Agenda item

Council is asked to consider proposed updates to the pay policy statement and the organisational framework for the authority.

Councillor Shah MOVED and Councillor Jabbar SECONDED a report of the Chief Executive, which advised members that the Council’s corporate plan ‘Ready for the Future’ had established ambitions to drive change by focusing on three missions: healthier, happier places; great place to live; and green and growing. To turn the ambitions into reality, the Council needed to have appropriate organisational leaderships arrangements in place for it to deliver against the ambitions set out in the plan, but to also continue to deliver statutory services and priorities.

The Council’s Appointments Committee had met and considered revisions to the Council’s senior management team structure and the submitted report detailed recommendations from that Committee for Full Council’s consideration.

To ensure that the right organisational leadership arrangements were in place, in May 2025, the Council’s Appointments Committee met to consider changes to the Council’s senior management team structure. The structure proposed changes to some roles and to move to a senior management structure of four executive director roles comprising:

·            Executive Director of Place (Deputy Chief Executive).

·            Executive Director of Resources.

·            Executive Director of Health and Social Care (Deputy Chief Executive).

·            Executive Director of Children and Young People.

The Appointments Committee agreed to this structure and to commence recruitment to the vacant role of Executive Director of Resources role; together with recruitment to a number of other senior management team roles, some of which have interim arrangements in place.

In line with the Council’s Pay Policy Statement, Council is required to consider the case for any salary in excess of £100,000, prior to any appointment to the chief officer posts that it relates.  The salary package will be defined as basic salary, any performance related pay, fees, routinely payable allowances and benefits in kind, that are due under the contract. The roles of Director referred to in the submitted report were graded at Director level and would be appointed on a spot salary between £104,337 to £115,105 and the roles of Executive Director have been graded at Executive Director level and the vacant role would be appointed on a spot salary of £144,160.  The Appointments Committee approved a market supplement of up to £10,000 for the roles of Director of Growth and Director of Digital in light of a benchmarking exercise to attract the right candidates for the roles.

RESOLVED:

1.    That Council notes the decision of the Appointments Committee to move to a senior management structure of four executive directors.

2.    That Council notes that the Appointments Committee have redesignated the vacant role of Assistant Chief Executive to Executive Director of Resources.

3.    That Council notes that the Appointments Committee have approved the redesignation of the Director of Economy to the Director of Growth and approved the recruitment to this post, and should it be required, to apply a market supplement of up to £10,000.

4.    That Council notes that the Appointments Committee have renamed the Strategic Director of Children’s Services to the Executive Director of Children and Young People.

5.    That Council notes that the Appointments Committee have approved the renaming of the Director of Technology to the Director of Digital, and should it be required, to apply a market supplement of up to £10,000.

6.    That Council notes that the Appointments Committee have agreed to the recruitment to the role of Director of Children’s Social Care and Early Help.

7.    That Council approves the designation of the Director of Finance as the Council’s Chief Finance Officer for the purposes of s114 of the Local Government Finance Act 1988 and shall fulfil all the statutory duties of that post and in accordance with S151 of the Local Government Act 1972 shall be the officer with responsibilities for the proper administration of the Council’s financial affairs, and the Constitution be updated where required.

8.    That Council approves the designation of the Director of Legal as the Council’s Monitoring Officer/Borough Solicitor for the purposes of Section 5 of the Local Government and Housing Act 1989, and the Constitution be updated where required.

9.    That Council notes that the Appointments Committee have redesignated the Deputy Place Lead and Deputy Chief Executive Health and Care Integration to the Executive Director of Health and Care (Deputy Chief Executive), with responsibilities including public health, adult social care and retaining the Deputy Place Lead role for the Integrated Care Board, and that this post will transfer to the Council’s terms and conditions.

10.That Council considers the case for any salary in excess of £100,000, prior to any appointment to the chief officer posts, and, in this regard, approves the roles of Executive Director of Resources, Executive Director of Health and Care (Deputy Chief Executive), Director of Growth, Director of Digital, Director of Children’s Social Care and Early Help, Director of Finance and Director of Legal.

11.That Council agrees to update the Pay Policy Statement to reflect these changes.

12.That Council agrees to update the Constitution to reflect the changes outlined above.