Issue - meetings

Consideration was given to a Business Case prepared by Serco for joint and shared working between Bromsgrove District Council (BDC) and Redditch Borough Council (RBC) and to the recommendations thereon of the Shared Service Board held on 29th June 2009.  Following discussion it was

RECOMMENDED:

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

(2)       that 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 2012/2013; and

(b)       authority be delegated to BDC’s Head of Legal Equalities and Democratic Services and Head of Financial Services in consultation with the Leader to determine and agree the necessary amendments to the Acting Joint Chief Executive’s contract of employment and to the Secondment Agreement;

(3)       that any costs associated with recommendation (2)(b) above be shared equally by BDC and RBC;

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

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

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

(a)       the structure of the single joint management team;

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

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

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

(e)       savings achieved to date from shared services and an indication of how other Councils following the same route have progressed.

(7)       that the post of Joint Chief Executive be re-evaluated for the duration of the extension to the secondment arrangements and that the WMLGA be requested to undertake this;

(8)       that 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

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