Agenda item

The existing senior management structure, comprising of a CEO, Director of Community and Environmental Services, shared Director of Finance and Solicitor to the Council (Monitoring Officer) has been in place since the start of the shared services in 2009. While the structure has served its purpose during that time, the objectives and ambitions of the council, along with the appointment of a new CEO in February 2020, require a refresh of the structure and additional senior management capacity being created.  The Council has become more entrepreneurial, taking more responsibility, increasing its risk appetite and competing more commercially. Therefore more capacity at senior management level is required to drive these initiatives forward and ensure the best outcomes for the council. The impact of Covid during the past 22 months has also highlighted a potential lack of resilience at senior management level.

The Head of Human Resources reported that the report recommended the creation of an additional post at Senior Management level. The current structure had been in place since 2009 and had served its purpose well but the Council had now changed its approach including looking at the risk appetite and competing more commercially in the market place. Creating capacity at Senior Management level was required to drive these initiatives forward. The Council had also noticed through the past 22 months with Covid a potential lack of resilience at a Senior Management Level. The report set out the recommendation for creating a new full time Executive Head of Service which would be at a management grade level reporting direct to the CEO which would allow the CEO to focus on the strategic objectives of the Council and taking the policies and objectives forward. If the recommendation was agreed the proposal was to advertise internally only. There was also an additional point in the report around creating a new full time Head of Customer Experience which would bring together the areas of customer services, communication and Watersmeet and would come under the new Executive Head. The Council would be looking to appoint to the Head of Service internally from the two people who are impacted by that change. The report also sets out the financial implications for the changes and that the costs would be met from existing budgets.

A Member queried the costs of the new roles and also the proposal to advertise internally only to a select group of people instead of opening up the post externally although they acknowledged we did have some talented officers a more competitive selection should be considered. They had concerns about the on costs of £21,280 for someone who was already employed.

The Shared Director of Finance clarified that the on costs was national insurance and the employees’ pension costs etc not for bringing someone in the post.

The Head of Human Resources advised that in terms of advertising internally one of the things the Council was proud of was the development of individuals in the Council and the career development opportunities. Three rivers was keen to promote and develop internal staff which provided motivation and career development. We have very strong Heads of Service who are ready for that next step up and promoting those staff gave them the opportunity to step up. They would still need to go through the interview process and demonstrate that they have the skills to sit at that strategic level in the organisation. If the internal candidates did not meet the standard then the post would be advertised externally.

A Member said surely the calibre of the internal staff would be strong competition against any external candidates.

The Chair said going externally would be a very expensive process and would be unfair to the internal candidates.

The Head of Human Resources said for any external recruitment you would look to hire a search company to find people who would then charge a fee plus advertising fees and was quite an expensive process. They were aware a number of organisations had done internal advertising only and was an

acceptable and preferred option so officers can see there are promotion opportunities.

A Member asked how advertising internally sat with equality, diversity and inclusivity.

The Head of Human Resources advised that it was an accepted practise to promote from within the organisation as long as you open it up to everyone. We are not stopping anyone from applying. An internal policy is acceptable practise and is being recommended for the reasons provided.

Councillor Sarah Nelmes moved, seconded by Councillor Andrew Scarth the recommendations as set out in the report.

On being put to the Committee the motion was declared CARRIED by the Chair the voting being 9 For, 3 Against and 0 Abstentions.

RESOLVED:

i)          Agreed the creation of a new Executive Head of Service post at MG5.

ii)         Agreed to internal only advertising for this role in the first instance.

iii)        Noted the creation of a new role of Head of Customer Experience