Agenda and minutes

Apologies were received from Councillors Cereste (Chair) and Sandford.

There were no declarations of interest.

The minutes of the meeting were approved as true and accurate record.

The Committee received a report which outlined the proposal for the shared communications service and the need for a director to lead the new team.

          The proposal was to develop a shared communications service across Peterborough City Council, NHS Peterborough and Stamford Hospitals NHS Trust.

The Committee was informed that a co-ordinated team would centralise expertise and maximise joint working and the immediate efficiency would be the provision of one overall head of service, with a recommendation to elevate this position to director level. This person would be responsible for bringing together the organisations concerned and establishing communications networks in the first instance. Subsequently, as the project was extensive, there would be numerous stages which would be phased, culminating in the completion of the project in early 2011. 

Members were invited to comment on the proposals contained within the report and the following issues and observations were highlighted:

·         Members sought clarification as to whether the different organisations would contribute financially towards the proposed post. Members were informed that all of the organisations would contribute an equal amount financially.

·         Members sought further clarification as to the pay grading scale for the proposed post. Members were further informed that the pay grading scale for the post was yet to be confirmed.

·         Members questioned how the person filling the role would split their time between the three organisations. Members were advised that the role would be overarching across all three organisations and would provide a co-ordinated delivery of objectives.

·         The Committee questioned how the structure of the proposed centralised team was to be defined. The Committee was informed that the structure of the team would be the responsibility of the new director.

·         Members requested clarification as to what the two separate budget figures highlighted within the job description were for.. Members were advised that £700,000 was the size of the budget for communications activity and £900,000 was the size of the budget for staff. Members were further advised that these were the current proposed figures and they were to be reviewed after the appointment to the proposed director role.

·         Clarification was sought as to whether savings would be proportional across the three organisations. Members were informed that savings across the three organisations would be monitored.

ACTION AGREED:

The Committee:

(1)   Approved the request to advertise for a Director of Communications to support the City Council, NHS Peterborough and Peterborough and Stamford Hospitals NHS Trust in line with the proposals to create a shared communications service for public services in Peterborough;

(2)   Approved the job description and person specification for the Director of Communications; and

(3)   Authorised the Chief Executive to recruit to the post.     

            The Committee received a report which outlined the rationale for a new head of service post to be created.

            New growth delivery arrangements had been approved by Cabinet on the 14 December 2009. These arrangements would result in a number of changes, both to Opportunity Peterborough and the Council, in order to ensure the city remained well equipped to deliver its ambitious growth agenda. Part of the changes would include the establishment of a new capability within the Council, the Peterborough Delivery Partnership (PDP), that would act to secure funding for and delivery of major development schemes in the city.

The Peterborough Delivery Partnership would operate by engaging external expertise to ensure the schemes were attractive to and subsequently funded through the capital markets, and that they were delivered as effectively as possible for the city’s long term growth. It was important that the Council had a strong oversight and management of these external resources, as well as control over their procurement, to protect both its interest and those of the wider growth agenda. Therefore it was proposed that this resource was to be the Head of the Peterborough Delivery Partnership, a new teir-2 post reporting directly to the Council’s Chief Executive.

Members were advised that the post holder would be responsible for the commissioning of consultants wherever needed. There would also be clear mechanisms in place which would ensure delivery of all works before payment of consultants.

Members were invited to comment on the proposals contained within the report and the following issues and observations were highlighted:

·         Members questioned what budget was available from Opportunity Peterborough to facilitate the proposals. Members were advised that the budget had been calculated and signed off. Members were further advised that this figure was not currently to hand but would be forwarded to them in due course.

·         A query was raised regarding whether there were likely to be any redundancies. Members were advised that this aspect would fall under the responsibility of the new post.

ACTION AGREED:

The Committee:

(1)   Approved the creation of a new head of service post, to be entitled Head of Peterborough Delivery Partnership;

(2)   Approved the job description, person specification and associated salary for the Head of Peterborough Delivery Partnership; and

(3)   Authorised the Chief Executive to recruit to the post.

Business was concluded at 3.25pm.