Decision details

(Cabinet Member with Special Responsibility Councillor Thomas)

The Chief Executive submitted a report to seek Cabinet’s approval to the filling of established vacancies where recommended and to review the process for approval to the filling of established vacancies.

The options, options analysis, including risk assessment, were set out in the report as follows:

Approval for the filling of current vacancies

The information contained within each form provides details related to the risks of not filling the related vacancy.  Cabinet has the option of releasing funding on either a time limited or permanent basis or withholding funding.  If funding is not released, there will be an impact on Service provision.  If funding is time limited, it will be more difficult and possibly more expensive to fill a post.

The Officer preferred option is to fill those posts as recommended by Service Heads unless Cabinet identifies the work as being of a low priority.

Review of process for the filling of established vacancies

(a)        That the status quo is maintained, whereby Cabinet approval is required for the filling of established vacancies.

(b)        That the process set out in 1.3 of the report is reinstated (the procedure that was in place prior to Cabinet resolving to implement the current process).

The Officer preferred option is that Cabinet reinstates the previous process of Service Head delegation, noting that Cabinet Members can discuss turnover issues with Service Heads in the Services they oversee.

It was moved by Councillor Langhorn and seconded by Councillor Archer:-

“That the recommendations, as set out in the report, be approved.”

Members then voted:-

Resolved:

(8 Members (Councillors Archer, Ashworth, Barry, Blamire, Bryning, Fletcher, Kerr and Langhorn) voted in favour, 1 Member (Councillor Mace) voted against and 1 Member (Councillor Thomas) abstained)

(1)        That Cabinet agrees that the vacancies recommended for filling by Service Heads are filled as soon as possible.

(2)        That the Revenue Budget be updated accordingly, for any deleted or deferred posts.

(3)               That Cabinet reinstates the previous process of Service Head delegation, noting that Cabinet Members can discuss turnover issues with Service Heads in the Services they oversee.

Officers responsible for effecting the decision:

Chief Executive

Head of Financial Services.

Reasons for making the decision:

Resolution (1) enables the decision made at Cabinet on 11^th November 2008, removing the delegated decision making to fill employee vacancies away from Service Heads to Cabinet, to be implemented.

Resolution (3) removes the extra layer of bureaucracy added by Cabinet’s involvement by returning to the procedure in place prior to 11^th November 2008, whilst noting that Cabinet Members can discuss turnover issues with Service Heads in the Services they oversee.