Agenda and minutes
Venue: Committee Room 4, Brent Town Hall, Forty Lane, Wembley, HA9 9HD
Contact: Lisa Weaver, Democratic Services Officer 020 8937 1358, Email: lisa.weaver@brent.gov.uk
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Declarations of personal and prejudicial interests Members are invited to declare at this stage of the meeting, any relevant financial or other interest in the items on this agenda. Minutes: None declared. |
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Minutes of the previous meeting PDF 104 KB Minutes: RESOLVED:-
that the minutes of the previous meeting held on 22 January 2013 be approved as an accurate record of the meeting. |
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Matters arising Minutes: None. |
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Order of business Minutes: RESOLVED:
that the order of business be changed to take early in the meeting the report on realigning corporate and business support. |
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One Council Project - Realigning Corporate and Business Support PDF 95 KB The Realigning Corporate and Business Support project has two strands, the first relating to administrative or business support functions, the second relating to specialist or professional support functions e.g. finance, legal, human resources and policy. Minutes: The Director of Legal and Procurement introduced the report which described the aims of the project designed to realign Corporate and Business Support relating to administrative/business functions and also specialist/professsional support functions. The aim was to, integrate flexible and operational arrangements, streamline and standardise policies maximise benefits for the new Civic Centre and achieve savings. The new staffing model of business support organisation, management and delivery would to be in place by end March 2013 and the operational framework completed by end June 2013. The Director of Legal and Procurement explained that the proposals would result in some redundancies for internal staff, 15 of which would be compulsory, and the reduced use of agency staff. The new service would be fit for purpose and increase service flexibility.
RESOLVED:
(i) that the report from the Director of Legal and Procurement noted and approval given to the thirty seven redundancies that result from the reorganisation and reduction of the council’s business support and corporate services staffing levels;
(ii) that it be noted that of the thirty seven redundancies, twenty two are voluntary redundancies and fifteen are compulsory redundancies. |
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Deputation - restructuring the senior management of the Council Minutes: The committee heard from Martin Francis who stated that as a former headteacher and school governor, he was concerned about the proposals in the senior management restructuring report from the interim Chief Executive due to be considered later in the meeting. He felt that to create an Education, Health and Social Care Department brought together a number of high risk budgets and increased the likelihood problems in the future. He reminded the committee that education and social care were brought together following recommendations in the 2003 Government report ‘Every Child Matters’ to improve safeguarding and relations between the services and with some success. Mr Francis felt the proposals would weaken this link and also referred to the 2011 Munroe Review of child protection which cautioned against overloading service departments with additional responsibilities. While the department would be headed by a strategic director, Martin Francis put that problems would be dealt with at an operational level. Additionally schools needed strong leadership and a critical friend particularly as the school improvement service had been downsized and also the introduction of Free Schools and Academies. |
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Restructuring the senior management of the Council PDF 234 KB The restructuring in 2010 was a key step in addressing these issues. As well as the reconfiguration of departments and the move towards more integrated corporate support functions, it included a substantial downsizing of management posts at all tiers, with an overall reduction of two hundred management posts at a saving of £7million. These changes have gone a considerable way to achieving the more streamlined and integrated organisation they were aimed at delivering. However, the Council continues to face significant challenges not least the huge pressures on the funding of public services, which are becoming even more severe than was anticipated three years ago. This requires a further evaluation of the Council’s senior management structures in order to deliver additional savings in senior management costs and create more streamlined management structures that can better meet these continuing challenges. The proposals in this report are aimed at meeting these two objectives and include a number of significant changes to departmental and corporate structures as well as the roles of first and second tier managers. Additional documents:
Minutes: The report from the Interim Chief Executive referred to the major staffing restructure exercise carried out in 2010 to meet financial challenges and prepare for the move to the new Civic Centre. The 2010 restructuring had also resulted in a substantial downsizing of management posts going a considerable way to achieving a more streamlined and integrated organisation. The Interim Chief Executive, Christine Gilbert, introduced her report which set out the need for further structural change in the light of increased funding pressures on public services. She outlined the proposals which included four core directorates, a chief financial officer and assistant director to the Chief Executive. She responded to the points made earlier in the meeting by Martin Francis and acknowledged that children and adult social care were high risk areas and assured that the strategic director would have a thorough knowledge of issues.
Members raised a series of questions on the report including the role of the Chief Executive under the proposals, the need for an Assistant Chief Executive and to what extent the role differed from the current head of Strategy, Partnerships and Improvement. Also questioned were the inclusion of arts and libraries under Education instead of environmental services, bringing together education, health and social care and the need for 10 Executive members. Another view was expressed that strong leadership for schools could be achieved under the proposed arrangements.
Christine Gilbert responded that the role of Chief Executive remained as it was, a statutory position, head of paid service and, with other directors, would be the front face of the organisation. The Assistant Chief Executive would be key to discussions with directors. She added that the structure could be reviewed in two to three years’ time and that the position of lead members was not a subject for this report.
Members drew attention to the appendix to the report and the draft proposals for senior managers’ salaries seeking clarification of the ratio between the lowest and the highest as recently discussed at Full Council on 25 February 2013 under the council’s pay policy statement. Cara Davani (Interim Head of People and Development) set out the current position in the light of further market research and the committee was advised that any significant difference between the Full Council decision and members’ intention would reported to Full Council.
On departmental titles, a view was expressed that the name of the Education, Health and Social Care department should reflect the local authority’s partnership with schools and other agencies. Additionally, that for the Regeneration and Major Project department, consideration should be given placing an emphasis on economic development given the importance of incentivising growth and employment. Some concern was expressed at the proposal to bring back together transport delivery and transport planning which had been split in the past, however, the new opportunities to break down departmental silos were welcomed. In response to an enquiry, Cara Davani stated that a detailed Equalities Impact Assessment was being undertaken.
Reference was made to ... view the full minutes text for item 7. |
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Appointments to Sub-Committees / Outside Bodies Minutes: None. |
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Any other urgent business Notice of items to be raised under this heading must be given in writing to the Democratic Services Manager or his representative before the meeting in accordance with Standing Order 64. Minutes: None. |