Agenda item

The Committee considered a report that provided information on the vacant post of Head of Service, Worcestershire Regulatory Services (WRS) and the intention of partner authorities not to recruit to this vacant post.  Members were asked to consider the appointment of an ‘Acting’ Head of Service for WRS until a final decision on the future structure of WRS had been considered and agreed.

Mr. I. Pumfrey, Chairman, Worcestershire Regulatory Services (WRS) Management Board introduced the report and informed Members that the post of Head of Service, WRS became vacant on 31st January 2015 and that the WRS Partnership agreement delegated a number of functions directly to the Head of Service, WRS from partners authorities.  It was therefore necessary that those delegated functions continued, pending a decision on the permanent appointment of a Head of Service, WRS, in order to demonstrate continuity of delegation, particularly in any enforcement action undertaken by WRS officers.

The report recommended that the Chairman of the WRS Management Board, as an experienced member of the Board with experience in regulatory services, be appointed as Acting Head of Service, WRS in order that the delegated functions continued until the potential new shape of WRS was agreed.  It was not proposed to try and provide full time cover for the acting role as some of the workloads required to cover the vacancy would be best met by the two WRS Business Managers.  It was anticipated that the acting role would require an input of around one day per week, although this would vary week on week depending on the exigencies of the service.  Section 151 (s151) officers had been consulted on the proposals for an Acting Head of Service, WRS and were in agreement that the relevant partner council should be reimbursed in respect of the costs incurred in providing cover for the Head of Service functions. Those costs would be met from savings accrued from the vacant Head of Service, WRS post and would be reimbursed to the relevant partner council.

As highlighted in the report, following on from the unsuccessful outcome of the procurement for a strategic partnership there was now a need to develop and bring forward proposals to ensure the future sustainability of WRS.  The view of both partner Chief Executives and the WRS Management Board was that recruitment of a new Head of Service, WRS should be delayed until these changes were agreed to ensure a correct skills match.

Mr. I. Pumfrey, Chairman, Worcestershire Regulatory Services (WRS) Management Board responded to Members’ questions and highlighted that the Business Managers were highly regarded and had already taken on a substantial amount of additional work for the service; that it would be unfair to expect the Business Managers to shape a service and structure on which they may be competing, and that strategic management rationale was required.  Members were reassured with regard to the rotation of the Chairman, WRS Management Board in June each year, that all of the WRS Management Board representatives had the necessary management skills required to fulfil the post of Acting Head of Service, WRS.

RESOLVED:

a)    that the intention of the partner authorities not to recruit to the vacant Head of Service, Worcestershire Regulatory Services post pending further consideration of the future direction and structure of the service, be approved ;

b)    that the Chairman, Worcestershire Regulatory Services, Management Board be appointed as the “Acting Head of Service” for Worcestershire Regulatory Services and that this arrangement would continue pending a final decision on the future structure of the service; and

c)    that a reimbursement to the partner authority for whom the Chairman of the Management Board / Acting Head of Service is employed to reflect the costs of that officer being made available to carry out the Acting Head of Service functions.