Issue - meetings

Better for Less Transformation Programme

Meeting: 04/10/2011 - Cabinet (Item 5)

5 Better for Less Programme - Establishment of New Models for Customer Contact and Administration PDF 136 KB

Minutes:

Background:

This report provided details of the Better for Less Programme with particular regard to the establishment of new models for customer contact and administration. The programme had been agreed as part of the Council Plan 2011/2012 and that following extensive staff engagement, new models of shared customer contact and administration had been developed which would build on the existing practice present in different parts of the Council. These models were scheduled to be implemented in four phases over three years, with the first phase due to go live in January 2012.

The report stated that the models and associated staffing changes had been subject to formal consultation with those staff potentially affected within phase 1 services and it was noted that the numbers included in the consultation had been significant at over 500.

The report stated that the Council was complying with the requirements of its Diversity Impact Assessment process. A Diversity Impact Assessment was being carried out considering any issues that might arise as a result of staffing restructures and that this would be reported to a future meeting of the Employment Matters Committee.

Decision number:	Decision:
122/2011	The Cabinet approved the establishment of the new models of customer contact and administration, as set out in paragraph 3 of the report and appendices 2 and 3 and delegated authority to the Chief Executive, in consultation with the Leader, to make any minor modifications required to the customer contact and administration models flowing from consideration of counter proposals.
123/2011	The Cabinet recommended the Council to delegate authority to the Chief Executive, in consultation with the Leader, to implement any subsequent restructure that crosses directorate boundaries as set out in paragraph 3 of the report.
124/2011	The Cabinet recommended to Council that the budget for Libraries totalling £4.1m be transferred from Business Support to the Regeneration, Community and Culture Directorate.
125/2011	The Cabinet recommend to Council that the Chief Finance Officer, in consultation with the Deputy Leader, be given delegated authority to make such budget transfers across directorate headings as required to implement the new models of customer contact and administration, for this and subsequent phases of implementation, with reports of the delegations exercised to be included in quarterly budget monitoring reports to Cabinet and Overview and Scrutiny Committees.

Reasons:

The authority, to make the structural and budget changes, is required to allow implementation of the new models for customer contact and administration. Staff recruitment to the new model is scheduled to take place from November onwards, to allow the new models to go live for phase 1 services in January 2012.