Councillor
Tahir Rafiq, Cabinet Member for Corporate Affairs and HR, presented
the report which outlined an update in respect of the restructure
of the Children & Young People’s Department Senior
Management Restructure.
Decision:
Cabinet:
- noted the
update on the Children & Young People’s Department Senior
Management Restructure, including work to implement the new
structure following conclusion of staff consultation.
- recommend
that Council approve in principle the release of the Strategic Lead
(Schools System) and disestablishment of their role following their
request for Voluntary Early Retirement with Severance submitted
through the consultation process. – This would attract
severance costs of £37,409 (which will be met by the
Department) and capital costs of £101,325 related to the
early release of pension benefits (which will be met centrally by
the fund held by the Greater Manchester Pension Fund on behalf of
the Council for this purpose). (These costs will vary very slightly
dependant on the exact leaving date).
- Agreed to
delegate to the Chief Executive, in consultation with the Executive
Director of Children and Young People, Director of People &
Inclusion and the Cabinet Members for Children’s Services and
HR and Corporate Affairs, final approval and the specific timing of
redundancy linked to the completion of a number of strategic
deliverables.
- recommend
that Council approve the redesignation and revaluation of one of
the two Assistant Director (Regeneration Delivery) roles (Chief
Officer Band D, £83,865-£90,992) to Director of
Regeneration and Project Delivery (Chief Officer Band E,
£93,102 - £101,596) to reflect the transfer of
responsibility for Schools’ Capital Development to this role
and also an expanded remit in relation to housing growth and
development following the departure of the former Director of
Housing.
Reasons for
recommendation(s):
- Following
cabinet approval in January 2024, the Children & Young
People’s Department has undertaken consultation with
employees and trade unions in relation to a revised Senior
Management structure.
- Following
this consultation, final structural changes have now been agreed
for implementation by the Executive Director of Children and Young
People and the Cabinet Members for Children’s Services and HR
and Corporate Affairs, in consultation with the Director of People
and Inclusion, Monitoring Officer and S151 Officer in line with the
agreement of Cabinet in January.
- Two aspects
of these changes require separate and specific approval by Cabinet
and, ultimately, Council in-line with the requirements of the
Localism Act and the Council constitution. The deletion of the post
of Strategic Lead (School System) and the subsequent Early
Retirement of the post holder will:
- Along
with other measures in the restructure, result in an overall cost
saving to the Council of circa £41k on an ongoing
basis.
- Allow
for a delayering of tiers within the Education & Skills
Division, bringing the Department fully into line with agreed
organisational design principals.
- Allow
for a more balanced and coherent Education & Skills management
team to support the Director of Education & Skills.
- Allow
for an improved alignment of functions both within the Department
and wider Council to support the delivery of
objectives.
The
transfer of responsibility for school’s capital development
into the current Assistant Director (Regeneration Delivery) role
moves this function into the Council’s centre of expertise
for capital development, alongside other similar functions to
ensure work can be overseen and delivered coherently as part of the
Council’s overarching Capital Programme
Alternative
options considered and rejected:
The initial
operating model, developed as a basis for consultation, included a
structure in which the post of Strategic Lead (School System) was
retained. However, feedback received during the consultation period
and further consideration of options indicates that service
priorities can be delivered in a more effective manner through the
deletion of this role and transfer of functions to other areas of
the service and wider Council.