The Political Structure and Political Make-up of the Council
The current political make up of the council is:
Liberal Democrats 31
Labour 25
Conservative 13
Green 1
Elections for a third of the council are held annually over a three year period. The last local elections were held in May 2007 and the next elections are in May 2009.
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Strategic Director of Resources - Person Specification
| Essential | Desirable |
| 1. | The managerial skills and experience necessary to ensure the effective working of the department, underpinned by relevant professional and managerial qualifications | |
| 2. | Thorough and demonstrable experience and understanding of the needs of service users, planning, commissioning and delivering services, the issues facing the City Council in relation to service delivery | A thorough and demonstrable understanding of the issues directly facing the Council or to which the Council might make a significant contribution. |
| 3. | An understanding of and sensitivity to the political judgements influencing both the overall objectives of the City Council and also the application of policies to specific areas. | An understanding of the practical implications for the management of the Council and its individual services of the application of the political and organisational models set out in Local leadership, local choice. |
| 4. | The ability to think about issues strategically, plan solutions and convert that thinking and planning into effective action. | The ability personally to devise and oversee the implementation of innovative approaches and solutions to both strategic and service issues. |
| 5. | The leadership skills and track record to gain the commitment of and to inspire staff to deliver the Council's objectives with flexibility | A track record that demonstrates evidence of significant achievement in cross-cutting approaches and solutions and the empowerment of staff. |
| 6. | The political awareness and ability to work with all political parties to deliver services. | |
| 7. | The interpersonal skills necessary to gain the confidence and commitment of stakeholders and potential partners to work co-operatively to enhance the city and its communities. | A track record that demonstrates tangible achievement in working effectively with other organisations and agencies towards a common end. |
| 8. | The management skills necessary to define performance requirements, maximise the use of scarce resources and monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of the use of resources (including those of contractors) in pursuit of value for money and best value. | The ability to identify with clarity those aspects of the management of the service that require personal involvement and those that should properly be the responsibility of Heads of Service. |
| 9. | Demonstrated ability successfully to manage major change in a large and complex organisation. | |
| 10. | Ability to recognise the importance of customer focus, performance management and innovation in the future delivery of services | |
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A great European city centre and waterfront
The harbourside regeneration has created a unique waterfront environment with former dock sheds and working buildings being converted into trendy restaurants, bars and nightclubs; the @t-bristol science and exploration experience and the cutting edge Arnolfini and Watershed digital arts centre. Nearby the historic Queen Square has been returned to its former Georgian glory and is an award winning green lung in the heart of the city centre.
A £240 million development at Canon's Marsh, the final stage in this exciting 10-year regeneration of the city's unique harbourside, is almost complete. The scheme provides new housing, leisure and business facilities including a new national headquarters for Clerical Medical, the Bristol-based financial services group that are part of the massive HBOS banking-to-insurance empire.
The city council is also promoting the £500 million development of Cabot Circus shopping centre, which will complement the neighbouring Broadmead shopping centre. The scheme being developed by Bristol Alliance would deliver a new department store, 108 other shops, new places to eat and drink and a 13-screen cinema complex. The new centre will open in 2008.
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The Scrutiny Process
The Cabinet work is informed and scrutinised by a scrutiny process whose work is co-ordinated by an Overview and Scuritny Management Commissions (Chair: Cllr John Goulandris - Conservative). The Commissions are:
Children's Services (Chair: Cllr Ashley Fox, Conservative)
Health (Chair: Cllr Sylvie Townsend, Liberal Democrat)
Physical Environment (Chair: Cllr Gary Hopkins, Liberal Democrat)
Quality of Life (Chair: Cllr Richard Eddy - Leader, Conservative Group)
Resources (Chair: Cllr Steve Comer - Leader, Liberal Democrat Group)
Care and Communities (Chair: Cllr Jos Clark, Liberal Democrat)
During 2007/08 there are two Select Committees considering:
Adult and Community Care
Review of Libraries
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Statutory and Regulatory Committees
There are three Area Development Control Committees:
North (Chair: Cllr Mark Wright, Liberal Democrat)
South and East (Chair: Cllr Lesley Alexander, Conservative)
Central (Cllr Barbara Lewis, Conservative)
Other Statutory and Regulatory Committees are:
Licensing (Chair: Cllr Ron Stone, Labour)
Public Safety and Protection (Chair: Cllr Clare Campion-Smith, Liberal Democrat)
The Lord Mayor of Bristol for 2007/08 is Cllr Royston Griffey (Labour) and the Deputy Lord Mayor is Cllr Peter Abraham, (Conservative)
The leaders of all three main political parties represented on the council meet regularly and a strong understanding and partnership is being developed in the interests of the people of Bristol.
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Director of Development - Person Specification
Press Advertisement
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An unrivalled location - a powerful economy
Over the past 10 years Bristol has seen sustained economic prosperity and now has the highest gross domestic product (GDP) per head in England outside of London. It is the only city in the UK with a GDP above the European average and is more productive and economically successful than great capital cities such as Berlin, Madrid and Rome. Unemployment is lower than the national average.
Bristol is home to over 17,000 businesses and there has been a 9.3% growth in new VAT registered businesses since 1996, double the national average. More than 160 companies have their national headquarters in the city and six of the South West's 10 largest companies are based here, sharing a turnover of £22 billion and employing more than 120,000 people worldwide.
Famous names associated with Bristol include Airbus, Rolls Royce, Orange, Hewlett Packard, Lloyds TSB and HBOS/Clerical Medical to name but a few.
Over recent years, new businesses in financial and professional services, information technology, leisure and creative and media sectors have transformed the city's economy.
The city has become a world centre for animation and wildlife film making with Wallace and Gromit's creators Aardman and the BBC Natural History Unit at the heart of this growing and successful sector.
Bristol remains a truly international hub for the aerospace sector - with the city's Airbus plant designing and building the wings of the remarkable A380 aircraft.
All of this business activity is served by our unrivalled transport links to London and Wales by rail or the M4 motorway; to Birmingham and the north by rail and the M5 motorway and internationally via Bristol International Airport, one of the fastest growing in the country. The airport has direct flights to over 35 cities in the UK and worldwide and international connections include New York, Madrid, Berlin, Munich, Milan and Rome.
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A Green Capital
Bristol has a national reputation for championing sustainable development and action to protect the environment. The city is the first in the UK to introduce a separate organic waste collection scheme and week-on-week is now outperforming all other UK cities for recycling, with over 37% of domestic waste turned into environmentally friendly compost or other recycled materials. The city is also spearheading the drive to develop alternative sources to meets its own energy needs and tackle climate change - including biomass boilers, wind turbines and solar panels. Opportunities for walking and cycling in and around the city not least in Bristol's 4,500 acres of historic estates, parklands, woodlands and open spaces - are unmatched in any other UK urban area.
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The Councils Cabinet
The City Council's Cabinet for 2007/08 is drawn from the Labour Group on the Council. Membership is:
- Cllr Helen Holland - Leader of the Council Cllr
- Peter Hammond - Deputy Leader and Executive Member for Cohesion and Raising Achievement
- Cllr John Bees - Executive Member for Transformation and Resources
- Cllr Mark Bradshaw - Executive Member for Sustainable Development
- Cllr Terry Cook - Executive Member for Neighbourhoods and Involvement
- Cllr Derek Pickup - Executive Member for Care, Tackling Deprivation and Crime
- Cllr Judith Price - Executive Member for Homes and Streetscene
- Cllr Rosalie Walker - Executive Member for Culture and Healthy Communities
A forward plan setting out forthcoming issues to be considered by the Cabinet can be found online at www.bristol.gov.uk/forwardplan
The Cabinet collectively meet informally with all Directors on a regular basis and each Executive Member is provided with regular informal briefings by the lead Directors for their portfolio.
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Council Tax
Council tax charges for 2007/08 are as follows
Council Tax Band | Property Values | 2007/2008 | 2006/2007 |
A | Up to and including £40,000 | £949.19 | £906.65 |
B | £40,001 - £52,000 | £1,107.39 | £1,057.77 |
C | £52,001 - £68,000 | £1,265.59 | £1,208.87 |
D | £68,001 - £88,000 | £1,423.79 | £1,359.98 |
E | £88,001 - £120,000 | £1,740.19 | £1,662.19 |
F | £120,001 - £160,000 | £2,056.59 | £1,964.41 |
G | £160,001 - £320,000 | £2,372.98 | £2,266.63 |
H | Over £320,000 | £2,847.58 | £2,719.96 |
The figures quoted above include charges for the Avon & Somerset Constabulary and the Avon Fire Brigade.
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Site Map
Welcome
About us
Vision & achievements
Political structure
The Council's cabinet
Organisation
The Council's budget
Council tax
Corporate information
About Bristol
An unrivalled location
A great European city
So much to see
Regeneration
Delivering public transport
Improving education
A green capital
What people say
Strategic Director of Resources
Job Description
Person Specification
Strategic Director: Children, Young People and Skills
Job Description
Person Specification
How to apply
Recruitment timetable
Help
Accessibility
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Strategic Director of Resources
Job Description
Person Specification
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What others say about Bristol
In size and vivacity, Bristol is unmatched in south-western England. With a range of excellent museums, galleries and modern attractions, there's plenty to do during the day, but it's the buzz after sundown, which really kicks
. Charming Clifton is every bit the equal of Bath when it comes to Georgian grandeur but, thankfully, lacks the crowds
Lonely Planet Guide
New technology, the arts and a vibrant youth culture have helped to make this one of Britain's most cutting edge cities
The Rough Guide
This is a city undergoing dynamic change...great things are happening in Bristol
Max Davidson, The Sunday Telegraph
At midnight on Saturday, the whole place is pulsating. Bristol seems to know how to party - a skill some other English cities have mislaid. All hills, history and heavenly design, Bristol is the height of chic
Image Magazine
Today, Bristol has established itself as a thriving city, which looks forward to the future with many new innovations, such as the entire harbourside development. What was once an area crowded with trading ships, is now for leisure. Locals like nothing better on a summer evening than to frequent the bars and cafes all along the docks and it's perhaps in this area most of all that you'll witness the city's rich maritime past casting a warm and impressive shadow over its wonderfully relaxed present.
Travel.com website
The city had the most European in feel of any of the entrants
Judges, European Capital of Culture 2008
This is the city of green ideas and, after London, it is the capital of non-governmental groups
Simon Beavis, The Guardian
Bristol boasts an impressive mixture of old and new, with more Georgian buildings than Bath and a picturesque waterside setting that has benefited hugely from an imaginative regeneration programme
The Independent European Travel Section
The greatest attraction to Bristol for me is that it is not London but still has the buzz of the capital city and I can still work in my specialised field. For the past 20 years, Bristol has been the world centre for animation.
Nick Park, Aardman Animations
Bristol is the one of the UK's premier head office cities outside London. The quality of the work force and the quality of life are both excellent in Bristol. Add this to easy access to some of the UK's finest countryside and beaches and a modern transport structure and the case for Bristol becomes very compelling.
Sue Tunstall, Marketing Director, Clerical Medical Financial Services, HBOS Group
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Strategic Director of Resources - Job Description
Generic Accountabilities:
Each director will be accountable to Members and the Chief Executive and will
- take a strategic lead to deliver agreed city wide outcomes and to contribute to the strategic direction of the City Council,
- work in partnership with other agencies, business sector and the community to deliver outcomes,
- strategically commission resources and activities to deliver agreed priorities and outcomes,
- take a "one Bristol" corporate approach with other colleagues on the Strategic Leadership Team to deliver an organisational transformation programme through focussing on delivering quality services and value for money in a timely and interpreted manner,
- drive through cultural, organisational improvement in customer and community focus, performance, productivity, budget, managerial efficiency and workforce changes to deliver improved outcomes for the people of Bristol,
- support elected members in undertaking the roles as community leaders and ward members,
- lead, direct and performance manage specific services, build a valued, confident, developed, empowered and innovative workforce
- promote and ensure that the City Council's communications, equality and health, safety and welfare objectives are met.
Strategic Lead Portfolio
To take the strategic lead: "Value for Bristol".
Note: Allocated strategic portfolios are inter-changeable and may be amended and realigned according to need and workloads following consultation with the Leader and appropriate elected members without changing the character of the job or level of responsibility.
Corporate accountabilities
To provide the managerial leadership and vision that will enable the development and implementation of innovative, flexible and community focussed approaches to service delivery in:- Strategic Finance
- Strategic Commissioning and Procurement Corporate
- Strategic Human Resources and workforce Strategy (including health and safety)
- Asset Management
- Legal and Democratic Services (including scrutiny and elected member development)
- Audit and risk management
General Accountabilities- This is a politically restricted statutory chief officer post under Section 2 of the Local Government and Housing Act 1989 (as amended).
- As a member of the Strategic Leadership Team of the Council the jobholder will report directly to the Chief Executive and will participate in the planning of the full range of council services and will support Members in realising and delivering their vision for a better Bristol.
- The jobholder will have direct access to all members of the City Council, including the executive and scrutiny committee members.
- Financial Responsibilities: To formulate and recommend financial strategy for the directorate to the Executive. To ensure that financial systems are in place to ensure the effective management of the directorate in accordance with best value priorities. To ensure that the directorate meets its and the Council's financial objectives. To make timely reports to the appropriate Executive and/or Cabinet in accordance with the Council's financial regulations and timetable. To ensure financial regulations are adhered to throughout the directorate. To ensure that directorate schemes of delegation are properly developed and maintained.
- Resource Management: Sufficient human and other resources from the City Council and partner agencies have been identified, are available, effectively used and provide value for money. Employees are developed and supported to enable them to reach required competencies to deliver services to both national and local standards. The conditions for others to perform and innovate are created. All employees providing services, including those of other organisation providing those services, are aware of their shared responsibility for improving outcomes and sharing information.
- The jobholder will meet the key result areas and competencies within the Bristol Director Competence Framework.
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Deputy Chief Executive
Job Description
Person Specification
Terms and Conditions
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Welcome
Bristol City Council: Strategic Director Recruitment February 2009
We are working with Bristol City Council to help them recruit two senior roles: Strategic Director: Children, Young People and Skills and Strategic Director of Resources. This microsite provides you with information about these roles and the online application form. Detailed information about Bristol City Council can be found at: www.tomorrowsbristol.co.uk
If you are interested in either of the strategic director positions please contact Bristol City Council's retained consultants at Rockpools:
Strategic Director of Resources - Aidan Rave on 07810 656046 or Sarah Palmer on 07879 640819
Strategic Director: Children, Young People and Skills - Liz Wigston on 020 7017 0929 or Ian Chandler on 020 7017 0959.
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Strategic Director: Children, Young People and Skills - Person Specification
| Essential | Desirable |
| 1. | The managerial skills and experience necessary to ensure the effective working of the department, underpinned by relevant professional and managerial qualifications | |
| 2. | Thorough and demonstrable experience and understanding of the needs of service users, planning, commissioning and delivering services, the issues facing the City Council in relation to service delivery | A thorough and demonstrable understanding of the issues directly facing the Council or to which the Council might make a significant contribution. |
| 3. | An understanding of and sensitivity to the political judgements influencing both the overall objectives of the City Council and also the application of policies to specific areas. | An understanding of the practical implications for the management of the Council and its individual services of the application of the political and organisational models set out in Local leadership, local choice. |
| 4. | The ability to think about issues strategically, plan solutions and convert that thinking and planning into effective action. | The ability personally to devise and oversee the implementation of innovative approaches and solutions to both strategic and service issues. |
| 5. | The leadership skills and track record to gain the commitment of and to inspire staff to deliver the Council's objectives with flexibility | A track record that demonstrates evidence of significant achievement in cross-cutting approaches and solutions and the empowerment of staff. |
| 6. | The political awareness and ability to work with all political parties to deliver services. | |
| 7. | The interpersonal skills necessary to gain the confidence and commitment of stakeholders and potential partners to work co-operatively to enhance the city and its communities. | A track record that demonstrates tangible achievement in working effectively with other organisations and agencies towards a common end. |
| 8. | The management skills necessary to define performance requirements, maximise the use of scarce resources and monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of the use of resources (including those of contractors) in pursuit of value for money and best value. | The ability to identify with clarity those aspects of the management of the service that require personal involvement and those that should properly be the responsibility of Heads of Service. |
| 9. | Demonstrated ability successfully to manage major change in a large and complex organisation. | |
| 10. | Ability to recognise the importance of customer focus, performance management and innovation in the future delivery of services | |
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Help
Where ever possible, we endevour to produce all of our downloads in PDF format. The PDF format protects data integrity and is an accepted standard accross the private and public sectors. PDF files can be viewed with Adobe Acrobat Reader, a free software tool available from Adobe.
If you are having problems vewing a PDF file, Please click on the link below to download Adobe Acrobat Reader.
http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html
You may also encounter Microsoft Word (.doc) and Microsoft Excel Files (.xls). If you do not have a version of Word or Excel installed on your computer, you can download a free viewer from Microsoft that will allow you to view but not edit the documents. Please click on the links below to download these tools.
Word Viewer 2003
Excel Viewer 2003
If you are experiencing any other problems with this site, please contact Samuel Dorne on 0207 017 0938 or e-mail: samuel.dorne@rockpools.co.uk.
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How to Apply
To apply for one of these posts, please complete the online application form and then submit a comprehensive CV (including two referees see below) and supporting statement that specifically addresses as many of the criteria in Part One of the person specification as possible and provides evidence of achievements against each of the key areas. Your supporting statement should also include a one page summary of your motivation in applying for this role.
Please also complete the Equal Opportunities Monitoring Form. This will help Bristol City Council comply with equalities legislation and best practice to monitor selection decision to assess whether equality of opportunity is being achieved. The information on the form will be treated as confidential and will be used for statistical purposes only. The form will not be treated as a part of your application and will not be seen by anyone involved in the selection process.
Details about your two referees (one of whom should be your most recent or current employer) should include names, positions, organisation and telephone contact numbers. Referees will not, of course, be contacted without your prior consent.
Online Application Form Strategic Director of Resources
Online Application Form - Strategic Director: Children, Young People and Skills
The closing date for applications is 2nd March 2009
For further information please visit www.evolvingbristol.co.uk and then call one of our retained consultants at Rockpools: Aidan Rave on 07810 656046 or Sarah Palmer on 07879 640819 for Strategic Director of Resources; and Liz Wigston on 020 7017 0929 for Strategic Director: Children, Young People and Skills.
Rockpools will, of course, respect the privacy of any conversations regarding these roles
Further information about Bristol City Council can be found by visiting www.Bristol.gov.uk
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Terms and Conditions
Chief Executive's Contract (.pdf)
Performance Management & Development Framework for the Chief Executive (.pdf)
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Delivering on public transport and starting to tackle congestion
In partnership with other local authorities in the sub region, the city has developed the first phase of an integrated transport programme to reduce congestion.
This includes faster and more comfortable 'showcase' bus routes; park and ride schemes; improved cycling and walking facilities and innovative car club and car sharing programmes.
The government has now granted funding of £42million towards a £68 million Greater Bristol Bus Network to improve around 40 bus services along 10 key corridors throughout the city region. Bristol's bus station at Marlborough Street, close to the Broadmead shopping complex, has been transformed through a recent modernisation and regeneration scheme.
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Deputy Chief Executive - Person Specification
- A recognised qualification within a professional discipline.
- Consistent record of achievement in a leadership role within a customer-driven organisation of comparable complexity to the City Council.
- Demonstrable track record of having successfully and effectively delivered on major service improvements, implementing a performance culture, as well as cultural and organisational change
- A successful track record of giving sound professional advice to and building effective and productive working relationships; and in particular having the political awareness, self-confidence and perspective to facilitate open and honest relationships with external partners, councillors, chief officers, senior managers and staff
- Evidence of personally influencing key external stakeholders to the direct benefit of an organisation, resulting in an improved reputation, better leverage with key individuals and a higher profile at national and international level
- An understanding of current issues within local government and experience of successfully working within a political environment or comparable high-pressure and complex organisation.
- A consistent record of successful resource management in a complex organisation.
- Ability to provide visible supportive leadership, empowering, enabling, motivating and developing others.
- Ability to maintain a clear overview of issues affecting the Council and to ensure that chief executive, councillors and chief officers are provided timely and accurate advice and kept fully informed of relevant issues
- Ability to successfully analyse complex issues and situations, provide logical decisions, and reconcile competing interests, providing practical and creative solutions to problems through collaborative working
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Strategic Director: Transformation
Job Description
Person Specification
Terms and Conditions
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The Councils Budget
Bristol's budget is underpinned by a transparent medium term financial plan, which sets out the strategic context in advance of any detailed budget decisions. In 2006/07 this was published in four months before the budget-setting meeting. This approach has been praised as good practice by the Audit Commission and is a key reason why the council has secured three star status for its financial management and use of resources, contributing to the overall improvement in its direction of travel in the 2006 CPA.
In February 2007, the council set an overall net revenue budget of £302.7 million.
Details of this budget can be found online at: http://www.bristol.gov.uk/ccm/navigation/council-and-democracy/council-budgets-and-spending/
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Recruitment Timetable
- Closing Date - Monday 2 March
- Long list meeting - Monday 23 March
- Preliminary interviews Tuesday 24 March Friday 27 March
- Short list meeting Monday 30 March
- Informal phone call/meeting with candidates and Chief Executive Tuesday 31 March Friday 3 April
- Assessments Tuesday 31 March
- Speed Dating, Children Young People and Skills - Tuesday 7 April
- Speed Dating, Strategic Director of Resources - Wednesday 8 April
- Final Panel Strategic Director: Children, Young People and Skills - Tuesday 7 April 4-7pm
- Final Panel Strategic Director of Resources - Thursday 9 April
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So much to see and do
It's no surprise that Bristol is a designated Centre of Cultural Excellence when you consider the city's incredibly vibrant and dynamic cultural offer.
Almost every weekend there's something happening here. Our Brief Encounters and Animated Bristol film festivals; annual Harbour Festival; International Balloon Fiesta and St Paul's Carnival to pick out a few highlights all make Bristol the buzzing place to be.
Cultural facilities to stretch your horizons and entertain you and your family abound in Bristol.
For lovers of the visual and digital arts, there's the Arnolfini and Watershed arts centres; the thought provoking works at Spike Island; or the latest exhibitions at the City Museum and Art Gallery and the West of England Academy art gallery.
For those who want to see the best in drama and performance, there's the Bristol Old Vic and Tobacco Factory theatres and the Hippodrome, bringing musicals and performances direct from London's 'West End'
To build on this success, the city is working to transform the city's Industrial Museum, situated on Bristol's historic harbour, into an £18.6 million state-of-the-art Museum of Bristol.
Indeed, if history is your thing, the displays at City Museum; Red House, Georgian House and Blaise Castle museums and the Commonwealth and Empire Museum at Temple Meads all offer a thought provoking glimpse of Bristol and Britain's past.
Bristol is music lover's dream. Music venues of all sizes present a constantly changing programme of performance to suit all tastes.
To underpin the importance of music to the city that gave the world Massive Attack, Portishead, Tricky, Roni Size and many more great artists, work is underway to strengthen the city's popular 2,000-seater Colston Hall as a centre for great music and performance. Work is underway to develop a new state-of-the-art foyer building with bars and eating places, education workshops and smaller performance and exhibition spaces.
A site for a 10,000 seater capacity arena to provide a new regional music and entertainment venue has been identified next to Brunel's famous Temple Meads railway station in the heart of the city.
Other venues including everything from the Carling Academy offering rock and pop to St George's with the best in acoustic and classical performances.
If you're a sports fan, there's top football action at newly promoted Bristol City FC and Bristol Rovers FC now in the Football League Championship and Division 1 respectively; premiership rugby union at Bristol Rugby Club and county and international cricket at Gloucestershire Cricket Club.
Bristol's fabulous cultural facilities, its vibrant night life and visitor attractions such as the award-winning @t-bristol complex and Brunel's magnificent SS Great Britain and Clifton Suspension Bridge, have helped boost Bristol's reputation as a tourist destination.
Over the past decade the city's tourist industry has grown dramatically. Bristol now welcomes over nine million visitors every year and is the 7th most popular destination in Britain for overseas visitors, with over 2.6 million nights spent in the city by overseas visitors. Indeed, the average length of stay in Bristol by foreign tourists has risen from around 3 days to over 8 days in recent years. The city is also popular with travel operators and was voted the UK's best city in the 2003 Group Leisure Awards.
For more about where to go and what to see in the city log on to www.visitbristol.co.uk
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Corporate Information
Further information is available from the council's website at www.bristol.gov.uk
Corporate Plan
http://www.bristol.gov.uk/ccm/content/Council-Democracy/Democracy-Elections/corporate-plan.en
CPA report 2006 and CPA summary (scorecard)
http://www.bristol.gov.uk/ccm/content/Council-Democracy/Best-Value/comprehensive-performance-assessment.en
Performance Plan 2007
http://www.bristol.gov.uk/ccm/content/Council-Democracy/Best-Value/Annual-performance-plan-2007.en
Local Area Agreement from our Bristol Partnership (LSP) web pages
http://www.bristol.gov.uk/ccm/navigation/council-and-democracy/councillors--democracy-and-elections/partnerships/
Financial Information from our Budgets and Spending web pages
- Three Year Medium Term Financial Plan 2007 to 2010
- Annual Statement of Accounts 2006/07
- Revenue Budget and Capital Programme 2007/08
http://www.bristol.gov.uk/ccm/navigation/council-and-democracy/council-budgets-and-spending/
Equalities policies and information, including Community Cohesion Statement 2006-2009
http://www.bristol.gov.uk/ccm/content/Community-Living/Equality-Diversity/equalities-policy-documents.en
Constitution (including corporate procedures, codes and protocols) -
http://www.bristol.gov.uk/ccm/content/Council-Democracy/constitution.en
Census Data
http://www.bristol.gov.uk/ccm/content/Council-Democracy/Statistics-Census-Information/2001-census-data.en
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Improving educational attainment
The city council is transforming the quality of education in the city. New initiatives to widen the curriculum, strengthen leadership in schools, improve attendance and tackle behaviour issues, are all delivering results. Since 2005, the city's GCSE results (five passes at grades A*-C) have improved by 10% - a significantly faster improvement than the national average rise. Some individual schools improved their scores even more with improvement in some schools with previously poor records being particularly dramatic.
At primary level, SATs test results have also improved. There are now more 11-year-olds scoring higher grades for English and Science in Bristol than in many other major cities in the UK, to give just one example.
To provide the kind of quality learning environments needed to maintain these improvements, a £263 million programme is underway to redevelop the city's secondary schools, utilising the Private Finance Initiative (PFI) and Building Schools for the Future (BSF) programmes and a significant amount of the council's own capital investment.
Prime Minister Gordon Brown officially opened the new Bristol Brunel Academy in the city in September the UK's first completed BSF school.
Bristol hopes its new network of schools will complement the city's two great universities. Both Bristol University and the University of West of England have a deserved international reputation, attracting over 36,000 students every year. Together, they have made the city a centre for world-class research and development by building links with a number of Britain's leading high-tech companies. Their contribution has helped Bristol become one of only six UK Science Cities.
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How the Council is currently organised
The city council has recently undergone a major reorganisation at top management level with a new-look Strategic Leadership Team now providing support and policy advice to elected members and delivering 'one council' leadership to Service Directors and their staff.
The full membership of the SLT is:
Chief Executive Jan Ormondroyd
Deputy Chief Executive Jon House
Strategic Director for Transformation David Trussler
Acting Strategic Director for Resources Carew Reynell
Strategic Director for Neighbourhoods Graham Sims
Acting Strategic Director for Children, Young People and Skills Annie Hudson
Strategic Director for City Development David Bishop
Acting Strategic Director for Health and Adult Social Care Cathy Morgan
Joint Director of Public Health Hugh Annett
As well as working collectively and with partners to provide citywide, strategic leadership, each Strategic Director also has lead responsibility for a group of services and direct line management responsibility for a team of Service Directors.
The council's 2nd tier management has also been restructured with a new 'one council' team of Service Directors created to work in partnership with others to deliver improved services to the people of Bristol.
A chart showing the new Strategic and Service Director Management structure is available here
The total number of council employees, excluding teaching staff, as at March 31st 2008 was 16,759. The number of full time equivalent posts was 12,412.
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Accessibility
We are committed to providing a website which is accessible to as many users as possible, regardless of which web browser they use, or any disability which they may have.
We have made every effort to ensure that all pages within this site conform to the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 1.0 Double-A (AA) standards.
If you are having difficulty accessing any of the information on this site, please contact us at harry.hawks@rockpools.co.uk
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About the Role
Advertisement
Job description
Person specification
Terms and conditions
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Deputy Chief Executive - Job Description
Generic Accountabilities:
Each director will be accountable to members and the Chief Executive and will
- take a strategic lead to deliver agreed city wide outcomes and to contribute to the strategic direction of the City Council,
work in partnership with other agencies, business sector and the community to deliver outcomes, - strategically commission resources and activities to deliver agreed priorities and outcomes,
- take a "one Bristol" corporate approach with other colleagues on the Strategic Leadership Team to deliver an organisational transformation programme through focussing on delivering quality services and value for money in a timely and interpreted manner,
- drive through cultural, organisational improvement in customer and community focus, performance, productivity, budget, managerial efficiency and workforce changes to deliver improved outcomes for the people of Bristol,
- support elected members in undertaking the roles as community leaders and ward members,
- lead, direct and performance manage specific services, build a valued, confident, developed, empowered and innovative workforce
promote and ensure that the City Council's communications, equality and health, safety and welfare objectives are met.
Strategic Lead Portfolio
To take the strategic lead: "Value for Bristol".
Note: Allocated strategic portfolios are inter-changeable and may be amended and realigned according to need and workloads following consultation with the Leader and appropriate elected members without changing the character of the job or level of responsibility.
Corporate accountabilities
To provide the managerial leadership and vision that will enable the development and implementation of innovative, flexible and community focussed approaches to service delivery in:
- Strategic Finance
- Corporate procurement (including category and contract management
- Strategic Human Resources (including internal equality, diversity and health and safety
- Asset Management
- Legal and Democratic Services (including scrutiny and elected member development
- Audit and risk management
- Council Tax
- Contract Services
To be the Council's statutory Chief Financial Officer.
General Accountabilities
- This is a politically restricted statutory chief officer post under Section 2 of the Local Government and Housing Act 1989 (as amended).
- As a member of the Strategic Leadership Team of the Council the jobholder will report directly to the Chief Executive and will participate in the planning of the full range of council services and will support
- Members in realising and delivering their vision for a better Bristol.
- The jobholder will have direct access to all members of the City Council, including the executive and scrutiny committee members.
- Financial Responsibilities: To formulate and recommend financial strategy for the department to the Executive. To ensure that financial systems are in place to ensure the effective management of the department in accordance with best value priorities. To ensure that the department meets its and the Council's financial objectives. To make timely reports to the appropriate Executive and/or Cabinet in accordance with the Council's financial regulations and timetable. To ensure financial regulations are adhered to throughout the department. To ensure that departmental schemes of delegation are properly developed and maintained.
- Resource Management: Sufficient human and other resources from the City Council and partner agencies have been identified, are available, effectively used and provide value for money. Employees are developed and supported to enable them to reach required competencies to deliver services to both national and local standards. The conditions for others to perform and innovate are created. All employees providing services, including those of other organisation providing those services, are aware of their shared responsibility for improving outcomes and sharing information.
- The jobholder will meet the key result areas and competencies within the Bristol Director Competence Framework.
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Strategic Director: Transformation - Job Description
Generic Accountabilities:
Each director will be accountable to members and the Chief Executive and will
- take a strategic lead to deliver agreed city wide outcomes and to contribute to the strategic direction of the City Council,
- work in partnership with other agencies, business sector and the community to deliver outcomes,
- strategically commission resources and activities to deliver agreed priorities and outcomes,
- take a "one Bristol" corporate approach with other colleagues on the Strategic Leadership Team to deliver an organisational transformation programme through focussing on delivering quality services and value for money in a timely and interpreted manner,
- drive through cultural, organisational improvement in customer and community focus, performance, productivity, budget, managerial efficiency and workforce changes to deliver improved outcomes for the people of Bristol,
- support elected members in undertaking the roles as community leaders and ward members,
- lead, direct and performance manage specific services, build a valued, confident, developed, empowered and innovative workforce
- promote and ensure that the City Council's communications, equality and health, safety and welfare objectives are met.
Strategic Lead Portfolio- To take the strategic lead: "Integrated services for Bristol". Note: Allocated strategic portfolios are inter-changeable and may be amended and realigned according to need and workloads following consultation with the Leader and appropriate elected members without changing the character of the job or level of responsibility.
Corporate accountabilities- Transformation and change programmes
- Organisation Development
- Programme and project management
- Customer access and IT strategy
- Shared services (transactional finance, HR, payroll, IT support, property maintenance)
Job Outcomes
The business transformation programme is completed within 3 years.
Current projects include:- Organisational efficiency: Information management, shared systems and processes, administrative practice, procurement value for money, constitution
- Office accommodation: Flexible working Colston 33, St Annes, B Bond, Exit Strategy Kings House
- Customer Excellence: Customer Service Centre, Customer Service Points, Customer Excellence Culture
- People and Performance Development: Cultural change and communication, HR policies and procedures, flexible workforce, performing workforce, future workforce development
General Accountabilities- This is a politically restricted statutory chief officer post under Section 2 of the Local Government and Housing Act 1989 (as amended).
- As a member of the Strategic Leadership Team of the Council the jobholder will report directly to the Chief Executive and will participate in the planning of the full range of council
services and will support Members in realising and delivering their vision for a better Bristol.
- The jobholder will have direct access to all members of the City Council, including the executive and scrutiny committee members.
- Financial Responsibilities: To formulate and recommend financial strategy for the department to the Executive. To ensure that financial systems are in place to ensure the
effective management of the department in accordance with best value priorities. To ensure that the department meets its and the Council's financial objectives. To make timely reports to the appropriate Executive and/or Cabinet in accordance with the Council's financial regulations and timetable. To ensure financial regulations are adhered to throughout the department. To ensure that departmental schemes of delegation are
properly developed and maintained.
- Resource Management: Sufficient human and other resources from the City Council and
partner agencies have been identified, are available, effectively used and provide value for money. Employees are developed and supported to enable them to reach required competencies to deliver services to both national and local standards. The conditions for others to perform and innovate are created. All employees providing services, including those of other organisation providing those services, are aware of their shared
responsibility for improving outcomes and sharing information.
- The jobholder will meet the key result areas and competencies within the Bristol Director Competence Framework.
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Person Specification
It is essential that in your application you give evidence or examples of your proven experience in as many as possible of the criteria listed in "Part One" of the Person Specification. For those candidates invited to interview, these responses will be further developed and discussed together with other criteria listed in "Part Two".
Part One - Experience:
- Consistent record of achievement in a leadership role at senior executive level within a customer-driven organisation of comparable size, scope and complexity
- Demonstrable track record of having successfully and effectively delivered on major service improvements, implementing a performance culture, as well as cultural and organisational change
- Absolute familiarity with the sometimes ambiguous and always distinctive mechanics of cultural change, including a track record and reputation for effectively instilling and maintaining a sense of rigour, accountability, high-performance, self-confidence and ambition in the management and development of all staff
- A successful track record of giving sound professional advice to and building effective and productive working relationships; and in particular having the self-confidence and perspective to facilitate open and honest relationships with councillors, chief officers, senior managers and staff
- An understanding of current issues within local government and experience of successfully working within a political environment or comparable high-pressure and complex organisation
- A demonstrable and successful track record of engaging effectively with others, building productive working relationships with a variety of internal and external partners at all levels (ideally, both private sector, not for profit and Government), and developing and maintaining networks that foster personal and organisational credibility
- Demonstrable and consistent track record of promoting and maintaining the highest standards of ethics and corporate governance
- A consistent record of successful resource management, the formulation, rigorous monitoring and control of large complex budgets and the effective performance management of people and physical resources in a complex organisation
- Evidence of personally influencing key external stakeholders to the direct benefit of an organisation, resulting in an improved reputation, better leverage with key individuals and a higher profile at national and international level
Part Two - Knowledge, skills and abilities:- Ability to provide visible inspiring and supportive leadership, empowering, enabling, motivating and developing others, and fostering a positive organisational environment that focuses on successful outcomes but also shows tolerance and respect
- Ability to operate effectively within the democratic process, with the political acumen and skills to develop productive working relationships with councillors, chief officers and staff that commands respect, trust and confidence
- Ability to lead organisational change and cultural change and to respond positively to both external and internal pressures and any other drivers
- Ability to maintain a clear overview of issues affecting the Council and to ensure that councillors and chief officers are provided timely and accurate advice and kept fully informed of relevant issues
- Ability to propose, develop and implement effective strategies in pursuit of agreed goals and to make clear, informed, appropriate and timely decisions
- Ability to manage and monitor performance effectively, setting clear objectives, managing competing priorities, and balancing the different interests and needs of service users
- Ability to successfully analyse complex issues and situations, provide logical decisions, and reconcile competing interests, providing practical and creative solutions to problems through collaborative working
- Ability to anticipate, interpret and manage change and achieve results through influence and negotiation
Personal style and behaviour- Vigour, pace, energy, enthusiasm, driven and business-like. A robust, resilient, confident and resourceful team leader, who sets high standards, constantly seeks improvement for delivery of services, and overcomes obstacles to achieve objectives
- Ready to work in true partnership with councillors. A commitment to and respect for local democracy and partnership working
- Inclusive and empowering of staff at all levels. A commitment to equality of opportunity, respect, openness and fairness, promoting high standards of behaviour and professionalism for self and others
- The highest standards of personal conduct, probity, credibility, honesty and integrity that engages and inspires the trust and confidence of councillors, chief officers, senior managers, staff and other stakeholders
- Proactive and makes things happen. A natural and inclusive team worker who can work collaboratively across boundaries, harnessing and valuing individual differences, and achieving performance and results through others
- A successful and effective negotiator and facilitator with a flexible style and approach to different people and partners
- Entrepreneurial, courageous and a measured risk-taker within the context of spending public funds and effective governance. Comfortable and relaxed with ambiguity
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Transformational regeneration to ensure all Bristol benefits
The council is taking forward an ambitious programme to transform many of the most disadvantaged communities through its Balanced and Sustainable Communities programme.
By bringing together expertise and initiatives from across council directorates and partner agencies, the council hopes to work with local people to radically redesign some areas in a way that integrates new mixed housing, business opportunities, public transport and community facilities. The approach seeks to maximise opportunities from expected population growth in the sub region over the next 20 years, which will bring with it a demand for at least 28,000 new homes in the city.
At Hengrove Park in South Bristol, an integrated development based on these principles will deliver a new community hospital linked to a new swimming and leisure complex, delivering a 'healthplex' approach that can transform health and wellbeing in a part of the city where health inequalities remain a significant issue. The scheme would also include a new Skills Academy, run by City of Bristol College, to provide training and skills for local people and a site for a new European HQ building for a major local employer. The council is currently in negotiations with Computershare, the international global share registry, as potential occupiers.
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Job Description
Job Purpose
To provide pace, rigour, confidence, ambition and above all, inspiring leadership to the strategic management of the City Council.
To deliver high quality, value for money services which consistently meet the needs, aspirations and expectations of Bristol's community.
To foster the development of a "One-Council" approach to service delivery, ensuring that the culture across the organisation reflects the aspirations and ambition of the political leadership.
Key accountabilities
Internal facing:
- Proactively support the Leader and Cabinet in the formulation of customer-focussed and deliverable objectives, values and strategic policies
- Provide inspiring leadership to the City Council, promoting a customer-focused, high performance and accountable culture in which all staff are clear about their role and responsibilities. In particular, provide a clear sense of internal leadership, direction, optimism and purpose, harnessing and developing the resources of the whole organisation to this end
- Lead the City Council's senior management team holding them clearly accountable, both collectively and individually, for the effective delivery of the objectives, goals and aspirations of the organisation as well as service departments. Manage the Council's annual performance appraisal scheme for Chief Officers
- Drive cultural change and organisational development, with a clear focus on building a valued, confident, innovative and sharply focused workforce and organisation. In particular, develop and promote an enabling organisational culture that: supports employees'; encourages cross-boundary working and integrated solutions; provides accountability, and generates a framework that inspires self-confidence to respond to a growing and developing external agenda
- Ensure the City Council's capacity and in particular its structure is 'fit for purpose' and able to meet the needs of our communities and strategic goals within available resources
- Ensure that the City Council operates in an open, respectful, accountable and democratic manner, and that all the statutory duties and obligations of the City Council are fully met
- Quickly develop an effective working relationship with each of the political group leaders and their groups, ensuring effective and importantly consistent management of the Council's core functions are maintained
External facing:- Proactively support the Leader in their external and ambassadorial role on behalf of Bristol, and where appropriate (and particularly with the business community), undertake external-facing tasks to the benefit of the City
- Personally, and through other chief officers, ensure support for all Councillors in their role engaging with the community and with partners at City wide, regional, sub-national, core city, national and international level
- Build the effective personal relationships at local, regional and national level to ensure that Bristol increasingly 'punches its weight' and is recognised as the lead city within the regional context and is clearly recognised as such at national level
- Build upon existing and establish new, strong and purposeful relationships with local, regional and national partners and stakeholders across private, not for profit and other parts of the public sector, with the intent of promoting the aspirations and needs of Bristol's communities and delivering the best for them
Role & Dimensions- The Chief Executive is the designated Head of the Paid Service and designated Safety Director, operated primarily through the Head of Human Resources
- In addition to the key strategic and corporate accountabilities set out above, this post is currently responsible for the management of " external relations & corporate communications, policy, performance & equalities, regeneration, and community strategy including the Safer Bristol Partnership (which form part of the Chief Executive's Department)."
Following appointment the Party Leaders/HR Committee will review the extent to which the following 'departmental' responsibilities should/should not be retained in conjunction with the successful applicant.
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Strategic Director: Transformation - Terms and Conditions
Deputy Chief Executive - £130K-140K
Strategic Director - Transformation £100,230-£109,904
Salary progression is subject to satisfactory performance in the role, as measured through the City Council's Performance Management and Development Scheme. The final point on the pay-scale is non-consolidated.
Annual Leave
Annual leave arrangements are at the discretion of the Local Authority subject to a maximum entitlement of 30 working days, including annual and long service leave, extra statutory and local holidays. Officers shall, irrespective of length of service be entitled to a holiday with a normal day's pay for each of the Statutory general public holidays as they occur.
Notice Period
Three months
Relocation Package
The Council offers a relocation package
Contract
Deputy Chief Executive - This is a permanent position
Strategic Director - Transformation - 3 year Fixed Term Contract
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Strategic Director: Children, Young People and Skills - Job Description
Generic Accountabilities:
Each director will be accountable to Members and the Chief Executive and will
- take a strategic lead to deliver agreed city wide outcomes and to contribute to the strategic direction of the City Council,
- work in partnership with other agencies, business sector and the community to deliver outcomes,
- strategically commission resources and activities to deliver agreed priorities and outcomes,
- take a "one Bristol" corporate approach with other colleagues on the Strategic Leadership Team to deliver an organisational transformation programme through focussing on delivering quality services and value for money in a timely and interpreted manner,
- drive through cultural, organisational improvement in customer and community focus, performance, productivity, budget, managerial efficiency and workforce changes to deliver improved outcomes for the people of Bristol,
- support elected members in undertaking the roles as community leaders and ward members,
- lead, direct and performance manage specific services, build a valued, confident, developed, empowered and innovative workforce
- promote and ensure that the City Council's communications, equality and health, safety and welfare objectives are met.
Strategic Lead Portfolio
To have the statutory role of Director of Children's Services and be the strategic lead on the Children, young people and skills agenda.
Note: Allocated strategic portfolios are inter-changeable and may be amended and realigned according to need and workloads following consultation with the Leader and appropriate elected members without changing the character of the job or level of responsibility.
Corporate Accountabilities
To provide the managerial and professional leadership and vision that will enable the development and implementation of innovative, flexible and community focussed approaches to service delivery in key areas, including:- Statutory responsibility for Children, Young People and Skills Service
- Learning and achievement, Safeguarding vulnerable children and young people
- Complex needs
- Youth Services
- Corporate parenting
- Early years and child care
- Extended schools
- Early intervention and prevention
- Joint commissioning with NHS Bristol
- 14-19 provision and skills agenda
To ensure the above the Strategic Director will:- provide a professional focus for children and young people's services, ensuring that a clear strategy for improving outcomes for all children and young people within the area is developed. In doing so they will listen to and involve children, and champion their interests both across functional boundaries within the local authority and across local partnerships, so ensuring that the needs of children, young people and their families or carers are addressed, and
with the Executive Member:- drive forward the cultural, workforce and other changes necessary to ensure services cohere around children and young people's needs and to better outcomes for children and young people.
- establish and maintain a framework for effective working across local authority services (for example working closely with Health and Social Care Services to ensure an effective transition between children's and adult services and joined-up working between the service providers within children's and adult services to meet the needs of communities as a whole).
The Strategic Director will have four key roles:- Professional responsibility and accountability for the effectiveness, availability and value for money of the local authority children's services;
- leadership (both within the local authority and beyond) to (a) secure and sustain the necessary changes to culture and practice, so that services improve outcomes for all and are organised around children and young people's needs; (b) ensure transformation of children's services by creating a sharper focus on prevention and early intervention, while strengthening protection and improving achievement and attainment for all children and young people, (c) that adequate systems and protocols are in place for the effective discharge of children's services functions
- building and sustaining effective partnerships with and between those who provide children's services in order to (a)focus resources (financial, human, physical) on discharging statutory services and improving outcomes for children and young people, particularly in safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and (b) establish accountabilities for the effective discharge of their respective responsibilities and the delivery of services, including establishing inter agency governance arrangements required by section 10 of the Children Act 2004.
- contributing to the planning the provision of related council services and promoting the interests of children,young people and families across the range of local authority services, including planning, housing, transport and leisure.
The Strategic Director is appointed for the purposes of the Children's Services Authority's functions is four areas:- Education services - the authority's functions in its capacity as a local education authority, except those excluded under section 18(3) of the Children Act 2004 (namely certain functions relating to further education, higher education and adult education).
- Social services - the authority's social service functions within the meaning of the Local Authorities Social Services Act 1970, insofar as they relate to children and the local authority's functions for children and young people leaving care.
- Health services - any health related functions exercised on behalf of an NHS body under section 31 of the Health Act 1999, insofar as they relate to children.
- Inter-agency cooperation - the new functions of the Children's Services Authority set out in the Children Act 2004, in particular building and leading the arrangements for inter-agency cooperation
The Strategic Director is therefore responsible and accountable for:- directing and leading the operation of the authority's functions in its capacity as a local education authority as the statutory Director of Childrens Services
- directing and leading the operation the authority's social services functions that relate to children, including the functions for children and young people leaving care, and working closely with the Strategic Director - Health and Social Care to support young people with social care needs during the transition to adult social services and health systems.
- ensuring that any children's service provision contracted out or commissioned from another organisation is effectively carried out ( for example ensuring that health related functions are exercised on behalf of an NHS body insofar as they relate to children.
- building and leading the partnership arrangements for inter-agency co-operation to plan, commission and provide children's services, ensuring that partners' plans deliver locally agreed targets and priorities, through local children's trust arrangements and as prescribed by national guidance and requirements
Key Job Outcomes include:
Governance- An effective Children's Trust is maintained to deliver good outcomes for all children and young people
- Schools and other settings are effectively engaged and involved as strategic partners so that they can effectively contribute to achieving the objectives and priorities for children and young people
- A Local Safeguarding Children Board (LSCB) is maintained to co-ordinate and ensure the effectiveness of board members' activities for the purpose of safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children in the authority's area. (Responsibility for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children within each agency or body rests with that agency or body. The Local Safeguarding Children Board (LSCB), which brings together these key organisations, will have a role in evaluating how they fulfil that responsibility and ensuring that their safeguarding work is effective)
- A Children and Young People's Plan (CYPP) is prepared and published to set out the authority's strategy for discharging their functions in relation to children and young people.
- The authority's Corporate Plan includes a focus on improving outcomes for children and young people across the range of local authority services.
- Statements of proposed action are produced in response to a Joint Area Review
- Government departments and inspectorates know that the principal point of contact for the conduct of the local authority's children's services business is the Service Director.
Service Delivery- Ensuring that all services - whether provided directly by the Council or commissioned from external organisations perform to high standards, delivering good outcomes and value for money.
- Standards in schools and other settings are improved.
- The educational achievement and other outcomes for of looked after children are is actively promoted, delivering good outcomes to children and young people
- Young people with social care needs are effectively supported during the transition from childhood to adulthood.
- Effective 14-19 policies are delivered to ensure positive economic well being and participation
- A range of services are commissioned to deliver inclusive learning, participation, early intervention to children, young people and families
- Services are targeted on statutory requirements and to delivering improved outcomes.
- Sustainable childcare will be strategically planned and there will be effective investment in the local childcare market.
Systems- Effective systems, protocols and services are in place to safeguard and promote the well being of children and the effective discharge of children's services functions.
- A database of basic information on all children in the authority is established, maintained and used.
- Information is being provided to national agencies as required, in particular the Secretary of State, upon request, is provided with information on individual children.
- The needs of children and young people in the authority's area have been assessed.
- Arrangements are in place so that concerns may be raised within the local authority that systems and practices may be unsatisfactory.
General Accountabilities- This is a politically restricted statutory chief officer post under Section 2 of the Local Government and Housing Act 1989 (as amended).
- As a member of the Strategic Leadership Team of the Council the jobholder will report directly to the Chief Executive and will participate in the planning of the full range of council services and will support Members in realising and delivering their vision and ambitions for a better Bristol.
- The jobholder will have direct access to all members of the City Council, including the executive and scrutiny committee members.
- Financial Responsibilities: To formulate and recommend financial strategy for the directorate to the Executive. To ensure that financial systems are in place to ensure the effective management of the directorate in accordance with best value priorities. To ensure that the directorate meets its and the Council's financial objectives. To make timely reports to the appropriate Executive and/or Cabinet in accordance with the Council's financial regulations and timetable. To ensure financial regulations are adhered to throughout the directorate. To ensure that directorate schemes of delegation are properly developed and maintained.
- Resource Management: Sufficient human and other resources from the City Council and partner agencies have been identified, are available, effectively used and provide value for money. Employees are developed and supported to enable them to reach required competencies to deliver services to both national and local standards. The conditions for others to perform and innovate are created. All employees providing services, including those of other organisation providing those services, are aware of their shared responsibility for improving outcomes and sharing information.
- The jobholder will meet the key result areas and competencies within the Bristol Director Competence Framework.
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Strategic Director: Children, Young People and Skills
Job Description
Person Specification
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Bristol City Council - our vision and achievements
Our Vision
- A city that realises its full potential and exerts influence appropriate to its status at a regional, national and European level
- A modern, cosmopolitan, ambitious city at the heart of a prosperous and confident area that is the gateway to the South West
- A diverse and accessible city made up of vibrant and balanced communities where everyone is valued and can thrive economically, culturally and socially
- A safe city that promotes health, learning and sustainable development
- A city where no-one is disadvantaged
Real Achievements to Build On
Bristol City Council has much to be proud of. Our new Chief Executive will inherit an authority that is starting to make real progress and deliver significant change. Your job will be to take us to the next level leading staff and working with partners to increase the pace of change and transform the council's reputation.
Some of our recent successes include:
Positioning Bristol's waterfront and city centre as one of the most vibrant in Europe. Bristol's city centre and historic Harbourside have been transformed through innovative regeneration programmes delivered by the city council in partnership with the private sector. Development of Bristol's unique waterfront has made it one of the most striking and attractive in Europe with new cultural and business quarters creating jobs and boosting tourism. These schemes, and other regeneration initiatives across the city, have secured Bristol's status as one of the UK's recognised Growth Areas.
Improving educational attainment and learning environments. .
Thanks to a partnership between the council, schools, the government and other agencies, there's been a 10% rise in students passing five or more GCSE at higher grades over the past two years - and seven secondary schools have been rebuilt as part of an ongoing £263 million investment programme, including PFI and Building Schools for Future initiatives The UK's first BSF school - the Bristol Brunel Academy - was opened by Prime Minister Gordon Brown in the city this month. At the launch, Tim Bayles, Chief Executive of Partnerships for Schools, praised the council, saying: "Bristol is benefiting ahead of all other areas in the country because it has got its act together."
Strengthening financial management. The city council has been awarded a three star rating for its use of resources by the Audit Commission, with its three year medium term financial planning process described as 'notable practice' by inspectors and budgets and capital programmes praised for being 'soundly based.'
Improving customer service. The council's Customer Excellence Programme has delivered high quality 'customer focus' training to front line staff - and established a state-of-the-art Customer Service Centre handling over 1 million calls each year. Work is now underway to widen the range of services delivered through this Customer Service Centre and develop a new network of state-of-the-art Customer Service Points and Self Service Points, using the latest interactive and customer information management technologies.
Tackling anti social behaviour. Working in partnership with police, probation, fire service and other agencies through the Safer Bristol Partnership, the council has supported the delivery of the government's Respect Agenda - and has secured Beacon Status for its work in tackling anti social behaviour. Innovative initiatives include a trailblazing Family Support Scheme; significant improvements to drug treatment and new marshals to assist late night bus travellers and weekend visitors to the city centre. The partnership has led the way in the use of government-sponsored approaches to deal with anti social behaviour including funding for Police Community Support Officers and the application of anti-social behaviour orders, acceptable behaviour contracts, dispersal orders and street drinking bans.
Taking a lead role in the promotion of public health. The city council has teamed up with the NHS to jointly appoint of a Director of Public Health, promote a Smoke Free Bristol initiative, deliver a Beacon Award-winning Healthy Schools programme and jointly manage and commission services for adults with mental health needs and learning difficulties.
Promoting racial equality. The council has taken a lead in promoting community cohesion and tackling racism, securing Beacon Status for promoting racial equality. Initiatives include a 'shadowing' scheme run in partnership with Operation Black Vote to encourage Black and Ethnic Minority residents to play a greater part in the democratic process.
Starting to improve public transport and tackle traffic congestion. Working with its partners, the council has introduced two major Showcase Bus Routes, new Park and Ride schemes and invested in satellite and computer technologies to improve traffic flows and bus punctuality. £68 million has been secured to implement a Greater Bristol Bus Network that will transform public transport in and around Bristol a key element of a Joint Local Transport Plan agreed with the city's three neighbouring councils.
Delivering sustainable regeneration to many disadvantaged communities. The imaginative use of Neighbourhood Renewal Funding, EU Structural Funds and partnership arrangements with government agencies and the voluntary sector, has led to the development of new community facilities and community-based initiatives that have widened access to services for thousands of people. Initiatives include the award-winning St Paul's Learning and Skills Centre in north Bristol and the Core and Gateway centres in south Bristol. Work is now underway to deliver an integrated regeneration scheme at Hengrove in South Bristol to provide a community hospital, leisure complex, skills academy and headquarters building for a leading employer - all on one site.
Transforming leisure and library facilities. A multi-million pound rebuilding and refurbishment programme, often delivered through partnerships with the private and community sectors, has provided new and improved leisure centre, libraries and facilities - including the UK's most comprehensive People's Network offering free internet access.
Improving recycling rates. The city council has introduced one of the UK's first weekly doorstep collection schemes to recycle food waste boosting the city's weekly household waste recycling rate to over 36%, believed be the best performance of any major UK city.
Giving older and disabled people the housing they need. A unique partnership with the social housing sector will deliver 600 new very sheltered housing units for older and disabled people across the city by 2011 enabling more vulnerable people to live independently for longer. The programme's success with over 300 units on six sites opened to date - recently led to Bristol being awarded Beacon Status for partnership working.
Make Your Mark - Meet Our Challenges
We aren't going to pretend this is an easy job. It isn't: it's one of the hardest in local government. Bristol's a great city in a great location with much to be proud of. But the city council needs to change and improve significantly becoming a truly unified and corporate organisation - if it is to tackle some of the most difficult challenges anywhere in the UK. If you're up to the task, this could be the place where you make your mark.
Our toughest challenges include:
Ensuring Bristol punches its weight with its successes recognised regionally, nationally and internationally. Bristol is the UK's most dynamic and exciting city: the economic heartbeat of the south west. Regeneration and investment has transformed it into one of Europe's most powerful economies. Yet we do not feel this success is fully recognised or valued within the region, nationally or internationally. Our new Chief Executive needs to work alongside elected Members to raise our profile and help us punch our weight alongside the UK's other big hitters.
Creating a council that acts as one organisation - responding corporately to issues and delivering joined-up solutions. Despite improvements over recent years, barriers remain within the council that restrict its ability to respond to the needs of the people of Bristol in a joined-up and co-ordinated way. Our new Chief Executive will be expected to focus on breaking down those barriers, delivering a unified approach to the issues we face today and in the future
Improving educational attainment. Despite the significant progress made in recent years, many of our children don't get the start they deserve and need in life. The pace of change and improvement needs to be stepped up. GCSE and some other key stage results are still below the national average; performance is far from satisfactory in several primary schools; poor student attendance and behaviour remains a significant issue across the city; fixed term exclusions are unacceptably high and more work is needed to rebuild the confidence of parents in Bristol's 'state' school network.
Reducing traffic congestion and improving public transport. Relatively high levels of traffic congestion remain a major frustration for businesses and residents - and bus services often fall far short of local people's expectations. Radical improvements to public transport across the sub-region urgently needs to be delivered and funded - but how we raise the revenue essential to deliver such a step change must be seen by residents and business leaders as fair and equitable.
Tackling deprivation and disadvantage. Bristol has seen significant regeneration and economic success in recent years - but not everyone in has enjoyed the wealth generated. There remain significant pockets of severe deprivation and disadvantage where whole communities have missed out on the success enjoyed in other parts of the city. Truly transformational and sustainable regeneration is urgently needed in some areas, such as south Bristol, if we are to tackle the underlying cause of such inequality.
Delivering value for money in social care services. Many social care services in the city continue to have unacceptably high unit costs and overheads. This restricts the council's ability to deliver the range and quality of care required by many of its most vulnerable citizens and places additional pressure on an already overstretched budget.
Strengthening recycling and waste management. The progress made to date has to be maintained and improved, in line with the government's national strategy on waste reduction. This presents the council with significant operational and financial challenges. Any further changes will need to take account of the dramatic impact that residents' satisfaction with this area of service can have on the council's overall performance rating.
Improving our cultural offer. Whilst real progress has been made in improving sports, swimming and library facilities in recent years, there has been an historic underinvestment in cultural facilities in the city. New city centre facilities such as the Colston Hall redevelopment and Museum of Bristol project need to be delivered to time and budget - and further work is required to improve parks and play facilities, update libraries, complete reconfiguration of the city's network of sports and swimming centres and work with the independent sector to strengthen the city's performance venues.
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