Agenda item

Report of the Interim Chief Executive (Head of Paid Service)

Members agreed to consider items 4, Recruitment to the Post of Interim Corporate Director People, and item 5, Interim arrangements in the Resources and Commercial Directorate, together as one item.

Members received the report which proposed interim arrangements for the Council’s senior management structure following the appointment of the Corporate Director Resources and Commercial as the Interim Chief Executive (Head of Paid Service) and following the departure of the current Corporate Director, People.  It was proposed that an Interim Corporate Director People be appointed with effect from 5 March 2018; to be reviewed in June 2018.  Members noted that there was a confidential appendix to the report.

Members were advised that expressions of interest would be sought for the role of Interim Corporate Director People, which was also the Director of Children’s Services, from the current People Directorate management team.  Interviews for this post would be held on 28 February 2018 and candidates would be advised in advance that there would be a question in relation to budgets and savings.  Members agreed the following question be provided to candidates:-

“What would your proposals be for how the People Directorate will respond to the medium term budget challenges the Council faces, with a particular focus on how you will look to manage demand?”

In relation to the interim arrangements in the People Directorate, Members noted that the ‘back fill’ for some management posts would not be submitted to the Panel as they did not meet the financial threshold of £100,000 per annum.  A report would, however, be prepared to inform the Panel as to the arrangements put in place as a result of the interim appointments and to identify any savings arising.

RESOLVED:  That

(1)          the Interim Chief Executive write to the current People’s Directorate management team asking for expressions of interest in acting up into the role of Corporate Director of People, this role also being the Council’s statutory Director of Children’s Services;

(2)          the Panel meet on 28 February 2018 to interview candidates who had made an expression of interest in the post of Corporate Director of People and statutory Director of Children’s Services, with a view to making an interim appointment;

(3)          the Corporate Director of Community be requested to assume responsibility for the Planning and Regeneration Directorate on a temporary basis and to be the line manager of the Director of Planning and Regeneration;

(4)          the Director of Finance be requested to take on additional responsibilities as identified in the report of the Interim Chief Executive and receive an acting up allowance, as set out in Appendix 1 to the report;

(5)          the Divisional Director Strategic Commissioning be requested to take on additional responsibilities as identified in the report of the Interim Chief Executive and receive for an acting up allowance, as set out in Appendix 1 to the report;

(6)               the Divisional Director Commissioning and Commercial Services (in the Community Directorate) be requested to take on additional responsibilities as identified in the report of the Interim Chief Executive and receive an acting up allowance, as set out in Appendix 1 to the report.