The council constitution
The council's constitution sets:
- the legal rules it must follow
- how decisions are made and
- the procedures to make sure that decisions are efficient, transparent and accountable
Scrutiny of the Executive
The Overview and Scrutiny Commission scrutinises decisions the Executive:
- is planning to take
- it plans to implement
- that have already been taken or implemented
They hold the Executive to account for the decisions and actions that affect their communities.
The commission co-ordinates the work of 3 Overview and Scrutiny Panels. The panels carry out reviews and support focussed policy development.
Find out more about scrutiny
Council staff and departments
While elected councillors provide the policies, paid employees (council officers) put them into practice.
The council employs over 4,000 staff. These include school teachers, social workers and staff responsible for a wide range of services.
There are 4 council directorates where staff are employed:
- Communities
- People
- Place
- Resources
The Chief Executive
The Chief Executive is Susan Halliwell. They are the senior officer who leads and takes responsibility for the work of the paid staff of the council.
The Chief Executive works with elected members to deliver:
Leadership
Working with elected members, the Chief Executive makes sure of strong and visible leadership and direction.
They encourage and enable managers to motivate and inspire their teams.
Strategic direction
The Chief Executive makes sure all staff understand and adhere to the strategic aims of the organisation and follow the direction set by the elected members.
Policy advice
The Chief Executive acts as the principal policy adviser to the elected members of the council. They lead the development of strategies which will deliver the political objectives set by the councillors.
Partnerships
The Chief Executive leads and develops strong partnerships across the local community to achieve improved outcomes and better public services for local people
Operational management
The Chief Executive oversees financial and performance management, risk management, people management and change management.