Issue - meetings

The report summarises the findings of the Strategic Review of Waverley Borough Council that was completed in December 2016 and the Council’s proposed action plan in response to it.  The consultants’ report and the Council’s proposed action plan are provided in full as Annexes 1 and 2 to the report. 

It is recommended that Members note and consider the findings and recommendations within the report provided by Cratus and, subject to any changes they wish to make, recommend the proposed action plan to the Council for approval. 

Recommendation

It is recommended that the Executive:

1.            note and consider the findings and recommended way forward within the Strategic Review report, attached as Annexe 1; and

2.            subject to any changes or amendments made by the Executive, recommend the proposed action plan attached as Annexe 2 to the Council for approval.

137.1  The way that local government is funded is changing and the Council recognises that it cannot continue to operate in the same way if services are to be protected.  The implications of reduced funding, coupled with the need to deliver high quality services, require the Council to think differently about how service delivery is sustained and supported so that it meets the needs of our communities.  It is also essential that the Council continues to remain positive and ambitious so it is able to plan for the future.

137.2  The Executive therefore agreed in November 2016 to fund a Strategic Review of Waverley Borough Council and, following a procurement exercise, Cratus Communications were appointed to undertake the review.  The review commenced on 21 November 2016 and concluded on 15 December 2016.  The work was neither an inspection nor a peer review of a council in difficulties but was rather a strategic review intended to be a catalyst for Waverley to develop a more ambitious strategic vision and improved ways of working.  These two areas of focus – ‘strategic vision’ and ‘how the council works’ – underpinned the structure and methodology of the consultants’ review, its findings and its recommendations for a way forward.

137.3  Waverley Borough Council’s current vision statement was agreed by the Council when the new Corporate Plan 2016-2019 was agreed in February 2016.  It is to ‘make Waverley a better place to live and Work’.  The plan agreed at that time included four corporate priorities: ‘Customer service’; ‘Community wellbeing’; ‘Environment’ and ‘Value for money’.  There was no formally agreed vision statement in the Council’s previous corporate plan.

137.4  There are numerous factors that have shaped and defined how Waverley currently works as an organisation.  However, in respect of the structure, culture and arrangements relating to the Council’s senior management team, the principal driver is the outcome of the 2013 senior management review. 

137.5  In December 2013, the Council agreed, in order to reduce its support costs, to make a number of changes to the staffing structures in respect of the Council’s senior management team.  The post of Chief Executive was deleted and the post of Deputy Chief Executive was redesignated as Executive Director (who would also fulfil the statutory function of Head of Paid Service).  It was agreed that the civic duties previously undertaken by the Chief Executive would be undertaken by the Mayor, other Council members and other officers as appropriate. 

137.6  The 2013 review aimed to respond to the need to make budget savings but also to respond to the wish articulated by elected members at that time to refocus management responsibility to a greater degree on operational service delivery, performance and customer service and to a lesser degree on strategy, partnership working and non-statutory activity.  A number of other changes were agreed in line with this, including the redesignation of the ‘Strategic Director’ as the ‘Director of Operations’ and the removal of two heads of service (with their functions being absorbed by the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 137