Decision details

The Service Director for Digital, HR and Customer Services presented a report seeking approval to reshape the management and staffing structures for Customers, Revenues and Benefits Services, to enable the staff teams to meet current and forecast workloads and build capacity, capability and resilience.

It was noted that the Services had transferred to in-house delivery following the end of the public, private partnership arrangement with Arvato.  And that steps had also been taken to implement an ICT improvement programme to encourage channel shift through providing customers with digital access to Council services alongside the more traditional in person and telephony access routes.

The current and proposed structures were detailed in Appendices A and B of the Service Director’s report.  The proposed structure showed a reduction of 10.08 FTE staff, which had been enabled by automation and channel shift. Much of this reduction had already been achieved through natural staff turnover within Customers, Revenues and Benefits Services.

It was proposed to implement career grades for certain posts to support staff recruitment and retention and build resilience within the Services through helping employees to visualise their future career development paths.

The Service Director confirmed that any savings arising from the  proposed reshape would be accounted for as part of the overall ICT savings target and included in the Council’s Medium-Term Financial Plan.

*RESOLVED

1.   That the recommended structures be approved.

2.   That the use of ‘career grade’ posts be approved for implementation within Customers, Revenues and Benefits Services, enabling cross skilling and longer-term employee retention.

3.   That authority be delegated to the Service Director for Digital, HR and Customer Services to implement the recommended new structures.

4.   That it be approved to vire £51,191 of funding from the Organisational Development function into Customer, Revenues and Benefits Services, to support the channel shift and digital data analysis work which will be undertaken within Customers, Revenues and Benefits Services in the future.

REASON FOR DECISIONS

Reshaping the management and staffing structures within Customers, Revenues and Benefits Services will enable the Council to continue to provide supportive, accessible, and cost-effective front line services for the borough’s residents and businesses whilst also creating the right conditions for recruiting and retaining a quality workforce.