Agenda and minutes

To note the attendance at this meeting of any duly appointed Reserve Members.

Reserve Members may attend meetings:-

(i)                 to take the place of an ordinary Member for whom they are a reserve;

(ii)               where the ordinary Member will be absent for the whole of the meeting; and

(iii)             the meeting notes at the start of the meeting at the item ‘Reserves’ that the Reserve Member is or will be attending as a reserve;

(iv)              if a Reserve Member whose intention to attend has been noted arrives after the commencement of the meeting, then that Reserve Member can only act as a Member from the start of the next item of business on the agenda after his/her arrival.

RESOLVED:  To note that there were no Reserve Members in attendance.

To receive declarations of disclosable pecuniary or non pecuniary interests, arising from business to be transacted at this meeting, from:

(a)               all Members of the Committee;

(b)               all other Members present.

RESOLVED:  To note that there were no declarations of interests made by Members.

Report of the Divisional Director of Strategic Commissioning

Members received a report of the Divisional Director of Strategic Commissioning which accompanied the report from the Challenge Panel which had considered the deletion of the post of Chief Executive to the Council.

The Chair reminded Members that it had been agreed at the previous meeting to hold a special meeting in order to consider the report from the Challenge Panel.  Members therefore agreed to consider the report as a matter of urgency for the reasons set out on the supplemental agenda.

The Chair of the Challenge Panel introduced the report and thanked all those who had participated in the review, particularly in light of the time limitations.  The Panel had limited their work to the post of Chief Executive and had tried to avoid contentious issues.  It had been felt that any criticism of the action that had been taken was inappropriate and the aim had been to achieve a cross party report.

A Member of the Challenge Panel endorsed the sentiments outlined by the Chair of the Panel but indicated that he wished to suggest two amendments to the report, the first of which was to insert the words ‘try to’ at the end of the second line of paragraph 3 of ‘The need for Change’ after ‘in order to’.  The second amendment suggested was the inclusion of ‘some’ to the second sentence of paragraph 3 of ‘Timing and Flexibility’ prior to the words ‘staff’ and ‘residents’.

The amendments were considered, debated and challenged by other Members of the Committee.  In response to a Member’s view that it was a matter for the party in control to make the decision as to the future of the post, the Chair of the Panel stated that it had been felt that as the Council was ‘hung’, for such a major decision, cross party support should have been sought.  This was the Panel’s advice for any future major decisions.

Members discussed whether there was evidence to support the view expressed in the report that staff and residents were affected by the deletion of the post.  A Member stated that he received no comments from residents or staff about the deletion of the post.  Another Member, in contrast, stated that a number of residents had raised the issue with her, questioning how the organisation would manage without the post of Chief Executive.  Members questioned the weighting of the report if quantifying the numbers of staff and residents were omitted.

A co-opted member, in speaking about the position, expressed the opinion that officers would have views on the post of Chief Executive to the extent that they felt the person in the role was performing well.  She added that she was concerned that staff had not been consulted.  In response, a Member reminded the Committee that any decision to change the senior management structure of the Council was entirely in the purview of the Leader of the Council.

The Chair of the Panel stated that the view of the Challenge Panel was that  ...  view the full minutes text for item 473.