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Agenda, decisions and minutes

Venue: Teams Meeting

Contact: Karen Strahan 01392 382264  Email: karen.strahan@devon.gov.uk

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Items
Note No. Item

*

11.

Minutes

Minutes of the meeting held on 20 October 2021, previously circulated.

Decision:

RESOLVED that the minutes of the meeting held on 20 October 2021 be signed as a correct record.

Minutes:

RESOLVED that the minutes of the meeting held on 20 October 2021 be signed as a correct record.

*

12.

Items Requiring Urgent Attention

Items which in the opinion of the Chair should be considered at the meeting as a matter of urgency.

Minutes:

There was no item raised as a matter of urgency.

13.

Interim Arrangements on the Retirement of the County Solicitor and Head of Digital Transformation and Business Support pdf icon PDF 362 KB

Report of the Chief Executive on the interim arrangements following the retirement of the current County Solicitor and Head of Digital Transformation and Business Support, attached.

Decision:

RESOLVED

 

(a) that the interim arrangements as outlined in section 2 following the retirement of the County Solicitor: Chief Officer for Legal, Communications and Human Resources; and the Head of Digital Transformation and Business Support be noted and endorsed;

 

(b) that Council be recommended to agree the interim appointment of the current Deputy County Solicitor from the 4th December 2021 as the County Monitoring Officer and the Proper Officer for the Registration service; and

 

(c) that whilst it was anticipated that firm proposals on revised Leadership structures would be brought to the Committee in the new year, if any delay was encountered, then the Committee will review the interim arrangements again, no later than mid-March 2022.

Minutes:

The Committee considered the Report of the Chief Executive on the proposed interim arrangements on the retirement of the County Solicitor: Chief Officer for Legal, Communications and Human Resources and Head of Digital Transformation and Business Support.

 

The Committee noted that the County Solicitor: Chief Officer for Legal, Communications and Human Resources had responsibility for legal services; registration of births, marriages and deaths; HM Coroners; communications, human resources and democratic support and scrutiny and was due to retire on the 3rd December 2021.

 

The current postholder Head of Digital Transformation and Business Support had responsibility for IT, procurement, property management, business support, customer relations, and Information Governance and was due to retire from the Council’s employ on the 31st January 2021.

 

It was proposed that the Deputy County Solicitor during the interim period would be responsible for:

 

·         Legal Services and to act as County Monitoring Officer;

·         Democratic Services, Scrutiny and Member Support;

·         Registration of Births, Deaths and Marriages and to act as Proper Officer;

·         Coronial Services and resources to support the Senior Coroner for Exeter and Greater Devon; and

·         the Council’s insurance fund.

 

The Head of Human Resources and the Head of Communication would report to the Chief Executive until new leadership arrangements were in place. 

 

In relation to the Head of Digital Transformation and Business Support, interim arrangements would be put in place from within the existing leadership team for this service area. 

 

It was noted that interim arrangements would be put in place for both leadership roles, until such time as the Chief Executive recommended a new structure and the Committee and Council approved the appointment of related leadership posts.  The interim solution ensured that statutory roles such as Monitoring Officer and Proper Officer were undertaken effectively.

 

It was MOVED by Councillor Hart, SECONDED by Councillor McInnes and

 

RESOLVED

 

(a) that the interim arrangements as outlined in section 2 following the retirement of the County Solicitor: Chief Officer for Legal, Communications and Human Resources; and the Head of Digital Transformation and Business Support be noted and endorsed;

 

(b) that Council be recommended to agree the interim appointment of the current Deputy County Solicitor from the 4th December 2021 as the County Monitoring Officer and the Proper Officer for the Registration service; and

 

(c) that whilst it was anticipated that firm proposals on revised Leadership structures would be brought to the Committee in the new year, if any delay was encountered, then the Committee will review the interim arrangements again, no later than mid-March 2022.


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