Agenda item

Leadership Group - Proposals for New Leadership Arrangements

Meeting of Teams Meeting - Appointments, Renumeration and Chief Officer Conduct Committee, Appointments, Remuneration and Chief Officer Conduct Committee, Wednesday, 19th January, 2022 2.15 pm (Item 17.)

Report of the Chief Executive (SO/21/2) outlining Proposals for New Leadership Arrangements in Devon County Council, attached.

Decision:

RESOLVED

(a) that the proposed re-configuration of Council services and the changes to the leadership of services be noted;

(b) that a period of consultation about the proposals for the new strategic level Leadership Team be agreed, noting:

(i) that the revised leadership team and leadership arrangements will supersede the current LG8/LG14 arrangements and will require new reporting arrangements for some LG14 members.

(ii) that the proposals will bring an end to the interim structural and reporting arrangements, some of which will have been in place since January 2021 pending the Council elections in May 2021.

(c) delegate authority to the Chief Executive to make the final decision on the structural proposals following consideration of consultation feedback; and

(d) that the commencement of the recruitment process for a new Chief Officer Integrated Adult Care be approved, given there are no changes proposed to the post.

Minutes:

The Committee considered the Report of the Chief Executive (SO/21/2) outlining proposals for new Leadership Arrangements.

The Committee noted that there had not been an opportunity to make significant changes in respect of the configuration and leadership of Council services for a number of years, however the planned retirement of a number of Heads of Service and Chief Officers in a six month timeframe provided the opportunity to review the configuration of services and make some proposals for changes.

The impact of the Global Pandemic on the working of the Council had been profound and it now faced a prolonged period of adjustment, as coexisting with the virus and recovery from some of the longer-term changes, for example exit from the EU, the cost of living, labour and property markets and key sectors of the economy such as hospitality and retail as well as the need to respond to the Climate Emergency.

These leadership proposals gave the opportunity to reshape the Council’s officer leadership, and the way that leadership operated, drawing on changed working practices and the priorities expressed in the new strategic plan.

A key principle behind the proposed changes was to simplify and clarify the leadership roles and responsibilities.

Services areas would be called:

· Children and Young People’s Futures

· Integrated Adult Care

· Finance and Public Value

· Public Health, Communities and Citizen Engagement

· Climate Change, Environment, Connectivity and Growth.

· Transformation and Resources

· Legal and Democratic Services

To go alongside the new service structures, the proposed changes would result in a reduction in one post and a much smaller leadership team. The new strategic leadership team was proposed to consist of 6 roles reporting to the Chief Executive. These would be:

· Director of Climate Change, Environment, Connectivity and Growth

· Director of Public Health, Communities and Citizen Engagement

· Director of Transformation and Resources

· Director of Integrated Adult Care

· Director of Children and Young People’s Futures

· Director of Finance and Public Value

There would be a Deputy Director post for Legal and Democratic Services (which would also fulfil the Monitoring Officer, Proper Officer and Returning Officer functions) which would report directly to the Chief Executive, in line with the desire for all statutory posts to do so.

Once the new strategic leadership team was in place, a new ‘tactical’ tier of leadership would be formed which would include existing deputies, Heads of other services and leadership representatives from across the full range of Council Services.

This tactical tier would enable the Strategic Leadership Team to focus on the strategic business and provide organisation-wide leadership and coordination to deliver against the strategic plan priorities. It was also envisaged that each Director would hold strategic responsibility for one of the Strategic Plan priorities.

It was proposed that the consultation period would commence in mid February for a three week period. Following this decisions would be made and the revised leadership structure confirmed. New posts subject to external recruitment would be advertised, and any other recruitment processes needed would take place.

The Chief Executive emphasised this was a proposal and was subject to a consultation process as outlined above.

Members asked questions and raised the following matters in discussion

· the desire to see ‘Performance’ within a Director title (raised prior to the meeting by Councillor Connett and reported by the Chief Executive);

· the role of the Youth Service, the rationale for it remaining with the Communities portfolio and improved links to the Children’s Scrutiny Committee;

· the role of the Communications team and the importance of capitalising on ‘good news’ stories;

· the new structures and their improved links with the newly approved Strategic Plan as well as the Cabinet remits; and

· the need to consider a formal deputy for the Chief Executive, not necessarily a new post, but a mechanism for resilience.

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