Issue - meetings

To receive and consider the report of the Deputy Chief Executive.

The Shared Service Lead - Transformation and Partnerships, Vicky Willett, presented the confidential report of the Deputy Chief Executive which provides an update on the approach and next steps for the phase 2 service review process.

Phase 2 of shared services was considered by both councils in November 2020, approving the shared Chief Executive and Director posts, alongside the progression of shared services arrangements for ICT and Customer Services functions.

The shared Directors were recruited to successfully and started in post on 4 January. The shared leadership and management team will now be reviewing their directorates to identify further opportunities for sharing.

ICT and Customer Services have already been identified for sharing, the next step for these services is to undertake a full service review to maximise the benefits of sharing and enable the services to develop a single shared operating model; a key aim of the shared services principles agreed in 2019.

Members noted the difficulties in undertaking changes during the current Covid-19 restrictions, but also considered the need for staff to know how their jobs will be moving forwards.  Officers are in regular contact with the Union who accept that change has to move forward. 

The impact of Covid-19 on the approach to work from home and amount of office space needed is being evaluated. 

Members noted the issues currently with the modern.gov private app.  This is due to an Apple upgrade and has impacted on many apps.  It is hoped that the issue will be resolved shortly and, in the interim, members have access to the extranet or the legacy app. 

It is hoped that a report outlining plans for ICT will be presented to the next meeting and then Customer Services to a following meeting. 

Decision (unanimously)

1.         To agree the approach for the phase 2 service reviews.

2.         To approve for the Chief Executive to put in place interim staffing arrangements to support the shared leadership and management team where these changes are within budget and there is no risk to redundancy.