Issue - meetings

Recommendation:

That the Executive resolves to:

                      I.         Approve the principle of sharing staff between Guildford Borough Council and Waverley Borough Council, on a temporary basis, where appropriate to support the collaboration programme;

                     II.         Delegate authority to the Joint Chief Executive, to approve, subject to a business case, future temporary staff sharing arrangements between Guildford Borough Council and Waverley Borough Council, to support the collaboration and transformation programme;

                    III.         Delegate authority to the Joint Executive Head of Legal and Democratic Services to enter into an agreement between Guildford Borough Council and Waverley Borough Council for the sharing of their staff on a temporary basis.

I.              Approve the principle of sharing staff between Guildford Borough Council and Waverley Borough Council, on a temporary basis, where appropriate to support the collaboration programme;

II.            Delegate authority to the Joint Chief Executive, to approve, subject to a business case, future temporary staff sharing arrangements between Guildford Borough Council and Waverley Borough Council, to support the collaboration and transformation programme;

III.           Delegate authority to the Joint Executive Head of Legal and Democratic Services to enter into an agreement between Guildford Borough Council and Waverley Borough Council for the sharing of their staff on a temporary basis.

Reasons

1.    To ensure that officers have sufficient agility in operational decision making to embrace opportunities that may arise regarding temporary staffing arrangements, that are likely to be beneficial to both councils in terms of cost, efficiency and skills, whilst retaining flexibility for any future longer-term arrangements brought about through the Transformation and Collaboration Programme. 

2.    To ensure that there is a robust governance process around the sharing of staff on an interim basis, including arrangements for the sharing of costs, terminating any such agreements and resolving any disputes in a fair and transparent manner.

43.1     Cllr Kiehl welcomed the opportunity to introduce the paper and answer any questions.  Cllr Kiehl also thanked officers for their work on the report. 

43.2     Cllr Kiehl advised that the report sought the approval of the principle of shared staffing on a temporary basis between Waverly Borough Council and Guildford Borough Council to support the collaboration and ensure opportunities to do so between the two authorities were not missed.  She noted that the temporary arrangement did not bind either council to anything permanent or effect any future decision regarding the collaboration programme.

43.3     Cllr Kiehl noted, that by agreeing the report, the Executive would authorise the governance to be set up and be in place to allow both authorities to have interim shared staffing arrangements.  Cllr Kiehl also highlighted that this was made clear in paragraph 5.1 of the report.

43.4     Cllr Kiehl advised that the Executive was also being asked to delegate decision on temporary shared staffing to the Joint Chief Executive as the Head of Paid Services. She advised that it was an appropriate delegation and one that should be in place to make routine decisions about staff resources in an efficient manner.  She noted that Guildford Borough Council had agreed a similar decision at a meeting of their Executive in July and the report in front of the Executive mirrored GBC report and the recommendations had the same effect.

43.5     Cllr Hyman queried whether the arrangement was a plan to help Guildford Borough Council out of its current crisis, and he felt that there was not a great deal of information within the report.  He noted that he had a number of questions that were not answered in the report.  He advised that the report had been brought to the Executive without Scrutiny having prior knowledge.  Cllr Hyman asked if GBC had imposed a recruitment freeze? and if WBC was assisting GBC, at what cost?

43.6     Cllr Hyman referred to page 21 paragraph 6.1 and noted that the agreement was supported by both Executive’s, and it seemed to him that WBC had agreed to something before it had reviewed the vision.  He noted that he had not seen a plan as to how the WBC would assist GBC and how it would benefit WBC. He sought further explanation that WBC was doing the right thing for its residents. Cllr Hyam queried the speed in which the decision was brought to the Executive.  Cllr Hayman queried whether WBC would receive good quality support and advice, or would it be going where it was needed most?

43.7     Cllr Hyman sought a commitment from the Leader for immediate affirmation that council staff from both councils would be accountable for providing all relevant information and answers necessary questions on request and in good time.

43.8     The Leader advised that there were no codifying rules to force someone be honest if they were intent on being dishonest.  He advised that his approach was to consider everyone to be open, reasonable, and  ...  view the full minutes text for item 43