Two Welsh councils conform to share employees

Editorial Team
4 Min Read


It follows the settlement to share Torfaen chief government Stephen Vickers with Blaenau Gwent council

Extra collaboration between senior officers at two Gwent councils is poised for approval by elected members. At a Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council assembly on Thursday, October 23, councillors will look at a report outlining measures to cement preparations that may see top-tier employees shared with adjoining Torfaen Borough Council.

It is the newest section within the merging of council employees that started with Torfaen’s choice final 12 months to share their chief government Stephen Vickers with Blaenau Gwent.

The doc says it seeks approval from councillors for a sequence of measures meant to facilitate a federated construction between Blaenau Gwent and Torfaen. Learn the largest tales in Wales first by signing as much as our day by day publication right here.

This requires councillors to endorse phrases for establishing a Part 113 settlement to allow council officer sharing while preserving every council’s independence and accountability.

This association will introduce a unified pay framework for senior positions spanning each authorities and that includes “twin accountability.”

The report says: “Beneath Part 113 of the Native Authorities Act 1972, an area authority might place its officers on the disposal of one other native authority, topic to settlement by each events.

“This offers a authorized mechanism for shared management and administration preparations throughout councils.

“The proposed settlement formalises the sharing of joint roles and roles delivering providers on behalf of one other authority.”

The settlement units out: “the cost-sharing ideas referring to shared posts and offers readability on employment, indemnity, and operational preparations, defending the pursuits of every council.”

The paperwork goes in to say: “This framework ensures that the federation operates with robust governance, equity, and transparency, whereas sustaining the sovereignty and democratic accountability of every council.

“Collectively these actions will improve organisational resilience, assist efficient collaboration, and create situations for improved outcomes for each councils and the communities they serve.”

In latest weeks quite a few Blaenau Gwent councillors have emphasised throughout conferences that the political points of the councils stay separate and that there is no such thing as a plan to formally merge the councils.

In July 2024, Torfaen agreed to share their chief government Stephen Vickers with Blaenau Gwent on a trial foundation.

In January, councillors agreed that the shared chief government pilot was progressing nicely – they usually determined to proceed with proposals for nearer working or “federation” between the 2 council workforces.

Mr Vickers has been creating a brand new senior administration construction throughout each authorities.

In Could, Blaenau Gwent’s cupboard portfolios and scrutiny committee construction have been altered to align with senior council employees obligations throughout each organisations. This shift has resulted in Social Providers being divided, with Youngsters’s Providers and Grownup Providers now reporting to separate cupboard members and scrutiny committees.

Share This Article