, for York’s Local Area Agreement, corporate voluntary sector work and partnership development and oversight work, as described in section 5.2 of the report, be approved, subject to the Chief Executive being authorised to implement the transfer when City Strategy is best able to accommodate its new responsibilities;

 

c)   That the establishment of the following posts in City Strategy be approved in principle, subject to the approval of job descriptions and grades by the Director of City Strategy in consultation with the Leader, or by the Leader through the meeting of the Executive Members for City Strategy and Advisory Panel:

·        A new post at PO17-20 to manage the Local Strategic Partnership and associated work set out in section 5.2 of the report and in paragraph 5.3.3;

·        A partnership officer post to carry out the partnership development and oversight work described in paragraph 5.2.2;

 

                                    d)   That appointment to the post of partnership officer at PO1-4 be deferred pending further consideration of the Council’s in-year financial position as part of the first financial monitor in September 2006;

 

                                    e)   That the transfer from the Chief Executive’s Department to City Strategy of funding for the posts mentioned above (of an amount sufficient to meet the cost of posts up to a grade of PO17-20 for the manager post and PO1-4 for the partnership post) be approved, subject to the creation of the posts and the appointment of post holders;

 

f)        That the transfer to City Strategy of two posts of Senior Partnership Support Officer (PO3-6) in the Chief Executive’s Department with their post holders and staffing budgets be approved, subject to the Chief Executive being authorised to implement the transfer when City Strategy is ready to accommodate the posts;

 

g)     That the deletion of the vacant post of Partnership & Improvement Officer (PO1-4) in the Chief Executive’s Department be approved;

 

h)      That the transfer from the Chief Executive’s Department to Neighbourhood Services of operational responsibility, and to City Strategy of strategic planning responsibility, for Safe City, as described in section 5.3 of the report, be approved;

 

i)        That the establishment of a new post of Safe City Co-ordinator at PO1-4 in Neighbourhood Services be approved in principle, subject to subsequent formal Member approval of the post’s role, grade and location on consideration of a report to be brought forward by the Director of Neighbourhood Services on proposals for restructuring Neighbourhood Services;

 

j)        That appointment to the post of Safe City Co-ordinator be deferred pending further consideration of the Council’s in-year financial position as part of the first financial monitor in September 2006;

 

k)      That the transfer from the Chief Executive’s Department to Neighbourhood Services of funding for the Safe City Co-ordinator post (of an amount sufficient to meet the cost of a post up to a grade of PO1-4) be approved, subject to the creation of the post and the appointment of a post holder;

 

l)        That the transfer from the Chief Executive’s Department to Resources of the Customer function currently vested in the Chief Executive’s Department and lead responsibility for the implementation of the Council’s customer focus priority be approved, subject to consideration by the relevant Executive Member and Advisory Panel of resources which could be made available for this work and the scope of the work which could be achieved within such resources;

 

m)   That the transfer from the Chief Executive’s Department to Resources of the responsibility currently vested in the Chief Executive’s Department for managing the Council’s relationship with the Audit Commission on inspections and best value work be approved;

 

n)      That the transfer from the Chief Executive’s Department to Resources of the posts of Web Manager and Web Assistant with their post holders and staff budgets be approved, subject to the Chief Executive being authorised to implement the transfer when the Director of Resources is ready to accommodate these posts and appropriate arrangements have been put in place to ensure accountability to the Head of Marketing & Communications for compliance with the Council’s communications policy;

 

o)     That the transfer from the Chief Executive’s Department to City Strategy of responsibility for the Chief Executive’s Department’s business support functions, together with the existing post of Business and Performance Manager, its post holder and staff budget be approved, subject to the transfer not being implemented until City Strategy has created a structure for its business support functions (to include business support for Resources) which accommodates the transferred post;

 

                           (iv)    a)   That the deletion of the vacant post of half time Administrative Assistant in Civic, Democratic & Legal Services be approved;

 

b)     That a permanent reduction in a post of Democracy Officer from full time to 0.6 be approved, subject to the Democracy and Member Support Manager being authorised to implement this decision;

 

c)      That the deletion of the post of Scrutiny Manager and absorption of its responsibilities within the post of Democracy and Member Support Manager be approved;

 

d)     That the creation of a new post of Scrutiny Officer at  SO1/2 be approved but appointment to it be deferred pending further consideration of the Council’s in-year financial position as part of the first financial monitor in September 2006;

 

e)     That the allocation of funding of £18,000 to the approved establishment post of Clerical Assistant in Electoral Services be approved;

 

f)        That the deletion of the following posts in Performance Improvement be approved:

·        Service Improvement Manager (PO17-20);

·        An unfunded and vacant manager post (PO17-20);

·        A vacant post of 0.5 fte Administrator (Scale 2);

·        A post of Service Improvement Officer (PO14-17);

·        Two vacant posts of Improvement Officers (PO6-9);

 

g)     That the permanent regrading of an Improvement Assistant (Scale 5) in the Equalities team to SO1 be approved;

 

h)      That the establishment of a combined Policy & Improvement team out of the current Policy Development and Performance Improvement teams be approved, consisting of:

·        Two Service Improvement Officers (PO14-17);

·        Two Improvement Officers (PO12-15);

·        One Improvement Assistant (Scale 5);

·        One Local Public Services Agreement Support Officer (3 year fixed term post) (PO1-4);

·        The current Policy Development team;

·        The current Equalities team (as amended above);

 

i)        That the devolution of operational HR services be approved in principle, subject to review by the new chief officer responsible for HR and the approval of the Leader at a meeting of the Executive Members for City Strategy and Advisory Panel of clear proposals for the operation of a devolved service which safeguard compliance with the Council’s HR policies and procedures;

 

                           (v)     a)   That no further changes be approved to the organisational structure of the Council at this stage.

 

REASON:         (i)      To achieve efficiency savings over time and to make the best use of complementary functions;

 

                           (ii)     To create and recruit to a structure which combines the best mix of savings and management capacity most suited to lead a restructured Chief Executive’s Department;

 

                           (iii)    The transfer of functions and resources are recommended to implement the decisions of the Executive at stage one of the Council organisational review, and to achieve consistency with current service arrangements;

 

                           (iv)    The recommendations seek to strike the best balance between the need to identify significant savings and the need to protect important work of the Council and direct resources to the Council’s recently approved corporate priorities;

 

                           (v)     The Council’s current service arrangements are broadly consistent with the principles of the organisational review and the risks of disruption caused by further significant change could outweigh the intended benefits.

 

[Note: Councillors Merrett and Potter requested that their votes against this motion be recorded.]