Agenda and minutes

There were no declarations of interest.

It was resolved to exclude the public and press from the remainder of the meeting by reason of the nature of the business to be discussed which included information exempt from publication by virtue of paragraphs 1 and 4 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972 (as amended).

By Minutes 3 (iv) and (vii) (22 May 2023), the JNC Panel had approved arrangements for the permanent recruitment to four vacant JNC-level posts, including that of the Strategic Director, Finance and Investment, and the creation of a new JNC-level post of Director of Law and Governance (and Monitoring Officer) to replace the posts of Strategic Director, Law and Governance and Chief Legal Officer (and Interim Monitoring Officer). 

Subsequent to that meeting, the Chief Legal Officer had tendered her resignation in order to take up a director-level position at another local authority.  In view of the impending vacancies for both the Strategic Director, Finance and Investment and Chief Legal Officer / Director of Law and Governance (and Monitoring Officer) posts, the Chief Executive took the opportunity to reconsider the senior leadership structure.

Accordingly, the Chief Executive presented her report on revised proposals for the senior leadership structure.  The main proposal related to the redesignation of the Strategic Director, Finance and Investment post to Strategic Director, Resources.  The new post would retain the role of statutory Chief Financial Officer (S151 Officer) and would be accountable for a more extensive group of functions, including the legal and governance functions currently under the Chief Legal Officer / Director of Law and Governance (and Monitoring Officer) post.  The Chief Executive advised, however, that to accord with statutory requirements and encourage succession planning, the existing post of Head of Legal Services, which was below JNC-level, would be designated as the Council’s statutory Monitoring Officer.  It was noted that the Head of Legal Services would report to the Strategic Director, Resources for all matters except those relating to the Monitoring Officer functions, with the Chief Executive holding the ‘dotted-line’ line management responsibility in relation to the Monitoring Officer role.

It was further proposed to delete the post of Strategic Director, Community Solutions, which had not been filled on a permanent basis since February 2022.  The Chief Executive advised that the interim management arrangements and reporting lines for that service would continue for the foreseeable future.

Members sought clarification on a number of issues and noted that the proposals would generate a potential saving of circa £338,000 in a full year.

The JNC Panel resolved to:

(i)  Agree the creation of a new JNC-level post of Strategic Director, Resources which shall be responsible for the functions of the Strategic Director, Finance and Investment and the legal and governance functions of the Chief Legal Officer / Director of Law and Governance (and Monitoring Officer) post, and the subsequent deletion of the posts of Strategic Director, Finance and Investment and Director of Law and Governance (and Monitoring Officer); and

(ii)  Agree the deletion of the post of Strategic Director, Community Solutions.