Key plans and strategies support the operational and strategic direction of the directorate. These include:
- Workforce and OD Strategy
- Medium Term Financial Strategy
- Joint Venture Business Plan
- Business Change programme
The Resources Directorate develop and deliver clear financial and people strategies. They facilitate delivery of the Council Plan objectives. This enables other service areas to deliver their priorities effectively and efficiently.
They do this by:
- providing a wide range of services, shaped by the needs of our internal and external customers
- making sure that the council’s finances are effectively managed, providing timely, constructive financial and commercial advice, monitoring and strategies
- helping create a sustainable, high performing workforce, supported by excellent managers and leaders
- supporting the recovery of services that are underperforming or at high risk of doing so
Key drivers
Service context
The Resources Directorate combines internal support functions with an external customer focus on local tax collection, recovery of other sums due for council services and payments to suppliers.
Through leading the council’s engagement with the Bracknell Forest Cambium Partnership, it also helps deliver council priorities to secure more affordable homes and make Bracknell a thriving town centre.
Current climate
Recruitment
Recruitment of qualified staff is proving difficult. This presents a risk to service delivery, particularly for the corporate procurement and internal audit functions. This will make implementation of the new Procurement Act requirements especially difficult. Recognising this, attempts are being made to work closely on this with neighbouring authorities. This has been the approach taken to deliver large parts of the internal audit programme in recent years.
Alongside these necessary short-term measures, the council’s prioritisation of recruitment and retention initiatives will increase organisational demands on the Human Resources and Organisational Development team. Recruitment of additional staff will provide additional capacity and potentially different perspectives to make Bracknell Forest a first choice for candidates in a competitive labour market.
A restructure of the business change team was recently completed with most posts recruited to. The team are supporting the delivery of the new change programme working with senior officers and subject matter experts. A new head of business change role will lead the team in 2024 to 2025.
Financial pressures
Financial pressures on the council continue to grow each year.
While Bracknell Forest is not at risk of a financial breakdown in the foreseeable future, the need for tight financial controls has never been greater. A focus on driving and tracking delivery of savings through the Business Change programme will be key.
Safety Valve has changed the dynamics of the organisation by requiring a new strategy to fund business change support costs by disposing of capital assets rather than using reserves.
Bracknell Forest Cambium Partnership
With the Bracknell Forest Cambium Partnership reaching the end of its initial business plan period, its next phase will include assessing other potential development opportunities to progress beyond the first 'category A' sites.
The timing fits well with adoption of the Bracknell Forest Local Plan and masterplans being brought forward for the Southern Gateway site, including the former High Street car park.
With signs that inflationary pressures are declining and a hope that interest rates will fall during the year, market conditions look set to be more positive than they have been for some time.
Our services
This information is correct as of April 2024.
The Executive Director for Resources is Stuart McKellar. The directorate provides the following services:
Accounting
Led by Arthur Parker - Assistant Director: Chief Accountant
- strategic accountancy
- finance and business partners
- accountancy support hub
- schools funding
- revenue budget and final accounts
Business Change
Led by Kellie Williams - Assistant Director: Corporate Improvement and Innovation
- corporate improvement programme
- climate change project
- workforce - retention and recruitment
- efficiency and digitisation
- neighbourhood regeneration and assets
Audit and Risk Management
Led by Sally Hendrick - Head of Audit and Risk Management
- internal audit
- insurance
- risk management
Finance and Business Services
Led by Calvin Orr - Assistant Director: Finance and Business Services
- accounts payable and accounts receivable
- council tax and business rates
- systems support
- banking treasury and capital
- cashiers
HR, OD and Payroll
Led by Paul Young - Assistant Director: HR, OD and Payroll
- HR and contracted services
- organisational development
- learning and development
- payroll services
- business change programme: retention and recruitment
Joint Venture Business Partner
Led by Sarah Holman - Joint Venture Business Partner
- delivery of agreed development sites
- future redevelopment priorities
Procurement
Led by Alistair Little - Head of Procurement
- procurement advice and support
- contract register
- strategic procurement group
- contract advice
Priorities
Key results and indicators
We publish our key results and indicators to show our progress with the Council Plan.
Annual actions
Annual actions set out specific activity to be carried out in the next year.
Budget position
Budget information reflects information approved at council in February 2024. Structure changes will be reflected in reporting from quarter 1.
Revenue budget
The Resources Directorate has a gross expenditure cash budget of £8.301 million with -£1.349 million of income, making a planned net spend of £6.952 million.
The gross budget includes £5.630 million for staffing.
Savings
The 2024 to 2025 budgets include savings of £0.241 million.
The key themes adopted in making the savings were:
- staffing restructures and bringing services in-house - £0.206 million
- reduction in overall training budget through a review of essential and mandatory training offered - £0.025 million
- reduction in various supplies and services budgets - £0.010 million
Capital budget
The 2024 to 2025 capital programme does not include any schemes for the Resources Directorate.
Pressures
The budget includes pressures of £0.464m million
These pressures can be put into the following broad categories:
- payments to households in receipt of council tax support - £0.245 million
- above inflation increase to various contract costs - £0.058 million
- cost of specialist support - £0.136 million
- income pressures - £0.025 million
Financial risks
The Resources Directorate have identified the followings budgets that can pose a risk to the council's overall position:
| Service area | Budget (£000) | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| Internal Audit | 26 | Due to recruitment difficulties the council may need to commit to purchasing additional audit days from external providers. |