Members of the Cabinet are asked to consider whether they have any disclosable pecuniary or non pecuniary interests in connection with any item(s) on this agenda and, if so, to declare them and state the nature of the interest.

No declarations of interest were received.

A report by the Chief Executive set out proposals for the first stage of a restructuring of the management of the Council. 

The Chief Executive introduced his report and informed that a major concern of the Improvement Board was that the Council had lacked a strategic and co-ordinated focus and the proposals detailed in the report would address this.

The report set out the current management arrangements, proposed the creation of three Strategic Director posts, as follows, and detailed their proposed roles and areas of responsibility:

·  Strategic Director: Families and Wellbeing.

·  Strategic Director: Transformation and Resources.

·  Strategic Director: Regeneration and Environment.

The report also proposed a new recruitment procedure. In addition to these three new posts the existing posts of Head of Communication and Community Engagement and the Director of Public Health would report directly the Chief Executive. The Director of Public Health had already assumed responsibility for performance and commissioning, and it was proposed that she would also assume responsibility for Policy. The role would be re-named as the Director of Policy, Performance and Public Health.

It was proposed that the Strategic Directors would deputise for the Chief Executive on a rotational basis in his absence, and that the grade for the posts would be equivalent to the current Deputy Chief Executive (DCE) grade: £109,626 - £121,807. It was proposed that this grade would be re-designated to Strategic Director grade (SD). These grades had been benchmarked against comparable grades elsewhere in the region.

The additional cost of £365,421 would be met by reducing costs via the restructuring of the overall management function. This would be met in full by reducing costs via the restructuring of the overall management function, a further report in relation to the review of senior management structures; financial savings implications arising and any other possible associated savings would be produced within the next three months.

In addition, the report sought approval to extend and confirm the current acting and interim senior management arrangements.

The report also sought approval to amend the Council’s Scheme of Delegation to Officers to include the proposed Strategic Director posts, and extend and confirm the current acting and interim senior management arrangements, as required.

Councillor Ann McLachlan welcomed the report and the proposal within because it would ensure that the Council delivered on its Improvement Plan.  She considered that restructuring was over due and a leaner organisation would deliver value for money for the Council Tax Payers of Wirral.

Councillor Phil Davies told the Cabinet that he was pleased to receive this report early in the Chief Executive’s tenure of office.  It had been made clear that the Council must create strategic leadership capacity, address its corporate governance issues and break down departmental silos, whilst continuing to review senior management costs.  He welcomed the model being put forward to do this.  It was one that had been tried and tested and found to be effective in other local authorities.  The Cabinet now had an evidence base that the proposals would address  ...  view the full minutes text for item 83.