Agenda Document Pack - Appointments Sub-Committee - 26/10/2023
North Lanarkshire Council · 26 October 2023
Back to Appointments Sub-Committee — 26 October 2023 and its agenda
Text extracted from the council's PDF. Layout and reading order may differ from the original.
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17 October 2023 Members of the Appointments Sub-Committee Chief Executive’s Office Archie Aitken Chief Officer (Legal & Democratic) Civic Centre, Windmillhill Street, Motherwell ML1 1AB www.northlanarkshire.gov.uk Notice is given that a Meeting of the Appointments Sub-Committee is to be held in the Committee Room 4, Civic Centre, Windmillhill Street, Motherwell, ML1 1AB on Thursday, 26 October 2023 at 14:00 PM which you are requested to attend. The agenda of business is attached. Archie Aitken Chief Officer (Legal & Democratic) Members : Clerk Name: Andrew Rose Clerk Telephone: 07951 409714 Clerk Email: rosean@northlan.gov.uk J Logue, L Roarty, T Carragher, T Fisher, G Lennon, A Smith, A Thomas, S Watson, C Williams. Page 1 of 16
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Agenda 1 Declarations of Interest In Terms of the Ethical Standards In Public Life Etc. (Scotland) Act 2000 EXCLUSION OF PUBLIC The Sub-Committee is asked to consider passing the following resolution: "That under Section 50A(4) of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973, the public be excluded from the meeting for the following item of business on the grounds that it involves the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in paragraph 1 of Part 1 of Schedule 7A of the Act". Recruitment of Chief Officer (Community Operations) - Shortleeting 2 Recruitment Pack - Chief Officer Community Operations Submit recruitment pack as made available via the myjobscotland online portal and is provided for information (copy herewith) 5 - 16 3 Application Forms Recieved Submit application forms received (copy herewith) 4 Arrangements for Interviews Consider and agree arrangements for final interviews to take place on 9 November 2023 Page 3 of 16
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Chief Officer (Community Operations) Recruitment Pack £105,544 - £109,593 WE’RE MOTIVATED. ARE YOU? JOIN A TEAM THAT ACHIEVES GREAT THINGS. Item 2 Page 5 of 16
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Chief Officer (Community Operations) Recruitment Pack 2 It’s an ambitious time for the council, our residents, our businesses and the people who work here. If you’re motivated, ambitious and driven by achievement, then come and join us. We want you to play a part in the regeneration and transformation of our towns and communities. At North Lanarkshire Council we’re full of energy and ideas to transform our towns and communities into vibrant places to live, work and visit. As Scotland’s fourth largest local authority, we’ve got lofty ambitions, bags of determination and we’re moving at a pace to generate real change in our communities and how we deliver services. We’re providing services that enhance lives, communities and experiences of almost 340,000 people living in the area. There’s a real story to tell about North Lanarkshire. It’s a place that is growing, changing, developing and thriving. The scale of change is vast. And the rate of change is considerable. This is why we’ve agreed with all our partners on The Plan for North Lanarkshire which is underpinned by our Programme of Work. It’s ambitious but by working with our partners, residents and businesses, we aim to completely transform our towns and communities, to make them better, more inclusive and more pleasant places to live. The council is committed to delivering quality services that provide best value, creates prosperity, achieves social justice and meets local needs across the area. Delivering quality services starts with having the right people working here and the right ethos internally. And with around 13,000 staff, we work hard to make sure each person feels part of the bigger team delivering services that improve the lives of people living and working here. It’s important that everyone grasps our ambition as we need the very best people to help us achieve them, and that includes you. Page 6 of 16
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Chief Officer (Community Operations) Recruitment Pack 3 Our priorities are clear. We want to: • Improve economic opportunities and outcomes • Support all children and young people to realise their full potential • Improve the health and wellbeing of our communities • Enhance participation, capacity and empowerment across our communities • Improve North Lanarkshire’s resource base We know that we can only achieve the outcomes to meet these priorities by working together and by being focused on solutions. North Lanarkshire Council is high-performing but we can do so much more. We have bright and determined people working here, that believe in what we do. If that sounds like you, then read on. In the rest of this pack you’ll find more information about North Lanarkshire, the relevant job description and links to other useful documents. To be successful you’ll need to be innovative, determined and resilient. You’ll be prepared to do what it takes to deliver our shared ambition to make North Lanarkshire the place to live, learn, work invest and visit. If you have all these qualities, we look forward to connecting with you. BENEFITS • Attractive pension and avc option • 34 days annual leave and six fixed public holidays, rising to 37 days in line with service • Flexible working • Buy and bank leave scheme • Cycle to work scheme • Relocation policy ABOUT US 77 Elected members 21 Wards 33 Scottish Labour Party councillors 25 Scottish National Party councillors 8 Progressive Change North Lanarkshire councillors 5 Scottish Conservative and Unionist councillors 4 Independent councillors 1 Scottish Greens councillor 1 British Unionist Party councillor Workforce (Full-time permanent) 13,080 Page 7 of 16
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4 £991m revenue budget 2023/24 £159m housing revenue 2023/24 Population 339,400 21% under 18 65% age 16-64 4.7% unemployment £207.3m capital budget 2023/24 £131m housing capital 2023/24 ABOUT NORTH LANARKSHIRE Located in the very hub of the country with exceptional transport connections, we attract talent and business that has revolutionised North Lanarkshire into one of Scotland’s fastest-growing economies (pre-pandemic). We’re Scotland’s fourth largest council by population, covering around 181 square miles, stretching from Stepps to Harthill and from Cumbernauld to Wishaw. The council was formed in 1996 following local government reorganisation and includes the main towns of Airdrie, Bellshill, Coatbridge, Cumbernauld, Kilsyth, Motherwell, Shotts and Wishaw, interspersed with many villages and hamlets, including places like Moodiesburn and Stepps, along the Northern Corridor. With a population of around 340,000 people, we have a wide range of age groups living in the area, as well as diverse communities with a range of religions and cultures. We’re also brimming with ambition, have stacks of resolve and are moving at pace to effect real change in our communities and how we deliver services. The council is investing billions of pounds over the next ten years to help create jobs and generate close to £1bn for the local economy. Reducing inequalities is central to our vision for a brighter, better North Lanarkshire and we’re investing in new schools and community facilities as well as doubling our affordable housing programme to build 5,000 modern homes by 2035. Around £240million Glasgow City Region City Deal funding is helping to improve the road and rail transport network, create locations to attract business and industry that are relevant to our future economy, and maximise our greenspace for residents and visitors to enjoy. Embracing our shared vision for North Lanarkshire is crucial, particularly as we face challenges to make savings as local government budgets are reduced. Being big and bold means attracting large international events to our area. We hosted the Glasgow 2018 European Sports Championships, showcasing our world-class venue in Strathclyde Country Park to a television audience of more than a billion people for the rowing and triathlon competitions, a role we fulfilled at the 2014 Commonwealth Games. Creating modern, vibrant communities where people live, work and socialise is North Lanarkshire’s shared ambition for the future. Page 8 of 16
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6 THE ROLE Chief Officer (Community Operations) Service: Enterprise and Communities Job Title: Chief Officer (Community Operations) Responsible to: Depute Chief Executive Grade: JNC 40-42 Conditions of Service: SJC ROLE SUMMARY North Lanarkshire is the place to Live, Learn, Work, Invest, and Visit - a place with a shared ambition (that defines all of our work with communities, stakeholders, and partners) for inclusive growth and prosperity for all. Our Chief Officers play a vital role in leading our services to deliver on our priority outcomes and strategic goals. Their key focus is on providing strategic clarity and operational direction to their service, ensuring that resources are fully aligned to support excellence in service delivery and building capacity to modernise and transform their services for the future. We recognise that successful communities depend on a complex balance of social, economic and environmental conditions which will only succeed if we put the needs of people and communities at the heart of our model. Engaging communities fully in services and decisions that affect their lives requires sustained organisational capacity. It is important to ensure that resources are maximised, and the development and delivery of solutions and the delivery of care, supports and services are strengthened through an integrated council, partnership, and community approach which seeks to balance and sustain delivery. The Chief Officer, (Community Operations) role directly supports this strategic aim, encompassing a critical portfolio of activities which includes, waste and land management, roads maintenance, cemeteries, green space and country parks, fleet services, building standards, environmental health, trading standards, contingency planning. Page 10 of 16
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7 MAIN DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES General Duties: To contribute to the shared governance of the council and take a leading role in the development of corporate and strategic objectives to ensure the delivery of quality services and outcomes to our citizens and communities which align with the council’s agreed priorities and which promote the council’s vision, its values and its reputation. Strategic Responsibilities: Lead the service to achieve its strategic goals by: • Demonstrate commitment to corporate and strategic activities to achieve positive outcomes and continuous and sustained improvement in performance across the council. • Promote a positive culture of empowerment, creativity and innovation, and encourage commercial focus and entrepreneurship to deliver business solutions and facilitate the delivery of priority outcomes, including the scope for widening the range of sources from which the council can seek resources, developing strategies to maximise income growth. • Assist in the implementation of major policy initiatives, particularly major social economic and environmental proposals in the general interests of the Council and its communities. • Develop processes, policies and strategies to help improve performance in achieving sustainable development, and to ensure that such issues are mainstreamed across all Council activities. • Driving an efficient, digitised and best value approach to enabling modern services for the Directorate, identifying and regularly reviewing priorities with key stakeholders including Community Partners and Chief Officers. The key dimensions of this post are: Responsible for discharging specific functions delegated to the role and specified by the Depute Chief Executive and set out in the Council’s Scheme of Delegation for the following services: • Waste Management • Land Services, including roads and grounds maintenance, street cleaning, and the roads public, private partnership. • Environmental facilities, including greenspace and country parks, cemeteries and open space management and development. • Fleet Services • Environmental Health • Trading Standards • Building Standards • Resilience Planning Key Relationships: • The Corporate Management Team and other Chief Officers • The Leader of the Council, elected members and political party leads • Community Board members and other key partners and agencies Page 11 of 16
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8 Management Responsibilities: Direct efforts to manage the following key areas or risks for the organisation: • Ensure robust financial planning, management and accountability within approved capital and revenue budgets, including prudent financial management of trading accounts to attain levels of budgeted surplus and development of an effective capital receipts programme. • Lead an efficient Community Operations Service, ensuring sound registration systems as necessary, robust inspection and maintenance regimes, taking account of public safety, conservation and general recreation, and providing a strategic overview of conservation and green matters. • Ensure effective contract and supplier management of the roads maintenance Public Private Partnership. • Ensure the efficient delivery of the Council’s Waste Resource Service with a focus on recycling and diversion of this resource from landfill. • Provide the strategic resilience planning function, including representing the Council at the West of Scotland Regional Resilience Partnership and leading the Council’s Resilience Management Team. This corporate role involves ensuring that the resilience planning risks to the Council are minimised and the delivery of effective business continuity arrangements across the Council. • Ensure the delivery of an effective Fleet Service which will allow the efficient delivery of Council services and secure retention of the Council’s Operators Licence. • Assist in the preparation of the Service’s forward expenditure plan and annual bids for capital expenditure consents to the Scottish Government and such strategy papers as the Council may require. • Ensure sound arrangements are made for the preparation and submission of tenders for, and the monitoring and evaluation of, any contracts awarded under legislation or Council regulations. Corporate Responsibilities: • Providing the clarity of vision, effective leadership and actively modelling desired behaviours required to achieve the Council’s ambition. • Demonstrating commitment to strategic relationships with other services, and to finding improvements and effective business solutions which support the achievement of the Council’s agreed priorities. • Promoting and valuing the diversity of staff, people and communities served by the Council to ensure equality of access and treatment in employment and service delivery. • Ensuring efficient management of resources, workforce planning, capacity building, and harnessing technologies which demonstrate Best Value in all activities of the Directorate. • Ensuring the service works collaboratively, engages communities, consults key stakeholders and is a good example of wide participation. • Ensuring delivery of best value in accordance with the Council’s corporate policies, agreed service objectives and statutory requirements. • Promoting the integration of Services and of joint working with key partner organisations to improve service delivery. • Ensuring the development and maintenance of good employee relations in partnership with staff and trade unions/representative bodies through informal and formal processes of communication and involvement. • Ensuring effective performance management through the development of continuous improvement, achievement of performance standards and sound budgetary management and control. • Developing and realising the full potential of employees through effective coaching, performance management and providing development opportunities to promote the highest standards of delivery and the maintenance of professional standards. Page 12 of 16
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9 • Ensure compliance with the Council’s Standing Orders and Scheme of Administration, financial and regulatory procedures and policies. • Comply with the Chief Officers Code of Conduct and Employee Code of Conduct, demonstrating the ethical standards expected of officials in public service. • Carrying out such other corporate and management tasks as delegated by the Chief Executive/Depute Chief Executive. Delivering For Communities: • Implementation of the operating model approved through We Aspire saw enhancements to the range of strategic council wide functions to support, guide, and facilitate delivery of the shared ambition. While supporting strategic oversight of the Community Board model moving forward, these functions are also a critical role in terms of ensuring governance and mitigating risks around strategic and transformational change, organisational development, communications, and all envisaged improvements in line with resources and compliance with legislation providing oversight across all nine Community Boards. • On Community Board matters, Chief Officers will report to the Chief Executive to ensure continued alignment across The Plan for North Lanarkshire, while ensuring strategic support and leadership remains co-ordinated across resources. • Working in partnership with colleague Chief Officers in their Community Coordinator role you will provide specialist strategic input and support to Community Boards as required. • Ensuring that relevant strategic and corporate programmes of work, which specifically impact on the council’s ability to deliver for communities, are effectively shared with Community Boards to enable full engagement and input. Page 13 of 16
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10 REQUIRED ATTRIBUTES EDUCATION, QUALIFICATIONS TRAINING AND PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS Relevant degree or appropriate advanced managerial qualification, or equivalent. Member of an appropriate professional body in one or more of the functional areas covered by the Directorate Evidence of continuous professional development. LEADERSHIP, SKILLS & BEHAVIOURS Ability to demonstrate clear effective leadership, displaying behaviours which support and enhance the delivery of change effectively and sensitively to drive sustainable transformation and improvement. Ability to effectively and innovatively balance resources and risk to drive Best Value and meet customer expectations within a challenging and dynamic environment. Ability to engender a positive performance culture across the service, developing and building staff capability and capacity and motivating and empowering others to contribute at their highest level. Astute political awareness and ability to develop and maintain effective professional networks and relationships, both internally and externally, which bring value to the Council and enhance its reputation. Ability to think strategically and to innovate around the use of technology and new thinking to constantly improve the effective and efficient delivery of the service. Ability to work effectively under pressure and to respond quickly to unforeseen events and changing priorities and circumstances. Skilled and persuasive communicator, able to convincingly represent the service and corporate responsibilities. Excellent negotiating and influencing skills, able to optimise partnership and collaborative working to deliver the best outcomes. EXPERIENCE AND KNOWLEDGE Extensive senior leadership experience at a service level within a publicly accountable organisation, with a track record of success in managing complex services. Service planning and policy development of complex issues, including contract monitoring and compliance. Experience of leading a complex service portfolio and professional experience in delivering one or more of the statutory and operational functions delegated to the service. Proven experience of delivering integrated services with partner organisations, with a strong customer focus and a clear ethos of collaborative working across boundaries. Track record of commitment to improving performance and harnessing technology to achieve goals and improve service delivery. Clear appreciation and understanding of the dimensions of the post both in the public and political arena. Evidence of building and maintaining positive relationships, collaborative and partnership working in a political environment and with Elected Members. Evidence of striving for improvements and better outcomes while managing risk and business continuity. Demonstrated knowledge of all relevant legislative, statutory and policy agendas. Page 14 of 16
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11 This post is politically restricted in compliance with the Local Government and Housing Act 1989 and the holder will be expected to comply with the Chief Officers’ Code of Conduct, demonstrating the ethical standards expected of officials in public service. The Council’s conditions of service for Chief Officer posts are those for the Scottish Joint Negotiating Committee for Chief Officials in Scotland, as varied in terms of any local agreement(s) in force from time to time. The job outline is intended to indicate the broad range of responsibilities and requirements of the post. It is neither exhaustive nor exclusive but, while some variation can be expected in particular duties, the outline is considered to provide a reasonable description of the post. USEFUL LINKS In the documents below, you will find more information about the council, its priorities and its policies. You can also visit the council website at http://www.northlanarkshire.gov.uk to find out more about what we do and the communities and partners we work with. The Plan for North Lanarkshire - Programme of Work for 2028 Strategic Performance Review Five-year medium term financial plan 2024/25 – 2028/29 TIMETABLE Closing date: 13 October 2023 Interviews: 9 November 2023 If you would like to discuss this role further, please contact Andrew McPherson, Depute Chief Executive on McPhersonA@northlan.gov.uk or 07939 280467. Produced by Corporate Communications www.northlanarkshire.gov.uk Page 15 of 16
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