Agenda item

To consider the recommendations of the meeting of the Shared Services Board on 29 June 2009 (and subsequently of the Executive Committee) in respect of the Shared Services arrangements between Redditch Borough Council and Bromsgrove District Council and the post of Acting Joint Chief Executive of the two authorities.

 

(In view of the fact that it contains information relating to an individual or which is likely to reveal the identity of an individual and contemplated consultations or negotiations in connection with labour relation matters between the authority and employees of the authority, this report will not be for publication and will be circulated only to relevant Officers and Members of the Council. In view of this, it is anticipated that discussion of this matter will take place after the exclusion of the public).

 

 

(Shared Services Board Minutes attached – Covering Report to follow.

 

The Shared Services Business Case has previously been made available to all Members electronically and copies will be provided in the Group Rooms ad on request to Committee Services. Otherwise, the Business Case will be available through the Council’s Website at a link which will be forwarded to all Members on e-mail.)

The Council considered the recommendations of the meeting of the Shared Services Board of 29th June 2009 and those of the Executive Committee meeting held immediately prior to the Council meeting in respect of the Business Case for joint and shared working arrangements between Redditch Borough Council and Bromsgrove District Council and the post of Acting Joint Chief Executive of the two authorities.   Prior to the debate, the Mayor announced his intention to take separate votes on each of the recommendations before Members.

 

Members were referred to the covering report and recommendations appended under Additional Papers 1 and informed of two amendments which had been agreed by the Executive Committee, to the printed recommendations, namely that recommendation 2.b).i) be deleted, as it dealt with business for Bromsgrove District Council, and 2.b.ii) be amended to correct Officer Titles. 

 

A further amendment to 2.c) to correct an error relating to the reference to recommendation 2.b) was also agreed by Council.  

 

A notice of an amendment was proposed by Councillor Hartnett, Leader of the Opposition.  The amendment proposed that:

 

“decision on all the proposed recommendations be deferred for public consultation.”  

 

On Cllr Hartnett’s requisition, and in accordance with Standing Order 16, the following Named Vote was recorded in respect of the proposed amendment:

 

Members voting FOR the amendment:

 

Councillors Chance, Cookson, Hartnett, Hunt, R King, W King, Shurmer and Taylor.  (8 votes)

 

Members voting AGAINST the amendment to the motion:

 

Councillors Anderson, Banks, Braley, Brunner, Chalk, A Clayton, B Clayton, Enderby, Gandy, Hall, Hicks, Hopkins, MacMillan, Norton, Pearce, Quinney, Smith and Thomas.  (18 votes)

 

Members abstaining from voting:

 

None.

 

Accordingly, the amendment fell.  

 

The Council then considered the original motion, to approve recommendation 1, as printed in Additional Papers 1.

 

On requisition of a Member, and in accordance with Standing Order 16, the following Named Vote was recorded :

Members voting FOR  Recommendation 1:

 

Councillors Anderson, Banks, Braley, Brunner, Chalk, A Clayton, B Clayton, Enderby, Gandy, Hall, Hicks, Hopkins, MacMillan, Norton, Pearce, Quinney, Smith and Thomas.  (18 votes)

 

Members voting AGAINST the motion:

 

Councillors Chance, Cookson, Hartnett, Hunt, R King, W King, Shurmer and Taylor.  (8 votes)

 

Members abstaining from voting:

 

None.

 

Accordingly, the motion was approved and it was therefore

 

RESOLVED that

 

1)         the creation of a single management team be approved;

 

Following further debate, notice of an amendment to recommendation 2.e) was given by Councillor Chance and circulated for Members’ information. 

 

The amendment proposed that: 

 

“e)       the Council’s approach to the Serco case be that the roll out of shared services will be considered on a case by case basis in order to deliver the best possible services across a range of provision and that, in pursuing this approach, the Council acknowledges that:

 

            i)          the business case as produced by Serco requires this Council to continue to pursue joint working with its neighbouring Authorities;

 

            ii)         the Council is committed to delivering effective and efficient services and, where the sharing of service delivery is in the true interest of the people of Redditch, it will be actively and positively pursued;

 

            iii)        in pursuing the Joint working agenda the independence and sovereignty of Redditch will be paramount.”

 

On requisition of a Member, and in accordance with Standing Order 16, the following Named Vote was recorded in respect of the proposed amendment to recommendation 2e):

 

 

 

Members voting FOR the amendment to the motion:

 

Councillors Chance, Cookson, Hartnett, Hunt, R King, W King, Shurmer and Taylor.  (8 votes)

 

Members voting AGAINST the amendment to the motion:

 

Councillors Anderson, Banks, Braley, Brunner, Chalk, A Clayton, B Clayton, Enderby, Gandy, Hall, Hicks, Hopkins, MacMillan, Norton, Pearce, Quinney, Smith and Thomas.  (18 votes)

 

Members abstaining from voting:

 

None.

 

Accordingly, the motion to amend Recommendation 2e) fell. 

 

The Council then considered the original motion, as proposed by Councillor Gandy, to approve, subject to the agreed amendments, the Executive Committee’s Recommendation 2. 

 

On requisition of a Member, and in accordance with Standing Order 16, the following Named Vote was recorded in respect of Recommendation 2 and its agreed amendments:

 

Members voting FOR the motion:

 

Councillors Anderson, Banks, Braley, Brunner, Chalk, A Clayton, B Clayton, Cookson, Enderby, Gandy, Hall, Hicks, Hopkins, MacMillan, Norton, Pearce, Quinney, Smith and Thomas.  (19 votes)

 

Members voting AGAINST the motion:

 

Councillors Chance, Hartnett, Hunt, R King, W King, Shurmer and Taylor.  (7 votes)

 

Members abstaining from voting:

 

None.

 

Accordingly, the motion was approved and it was therefore

 

RESOLVED that

 

2)         in pursuit of the above:

 

a)         the current secondment arrangements in relation to the Acting Joint Chief Executive be extended up to the end of 2012/13;

 

b)        authority be delegated to Redditch Borough Council’s Head of Legal, Democratic and Property Services and Head of Financial, Revenues and Benefits Services, in consultation with the Leader, to determine and agree the necessary amendments to the Secondment Agreement;

c)         any costs associated with Recommendation (2b) above be shared equally by Bromsgrove District Council and Redditch Borough Council;

 

d)        the post of Acting Joint Chief Executive be re-titled Joint Chief Executive for the duration of the extension to the secondment arrangements;

 

e)         the Business Case as produced by Serco be approved in principle noting the management team response;

 

f)          the Joint Chief Executive be tasked with preparing and presenting more detailed proposals to the Shared Service Board by the first week of September 2009 in relation to:

 

            i)          the structure of the single joint management team;

 

ii)         the detailed financial arrangements to meet the requirements of both Councils’ Medium Term Financial Plans;

 

iii)        details in relation to the legal implications, employment implications and implementation arrangements of a single joint management team; and

 

iv)        a timetable for the implementation of the Business Case to include specific milestones;

 

g)        the post of Joint Chief Executive be re-evaluated for the duration of the extension to the secondment arrangements and that the West Midlands Local Government Association be requested to undertake this; and

 

h)        the Joint Chief Executive be authorised to commence negotiations with the relevant Trade Unions in relation to the creation of a single joint management team and the harmonisation of terms and conditions of employment; and

 

3)         the Concordat between the authorities be reviewed, to ensure that it is sufficiently robust to enable the proposed shared service arrangements to function effectively.

 

(Prior to consideration of this Item, Mr Kevin Dicks (Acting Joint Chief Executive), Mrs Sue Hanley (Acting Deputy Chief Executive), Mrs Teresa Kristunas (Head of Financial, Revenues and Benefits Services) and Mrs Jackie Smith (Director of Housing, Leisure and Customer Services), who were deemed to have personal and prejudicial interests by virtue of their employment with the Council, withdrew from the meeting for its consideration.

 

Mrs Sue Mullins, the Council’s Head of Legal, Democratic and Property Services and Monitoring Officer, who had also withdrawn from the meeting in view of her personal and prejudicial interest was, during the course of the debate, called back into the meeting and remained to provide clarification on legal matters. In the absence of these Officers, Mr Colin Williams of the West Midlands Local Government Association was present, as an independent party, and provided necessary advice to the Council, in response to Members’ queries.)    

 

(Prior to consideration of this matter, and in view of the fact that discussions would necessitate disclosure of exempt information, it was agreed to move to exclude the press and public prior to any debate on the grounds that information would be revealed in relation to the financial or business affairs individuals, including the authority holding that information.

There is nothing exempt, however, in this record of the proceedings.)