Issue - meetings

The Leader introduced the report.

Cabinet resolved to approve the implementation of Phase 2 of the Cashiers Modernisation Strategy, namely the withdrawal of face-to-face cashiering services at the Civic Centre and the internal cash-van collections / deliveries, for completion by the end of September 2013.

Further to Minute 146 (24 April 2012), the Divisional Director of Finance introduced a report on proposals to withdraw face-to-face cashiering services at the Civic Centre by the end of August 2013 under the second phase of the Cashiering Service Modernisation Programme. 

The Divisional Director explained that phase one of the programme related to the closure of cashiering services at Barking Learning Centre from 1 June 2012 and he confirmed that the implementation of phase two would be dependent on the alternative arrangements, as described in section 2 of the report, being in place. 

In respect of the reduction in staffing levels as a result of the proposals, the Cabinet Member for Adult Services and Human Resources stated that she had been advised earlier in the day that the remaining ten staff had been notified by Elevate East London, who took over the service under the joint venture partnership with the Council, that all ten posts would be deleted.  The Divisional Director referred to the statement at paragraph 7.2 of the report that the restructure plans would see the establishment figure reduce to eight but Elevate’s Head of Benefits advised that the remaining ten staff would indeed be in a potential redundancy situation.

In view of the uncertainty regarding the staffing position, Cabinet agreed to defer consideration of the proposals to its next meeting and asked officers to ensure that the report to that meeting set out the exact position.