Agenda and minutes

Members are asked to declare any interests in the items under consideration and in doing so state:

(1) the type of interest concerned; and

(2) the nature of the interest concerned

If any member requires advice on declarations of interests, they are advised to contact the Head of Democratic Governance in advance of the meeting.

There were no declarations of interest.

To agree the minutes of the last meeting held on 4 July 2014 as a true and correct record.

The Committee agreed that the minutes of the meeting held on 4 July 2014 be signed by the Chairman as a correct record.

To consider the Council’s Pay Policy Statement and the scale of fees for elections and to recommend Council accordingly.

The Committee noted that the Council was required to produce a pay policy statement for the 2015/16 financial year that set out chief officer salaries, remuneration of its lowest paid employees, the definition used for this group and the reason for adopting that definition.  The Statement was also required to set out the relationship between chief officer remuneration and that of other staff as well as a number of areas recommended by guidance from the Department for Communities and Local Government.

Members were reminded that the Pay Policy incorporated the fee paid the Returning Officer and a revised schedule of fees for staff employed by him in carrying out duties as an election was submitted for consideration.  It was reported that a number of minor changes had been proposed that would assist with external recruitment and were proportionate to the roles undertaken.

The Committee agreed:

To recommend to Council that the Pay Policy Statement and the scale of fees for elections be approved.

The Committee is asked to approve the commissioning of the Hay Group to assist the Chief Executive in a review of the Chief Officer structure.

Members were aware that a number of temporary changes had taken place over the previous year in relation to the Council’s senior management structure, namely the secondment of a chief officer to Blackpool Coastal Housing and the interim arrangements following the resignation of the former Director of Children’s Services.

The Chief Executive emphasised the importance of establishing a sustainable structure for the organisation that was fit for purpose and allowed retention and attraction of a strong senior management team.  He also highlighted that the statutory posts of Director of Children’s Services and Director of Adult Services, in particular were subject to a high level of challenge and external scrutiny in terms of performance.

Members considered the proposals for commissioning the Hay Group, as a specialist service that has had previous experience of working with the Council in respect of the chief officer core, to work with the Chief Executive, in reviewing the senior management structure.

The Committee agreed:

1.             To authorise the Chief Executive to commission the Hay Group to assist him in an evaluation of the authority’s senior management structural arrangements.

2.             To note that a paper will be presented to the Chief Officer Employment Committee in June regarding the outcome of the review.