Council agrees amendments to service management teams

19th December 2013

Detailed proposals to realign The Highland Council’s Service management teams into 5 directorates – from the existing 7 – achieving savings of £350,000 per year and delivering more customer-focused services were unanimously accepted at today’s Council meeting.

The 5 Directorates will be:
· Care and Learning
· Finance
· Corporate Development
· Development and Infrastructure
· Community Services

The changes will be implemented in two phases. The first phase is the creation of 2 new Services - Development & Infrastructure and Community Services and the refocusing of the 2 existing Services – Finance and Corporate Development. Full implementation will proceed in January and be completed by 31 March 2014.

The second phase will see the formation of the Care and Learning Service. The existing Directors of Education Culture and Sport and Health and Social Care agree that it would be appropriate to plan for full implementation no later than 30th September 2014. The current Directors will work together as a team during this time with one of the current Directors becoming Director Designate of Care and Learning in April 2014.

In thanking members for their warm welcome of his new Service structure, Chief Executive Steve Barron said: “In both phases it will be important to proceed at a pace which delivers early benefits while reflecting the sensitivities and consultation agendas associated with such significant change. Budget changes would be largely in place for the start of the next financial year 2014/15.”

To reflect the new service structure, the names and roles and responsibilities of the Council’s 4 strategic committees are to change. The new committees will be called:

Community Services Committee
Education, Children and Adult Services
Planning, Development and Infrastructure Committee
Resources Committee

The date of implementation is 1 April 2014.

The names of the existing committees are:

Adult and Children’s Services
Finance, Housing and Resources
Planning, Environment and Development
Transport, Environmental and Community Services