Minutes:
The Committee noted that the Council, at its extraordinary meeting on 6 July 2021, had considered options for collaborative working with Waverley Borough Council and had resolved to pursue the option of creating a single management team with Waverley Borough Council, comprised of statutory officers (Head of Paid Service; Chief Finance Officer; Monitoring Officer), Directors and Heads of Service. The two councils would share a management structure, which would be responsible for recommending any further collaboration, service-by-service.
At the Council meeting on 28 July 2021, Council had agreed that the redundancy and any settlement costs incurred as a result of the recruitment of a Joint Chief Executive shall be shared equally between the councils and that any pension strain costs would remain the responsibility of the employing authority of the affected officer.
Consultation with both affected employees had taken place between 10 August 2021 and 9 September 2021 and they were aware of the proposed redundancies of their posts. Feedback and representations received during the consultation process had been reviewed by the Joint Appointments Committee at its meeting on 22 September 2021. Following this review, any minor amendments that had been made to the proposals had been confirmed to the employees at their end of consultation meetings held on 28 September 2021.
Expressions of Interest had been invited for the Joint Chief Executive post from both affected employees. The Council’s Managing Director had notified the Leader of the Council that he did not wish to be considered for the role and had requested voluntary compulsory redundancy. The report to the Committee had sought approval to make a termination payment to James Whiteman in line with the Council’s Early Termination of Employment Discretionary Compensation Policy.
The Council had the option of setting a policy where it could use new capital receipts to fund revenue expenditure that will generate ongoing savings. Officers were seeking to use this option to finance the implementation costs of the Guildford and Waverley collaboration project and in particular the redundancy and pension strain costs. A strategy on the Flexible use of Capital Receipts was appended to the report, which the Committee was asked to recommend to Council for approval.
Whilst suitable receipts were anticipated during 2021-22, there was a risk that the receipts might be delayed. If sufficient capital receipts were not received during the financial year 2021-22, officers had sought approval to finance the redundancy costs from the invest to save reserve.
Having considered the report, the Committee
RECOMMEND (to Council: 5 October 2021)
(1) That the Council approves the termination payment associated with the voluntary compulsory redundancy of James Whiteman, Managing Director (post number PO1721) in the total sum as set out in the table in paragraph 3.1 of the report submitted to the Committee.
(2) That the Council approves the Flexible Use of Capital Receipts Strategy as set out in Appendix 4 to the report so that the implementation costs outlined in paragraph 3.4 can be financed from the flexible use of capital receipts should they be incurred.
(3) That in the event that sufficient receipts are not received during 2021-22, Council approves the use of the invest to save reserve to finance the implementation costs outlined in paragraph 3.4 should they be incurred
Reason:
To enable the appointment of a shared Chief Executive with Waverley Borough Council.