The Chief Executive submitted a report, which set out details of a proposal to restructure the Corporate Management Team which would enable delivery of the Council’s ambitious agenda through increased capacity in several key areas.  The following documents were attached to the report:

Appendix 1:  Current Corporate Management Team structure

Appendix 2:  Proposed Corporate Management Team structure

Appendix 3:  Senior officers’ salary benchmarking

Appendix 4:  Proposed amendments to Article 12 of the Constitution

The report proposed that the current post of Executive Director of Resources be re-designated as Deputy Chief Executive, with responsibility for delivering the Council’s ambitious plans in relation to social inclusion, anti-poverty and the ‘levelling up’ agenda, and to undertake the statutory functions of the Deputy Head of Paid Service in the absence of the Chief Executive.  The report also proposed that, following an unsuccessful attempt to fill the post of Assistant Director of Finance, a new Director of Finance post be created.  This role would take responsibility for being the Chief Finance Officer and Section 151 Officer, which was currently under the remit of the Director of Resources.  The Financial Planning and Strategy Manager would then be re-designated as the Deputy Chief Finance Officer and Deputy Section 151 Officer.

The report explained that a benchmarking exercise had been carried out for the salaries of the Deputy Chief Executive and the Director of Finance, which was attached at Appendix 3 to the report and that the additional costs could be met from existing salary budget.

The report also explained that Article 12 of the Council’s constitution would need to be amended to reflect the changes to the officer roles and responsibilities, and requested that the Committee approve the changes set out in Appendix 4 of the report for onward submission to Council.  The Committee noted that this Appendix would be further amended before submission to Council to ensure that the titles of Executive Director roles were consistent throughout the document and to keep the role of Executive Director of Resources in section 12.1.2b to allow this role to be refilled in future if required.

Resolved:

(1)      That the Corporate Management Team structure set out at Appendix 2 to the report be approved in principle, and a new Director of Finance post be created;

(2)      That the designations in the amended Article 12 of the Constitution attached at Appendix 4 to the report be submitted to Council for approval.