Issue - meetings

The report will propose a revised support service to elected Members and set out the reorganisation of staffing in Local Democracy &Member Services  for agreement.

The Assistant Chief Executive presented the report which set out the reorganisation of Local Democracy and Member’s Services with the timetable for implementation outlined in paragraph 7.5 of the report. The proposals involved deleting 13 posts and the remaining structure provided 17 posts with greater or lesser degrees of changes to job descriptions. The service offer to be provided by the new structure was set out in page 54 of the agenda pack and a visual presentation of the reorganised structure was also set out in Appendix 2 of the interleaved report for members to consider. Staff consultation information along with the trade union response to the consultation was also attached. Members noted that ,where there were staff  ringfenced for more than one position, they would still undertake one interview and be asked to state their preference order for the positions. The interview questions would be wide ranging to also reflect the positions that were being applied for.

Members enquired about the future plans for mayoral transport .It was noted that there would be a forthcoming review of mayoral transportation. The  service had already utilised on the expiry of the existing car lease by altering the arrangements to allow less usage of motor transport. Travel to future mayoral engagements, where motor transport was the only option, had been looked at and it had been calculated that there would need to be provision of this to 70 engagements.  The majority of the remaining engagements the Mayor was envisaged to make independent transportation plans for.

The Committee were advised that a member appointment panel had that morning, following an interview process, appointed David McNulty, to the post of Head of Local Democracy and Member Services .

RESOLVED

1. That the Member support Service offer from LDMS at appendix 3 be noted.
2. That the staffing structure at appendix 2 be agreed taking into account the responses to formal consultation detailed in paragraph 11 and appendix 5 and also paying due regard to the authority’s public sector equalities duties.