To receive an oral report from the Strategic Director.
Minutes:
(Time: 4.35pm to 4.43pm)
The Executive received and considered a briefing note of the Strategic Director regarding the appointment of a Joint Head of Finance under the shared service contract with South Oxfordshire District Council. The Executive had resolved on 23 February 2006 that the Council should enter into a service provision contract jointly with South Oxfordshire District Council for Capita Business Services Limited to provide Revenues, Benefits and Payments services to both Councils (minute Ex.218 refers). Furthermore, the Executive had resolved that the Council should enter into a shared services agreement with South Oxfordshire District Council to provide Accountancy, Benefit Counter Fraud and Revenues and Benefits Client services jointly (minute Ex.217 refers).
Since then all three parties had concluded negotiations and signed the service contract. The contract start date had been agreed as Monday 31 July 2006 which was also the date on which the affected staff would be transferred to Capita. The contract was for seven years. All three parties were preparing for the start of the contract and planning the various change management projects associated with the migration to new computer systems. Staff continued to be involved through the ongoing consultation exercise.
South Oxfordshire and this Council had committed to the creation of 'Ridgeway SSP' (shared services partnership), the joint service team with responsibility for the services. This was not a separate legal entity but instead the two accountancy sections would be merged, as would the Benefit Counter Fraud sections and the Revenues and Benefits Client team to manage the Capita contract. A Joint Head of Finance, William Jacob, had been appointed to manage Ridgeway SSP from 1 June 2006. Three South Oxfordshire staff would be transferred to the Vale. These appointments represented the creation of the SSP, which would continue to develop as other posts were filled in the coming months. The two Councils were finalising a Memorandum of Understanding setting out the initial governance arrangements, which would serve until such time as a more comprehensive Shared Service Agreement was concluded. Both Councils had designated Members to serve on the Joint Strategic Board.
The Joint Head of Finance would perform most of the functions of the current Deputy Director (Financial Services) post, with the Strategic Director (Chief Finance Officer) absorbing the remainder. This being the case, it was considered that the existing Deputy Director (Financial Services) post should be deleted from the Vale's establishment and senior management structure, to be replaced by the Joint Head of Finance post.
In answer to a question from a Member, reassurances were given that the Joint Head of Finance would be accountable to both Councils through the Ridgeway SSP Board and the two Strategic Directors. South Oxfordshire would undertake the personnel management role and had appointed Mr Jacob, after consultation with this Council's Strategic Director. It was agreed that the Strategic Director would advise the Councillor outside of the meeting of the level of residual work he would undertake following the deletion of the Deputy Director post.
RESOLVED (by five votes to nil with one abstention)
that the Personnel, Regulatory and Appeals Committee be recommended that the post of Deputy Director (Financial Services) be deleted from the Vale's establishment. Instead, most of the duties of the post will be performed by the Ridgeway SSP Joint Head of Finance.