Agenda item

The Scrutiny and Overview Committee SUPPORTED:

·         The business plans for the ICT, Legal, Building Control and Waste Shared Services

·         The Terms of Reference for the Shared Services Joint Group.

The Leader of the Council and the Executive Director (Corporate Services) presented the Business Plans for the ICT, Legal, Building Control and Waste Shared Services, and the Terms of Reference for the Shared Services Joint Group.

The following points were discussed and noted regarding the shared services:

ICT Shared Service

·         The committee was informed that the ICT management structure was in place and many of the officer posts had been appointed. There was an Interim Head of Service and the remaining vacant posts would be advertised externally later in the month.

·         Some concern was raised that the structure was potentially top heavy and as such savings from this were questioned. The committee was assured that the structure was not top heavy and that the savings as outlined in the report were significant. Overall there was a headcount saving of 10-14 posts.

·         The structure of the service had been informed by the needs of the service and it was felt that this reflected best practice in the industry.

·         Concern was raised over the language used in the ICT Shared Service Business Plan, particularly in relation to the term ‘roadmap’. It was suggested that this be replaced with the word ‘plan’. Concern was also raised over the term ‘thought management’ and ‘technical architect’.

Building Control Shared Service

·         Concern was raised over the number of staff vacancies in the Building Control Shared Service and the ability to deliver the service as a result. The Executive Director confirmed that this was a concern and that a pay supplement was being put in place for existing and future Building Control staff, as the Council had struggled to recruit to vacancies at the current pay grade. A more permanent mechanism to encourage staff retention was being worked on, as legally the pay supplement could only be in place for one year.

·         It was acknowledged that Building Control was competing with commercial businesses and that this service was dependant on income generated. An advantage of the shared service was that the Council was no longer competing with Cambridge City Council and Huntingdonshire District Council Building Control services.

·         It was clarified that the Council had a statutory duty to provide some building control services but it did not have a duty to employ a service.

·         It was confirmed that a number of agency staff were in post to cover vacancies.

·         Concern was raised over the two Building Control hubs being in Huntingdon and Cambridge City and that none would be in Cambourne. Members were informed that the main interaction for Building Control surveyors with the customer was on the customer’s site and not at these hubs. These hubs were felt to be the best places from which the surveyors could travel to clients’ sites.

Legal Shared Service:

·         Only two permanent posts had been recruited to in the Legal Shared Service and work was ongoing to fill the vacancies. Interviews were taking place at the end of April 2016 for a head of the shared service.

Governance arrangements were discussed:

·         It was clarified that the Head of Service was responsible for delivery of the service and reported to the Management Board, which consisted of Executive Directors and met on a monthly basis. The Management Board reported to the Senior Officer Board on which the three Councils’ Chief Executives sat. The Senior Officer Board met every six weeks. The Shared Services Joint Group consisted of the three Council Leaders. The Joint Group was meeting in shadow form until it was formally constituted. It would meet formally and in public from September 2016.

Concern was raised over shared service staff morale. Members were informed that it was felt that staff morale was positive in ICT and Waste services, however more work was to be done with Building Control and Legal shared services. It was recognised that the shared services had created uncertainty and staff had been displaced and some made redundant. As a result some other staff had taken up employment opportunities elsewhere or taken the opportunity to retire.

The Scrutiny and Overview Committee SUPPORTED:

·         The business plans for the ICT, Legal, Building Control and Waste Shared Services

·         The Terms of Reference for the Shared Services Joint Group.

The committee requested a further shared services update in July 2016. In particular an update on recruitment in building control and legal services was requested.