Agenda item

Report of the Cabinet Member Finance

The Human Resources Manager introduced the report and explained that in June 2015 the Council recommended that the Deputy s151 Officer, Paul Jones, be designated, on an interim secondment basis, to the role of Section 151 Officer for a period of 18 months to free up capacity to allow the Council’s designated s151 Officer to spend his time leading on a number of key corporate projects. The permanent designated Section 151 Officer, Mark Sheldon, had now confirmed his wish to permanently relinquish Section 151 duties and this presented the Council with an opportunity to make the current interim arrangements permanent.

She explained that the recommended option was that Paul Jones be appointed as the permanent designated Section 151 Officer employed directly by Cheltenham BC. The Council would then enter into a secondment agreement with the Forest of Dean Council which represented an arrangement which all parties were fully agreeable to.

The following points were raised and responses given :

·         Paul Jones would become a full time permanent employee of Cheltenham Borough Council and CBC would second him to the Forest of Dean District Council to perform his S151 duties for that authority. The Forest of Dean would contribute to his salary. His role also now included managing the Revenues and Benefits service. He would be on CBC’s terms and conditions and subject to the CBC Director level pay and grading structure due to the responsibilities of the role.

·         The council had a statutory duty to appoint a designated Section 151 Officer, employed directly by the local authority but Paul Jones had been seconded to fulfil his S151 officer duties within the 2020 partnership

·         The Cabinet Member Finance remarked that Paul Jones had enjoyed his role within the partnership which had provided him with an insight into the diversity of an urban versus an rural council. He had shared his knowledge and good practice in both councils which had been hugely beneficial.

·         When asked if the role of the former S151 Officer was changing by implication of his responsibilities, the Human Resources Manager explained that the Head of Paid Service would be looking at this as part of a senior management restructure. On the benchmarking completed to date, his salary had not been reviewed due to the additional duties he had taken on although this did not guarantee his salary moving forward.

RESOLVED THAT

1.    the content of this report be agreed

2.    the salary grade and job description for the post of Chief Finance Officer be approved.

3.    the permanent appointment of the interim s151 Officer, Paul Jones, to the Chief Finance Officer role (to include the role of Section 151 Officer) with effect from 28^th March 2017 be approved.

4.    an onward recommendation be made to Council for designation to the role of Chief Finance Officer (to include the role of Section 151 Officer)

Council be recommended

To designate Paul Jones permanently to the role of Chief Finance Officer (to include the role of Section 151 Officer) with effect from 28^th March 2017.