Brighton and Hove City Council Chief Executive

Information for candidates August 2012

2

Contents Introduction 3 Brighton and Hove 4 About the City 4 Culture and Leisure 4 Business and Enterprise 5 Key Priorities and the Corporate Plan 7 The City Plan 7 Council Finance 8 Political Structure and Governance Arrangements 8 Current Organisational Chart 10 Proposed Interim Organisational Chart 11 Job Description and Person Specification 12 Terms and Conditions of Appointment 15 The Selection Process 18 How to Respond 18 Queries 18

3

Introduction

Thank you for your interest in Brighton and Hove City Council. It won‟t surprise you to hear that I am

passionate about this city and its potential. Those familiar with Brighton and Hove will most likely tell

you that it‟s a fabulous city in which to live, work and relax. Whether people were born and raised here

or whether they came to the city in later life, most have chosen to stay. We are well known, of course,

as a top destination for tourists who have enjoyed the city‟s many attractions since Regency times.

However, like any city in the UK, we are facing significant challenges and the council, alongside

partners and residents, has a critical role to play in addressing them. My confidence in our ability to

tackle these challenges stems from this city‟s vibrancy, creativity and ambition. We are a compact

place – nearly 275,000 residents in just over 33 square miles – which means that ideas can quickly

germinate into tangible action and benefits. We have co-terminus boundaries with our key public

sector partners and a great desire amongst our business community for the council to play a very

active part in shaping the future. Our two universities play a significant role by providing the city with a

talented graduate population and our strategic location and connectivity is attractive to both established

and new business.

As the country‟s first Green Party administration we are committed to a sustainable future for our city

and to the principles of One Planet Living. Our ability to deliver services in the future has to be

underpinned by a greater and smarter use of technology and I am passionate about our journey to

become a „Digital Council‟. We need to get better at using data and connecting with our residents.

That will lead to superior decision making and lower costs. Whilst we hold our guiding values and

principles dear, we are not short sighted when it comes to making difficult decisions about the future.

We know that success will require us to think carefully about different service delivery models and

about levels of investment in key projects and infrastructure. A sustainable and successful future can

co-exist with a period of financial restraint.

I fully appreciate that this is a vital appointment for the whole council and that we are an organisation

that does not have single political party control. However, I know that my fellow councillors across the

political spectrum share my desire to see the very best possible person appointed to help take this city

forward. I do not have a fixed view on where you might be working currently, but I am certain that you

will have the strength of character and leadership to shape a talented group of officers to propel us

forward on the next leg of our journey.

Jason Kitcat

Leader of the Council

4

Brighton and Hove

About the City

Brighton and Hove is a vibrant place to live, work and visit. It is a colourful and creative city with strong

community spirit. There are good transport links by road, rail and air and Brighton and Hove is home to

a number of nationally and internationally renowned institutions.

The city sits between the South Downs, with our newly designated National Park, and the sea and

benefits from those natural landscapes. It is a walkable city with stunning architecture, an enviable year

round cultural offer, the historic Lanes, unique independent shops and a vast array of restaurants, pubs

and clubs. Home to more than a quarter of a million people, our city is renowned for its dynamism and

its culture of tolerance,

The 2011 census results show that our population had grown to 273,400 in 2011, and this is above what was previously thought. Balancing the pressure of inward migration and population growth against the physical, economic and environmental constraints of the city is a real challenge for the future. The population of England & Wales has grown by 3.7m, or 7.1% over the last decade. The population of Brighton & Hove has grown by 25,600 or 10.3% in the 10 years to 2011. This is above what was expected and 45% above the England & Wales average rate of population growth.

Our city has an unusual age distribution with a bulge of residents aged 20-44 years and relatively high

numbers of residents aged 85 years or more. 22 per cent (55,000) are estimated to be aged 19 or

under, 65 per cent (165,100) are estimated to be aged between 20 & 64, 14 per cent (35,900) are

estimated to be aged 65 or over. The population aged 90 years or more is expected to increase from

2,400 to 3,400 people, an increase of 42 per cent, over the next decade.

With two universities we have a large student population. Our student population was 33,340 in 2008/9,

and was estimated to be close to 40,000 in 2011. We also have a large number of foreign language

students, around 35,000 per year, although some may only be here for a very short period of time. The

largest student populations are found in Hollingdean & Stanmer.

Culture and Leisure

Culture and Tourism are crucial to the city‟s economy; we have 8m visitors a year and tourism

generates just over £732m into our local economy. Visitors come for the unique seafront; an attractive

mix of landscaping, sculpture, sports facilities, restaurants and bars and of course, the shingle

beaches. They come for the famous attractions such as the Royal Pavilion and the Brighton Pier.

They come for the year round cultural and events offer. We are also developing a strand of Eco-

Tourism, building and extending our current offer; the city has always benefited from its reinvention and

renewal.

5

Our city hosts around 60 festivals each year including the Brighton Festival for 3 weeks in May, which

is the largest Arts festival in England, and the Brighton Fringe which is the 3rd largest Fringe in the

world. We also host a very wide range of up to 300 outdoor events in any one year including a large

scale Pride and have regular farmer‟s markets & food celebrations. We are home to several nationally

and internationally significant cultural organisations with whom we work in regular partnership.

Of our 98 parks & open spaces, 6 are listed as being of historic interest and we benefit from proximity

to the South Downs National Park‟s 1,600 square kilometres of diverse landscapes and natural beauty.

The Park was formally designated in March 2010 & provides a vast range of outdoor recreational

opportunities.

Culture plays an important role in health, well-being and participation: our cultural services rate highly

with our residents in terms of satisfaction levels, and we have above national average levels of

engagement across culture, heritage and sports according to the latest figures from the Take Part

Survey. The Royal Pavilions and Museums service is one of the largest in the South East, directly

operating 5 sites including the Royal Pavilion. We have 12 community libraries in addition to a larger

library in Hove and our main central library, the award winning Jubilee Library in Brighton, is the 6th

most successful library in the country with nearly 1m visits per annum. The majority of our sports

facilities are commissioned as part of a 10-year management agreement and the city has benefited

hugely in recent years from the opening of the American Express Community Football Stadium.

Business and Enterprise

There are 13,422 businesses in the city. We have the third highest number of businesses per 10,000

population in England & Wales. In 2010 we had 388.6 businesses per 10,000 members of the

population, which is significantly higher than the national average figure.

We have a strong entrepreneurial culture, reflected by high levels of business start-ups compared with

other cities. During the period 2010 – 12 in Brighton and Hove, 275–340 business accounts were

opened per month, compared to the all-England monthly average of 110–140. However, these do not

all convert to fully fledged and successful businesses. Start-up rates of 52.1 businesses per 10,000

people in 2010 was above the Great Britain average of 37.8, but we also see higher numbers of

businesses fail each year. Since the recession, we have lost a slightly higher proportion of our local

business base than nationally, but due to the micro employment structure of many businesses in the

city we have experienced only small increases in unemployment compared to the national or regional

increases. There are also dynamic shifts occurring in the local SME economy toward higher value and

knowledge-focused sectors. These are likely to be more resilient to future shocks and have already

withstood international shocks as well in employment terms. In the future we will help develop an

increasingly resilient economy underpinned by growth in the key sectors above.

Between 1998 and 2008 our private sector employment base grew by 24.8% - this was the highest

percentage growth rate for any UK city.

6

The vast majority of our businesses are small or micro-level:

86.4 % of our businesses (11,597) employ less than ten people in 2010

11 % of businesses (1,476) employ 11-49 people

2.1 % of businesses (282) employ 50-199 people

0.5 % of businesses (67) employ more than 200 people

The city has a priority to secure at least 6,000 new jobs by 2014 in order to provide employment for our

growing working age population and on equipping residents with the skills needed for sustainable

employment. This priority is based on an estimate of the number of new jobs that the city may need to

maintain its existing employment rate in light of a growing working age population.

Our partnerships with business and with the private sector are key to developing regeneration and

employment in the city. We have a successful and active Brighton and Hove Economic Partnership

with whom we work closely together with a number of local business forums including the Brighton and

Hove Business Forum and the local Chamber of Commerce.

Within the city there are a number of business sectors that are seen as being key to our sustainable

economic growth which include environmental technologies, digital media, the creative industries and

finance, and their support and growth is essential to the economic well being of the city.

Brighton and Hove also has a place on the Coast to Capital Local Enterprise Partnership Board which

is chaired by John Peel OBE and covers the geographical area from Croydon to Brighton (including

The Gatwick Diamond), Lewes and West Sussex (coastal and rural). The two main themes of this

Partnership are Entrepreneurialism and Internationalism.

(Coast to Capital)

The economic contribution of the third sector to the city was estimated to be £96.25 million in 2008

when last reviewed. The actual income of the third sector was around £55 million at this time. There is

a strongly local ownership structure which means that the third sector will spend most of its income

locally compared to other sectors, creating a higher multiplier, or re-spending, effect on the local

economy.

For further information about Brighton and Hove please visit:

Council website - http://www.brighton-hove.gov.uk/

Brighton & Hove local information service - http://www.bhlis.org/population/

Visit Brighton website - http://www.visitbrighton.com/your-brighton

7

Key priorities and the Corporate Plan

The Corporate Plan sets out Brighton & Hove City Council‟s strategic direction and priorities for the

next four years. It describes how the council will help to deliver the vision of the city‟s Sustainable

Community Strategy, by improving council services and through closer working with residents,

businesses and community and voluntary organisations.

The Plan has five priorities:

Tackling inequality

Creating a more sustainable city

Engaging people who live and work in the city

A responsible and empowering employer

A council the city deserves

The overarching strategic partnership for the city is the 2020 Community Partnership which brings together

all sector interests that make up the city community and sets the vision and direction for Brighton & Hove

through its 2020 Community Strategy. This strategy is based on the firm foundation of 'partnership working'

and has identified eight priority areas of concern, setting priorities and targets for the partnership to achieve.

These priorities are reflected in the Corporate Plan.

For further details about the Corporate Plan, the Community Strategy and our key priorities please see the

following links below:

PDF version of the Corporate Plan - http://corporateplan.brighton-

hove.gov.uk/sites/default/files/BHCC_Corporate_Plan_2011-2015.pdf

Corporate Plan web pages - http://corporateplan.brighton-hove.gov.uk/

Community Strategy - http://www.bandhsp.co.uk/

The City Plan

The City Plan will be the council's key planning document and will provide the overall strategic vision

for the future of Brighton & Hove to 2030. It will set out how the council will respond to local priorities,

meet the challenges of the future and identify the broad locations, scale and types of development

needed together with the supporting infrastructure.

The draft plan:

• Identifies broad locations for development and allocates strategic sites and employment sites.

• Sets out the council‟s strategic approach to housing, the economy, shopping and transport.

• Sets a local housing target for the city to 2030 of 11,300 new homes

8

• Sets clear policies that will guide planning decisions on planning applications on issues such as

affordable housing provision, the protection of open space and ensuring new development is

built to high standards of design and sustainability.

• Sets out the infrastructure requirements for the city up to 2030 and indicates how these will be

provided.

• Indicates how the plan will be implemented and shows how progress will be monitored.

For further details please visit:

The City Plan - http://www.brighton-hove.gov.uk/index.cfm?request=c1148443

Council Finance

The city council is a Unitary Authority with a population of over 250,000 and a net budget of over

£200m. For more detailed budget information please see our „Budget‟ page which includes the latest

Budget Book. The statement of accounts details how the council has spent its money.

Other useful links:

Council finances - http://www.brighton-hove.gov.uk/index.cfm?request=b1117002

Council budget - http://www.brighton-hove.gov.uk/index.cfm?request=c1117201

Medium term financial plan - http://www.brighton-hove.gov.uk/index.cfm?request=c1123841

Political structure and governance arrangements

The leader of the council is currently Councillor Jason Kitcat. Jason was elected leader at the Annual

Council Meeting on 17 May 2012. Brighton & Hove is divided into 21 wards and each ward is

represented by two or three councillors. In total there are 54 local councillors elected to Brighton &

Hove City Council. 23 are Green, 18 are Conservative and 13 are Labour & Co-Operative.

New Governance Arrangements

After Annual Council on Thursday 17 May, Brighton & Hove City council moved to a new model of

decision-making called the committee system. The committee system will mean that decisions become

cross-party decisions, taken by members of all the political groups. As a result, decisions will more

fairly represent the city and the make-up of the council. The basic change to the structure of council

meetings is that Cabinet Member Meetings have become committees. As a result, Cabinet Members

now serve as Chair to the relevant committee.

9

New Code of Conduct

The Council has adopted a new code of conduct for members. In accordance with section 27(2) of the

Localism Act 2011, the Council has adopted a new code dealing with the conduct that is expected of

members and co-opted members of Brighton & Hove City Council when they are acting in that

capacity.

The new code of conduct, which came into effect at the conclusion of the Council meeting on 19 July

2012, is available as an Appendix to the recent Standards Update report [PDF - 60Kb]

For further details about the Council and its democracy please visit:

Council & democracy web pages - http://www.brighton-hove.gov.uk/index.cfm?request=c1211295

10

Organisational Chart

The diagram below is the council‟s current organisational structure.

Following the departure of a number of the Strategic Directors a subsequent interim structure (next page) is being proposed and is currently in consultation; these interim arrangements will stay in place until the appointment of the new Chief Executive.

11

Interim arrangements in red

Proposed organisation structure August 2012 (subject to consultation)

12

Job Description and Person Specification Job Purpose

• Working in partnership with elected Members to continue to develop a responsible, high performing

modern council.

• Provide visible, inclusive leadership and setting out a clear direction and vision for all staff.

• Ensuring provision of the best possible services for the people of Brighton & Hove.

• Driving and developing the corporate agenda to make Brighton & Hove a forward-thinking centre of

local government excellence in the country.

Job Description

Leadership

• Act as the Council‟s senior advisor to Members and Head of Paid Service.

• Direct the Management Team to ensure the Council fulfils its statutory functions, service objectives

and outcomes.

• Develop and maintain excellent and appropriate relations between Members and officers.

• To play a key role in promoting the reputation of Brighton & Hove City Council through proactive

communications locally and nationally.

Strategic Management

• Lead by personal example and develop senior staff in order to help them reach full potential.

• Optimise the Council‟s resources, commissioning and procurement arrangements to ensure value

for money and effective resource management.

• Lead and develop a corporate approach across the organisation to respond to a changing local

government environment.

Organisational Culture

• Ensuring Brighton & Hove City Council is an exemplar of modern local democracy.

• To continue to develop a People Strategy by taking a lead role in shaping the culture and

organisational development of Brighton & Hove City Council, so that the organisation is equipped to

be an excellent employer with flexible opportunities..

• Lead by personal commitment and clear action as to the Council‟s positive approach to diversity so

that it is reflected in all the Council does.

• Ensure that staff are fully informed, consulted and engaged and feel ownership of the activities of

the Council.

Modernisation

• To develop and shape a forward looking results orientated efficient organisation, well equipped to

respond to the current economic challenges.

• Optimise the Council‟s capacity to ensure effective cross departmental and flexible working.

• Keep under review appropriate management and organisational structures to ensure continued

effective delivery of services.

13

Regeneration & Innovation

• Spearhead and support initiatives which will ensure that Brighton & Hove is creative and innovative.

• Represent the Council and city at regional, national and international level.

• Act as a focus for building and improving partnerships with key stakeholders, leading to successful

outcomes on regeneration projects and programmes.

• To ensure the Council achieves the goals of a vibrant, varied and sustainable economy whilst at the

same time promoting the City‟s strengths.

Service Delivery & Performance

• Ensure that the Council continuously improve services and exceeds the expectations of residents,

customers and other staff.

• Set clear, strategic direction for organisational projects.

• Ensure that service planning and delivery meet all statutory and local requirements.

• Ensure that the Council‟s overall planning and budgetary processes are converted into

management action.

Person Specification

Experience

• Strong track record of success and achievement at the highest levels in a local authority or a similar

large, complex organisation.

• A solid understanding of local government democratic processes and of operating in a dynamic

pressurised political environment.

• Proven track record of successful corporate management and participation in the formulation of

corporate objectives, policies and strategies within a large, multi-disciplined organisation, in either

the public, not for profit or private sector.

• Proven success in leading and motivating teams of senior staff to a high level of achievement.

• Proven track-record of working effectively in co-operation and partnership with a wide range of

communities, partner organisations, private sector providers, public agencies, voluntary bodies and

statutory authorities.

• Successful track record of establishing/developing a strong performance culture, effective

performance and service quality evaluation that involves users and drives up standards and

performance.

• Achievement of equal opportunities in both employment and service delivery within a large, complex

organisation, and a demonstration of personal leadership in the value of diversity.

• Proven experience of promoting the positive image, both internally and externally, of a large

organisation.

• Demonstrable success in the modernisation and transformation of large organisations and

facilitating cultural change.

• Knowledge and experience of managing complex resource portfolios, capital programmes and

leading successfully on regeneration programmes.

Skills

• Ability to inspire, foster and champion innovation, leading to the successful delivery of world class

services, further enhancing the Council‟s reputation.

14

• Outstanding communication skills coupled with developed networking skills that inspire trust,

encourage forward thinking and involvement.

• A thorough understanding of the current challenges facing local government generally, and Brighton

& Hove in particular, coupled with financial and commercial awareness.

• Political astuteness with a mature insight into organisational leadership and success.

Attributes

• Strong leader and corporate player who is also resilient, robust and epitomises and is committed to

the highest professional standards.

• Probity, credibility and stature that engages and commands the confidence of members, staff, the

community and diverse stakeholders.

• Drive, motivation and savvy, able to enthuse others and push forward Brighton & Hove‟s forward

agenda.

• Commitment to the Council‟s values, and desire to serve well all the communities it serves

15

Terms and Conditions of Appointment

GENERAL TERMS & CONDITIONS OF SERVICE: Your conditions of service will be in accordance with the collective agreements negotiated from time to time, by the Joint Negotiating Committee for Chief Executives of Local Authorities. This national agreement may be supplemented and/or varied from time to time, by the Council‟s staffing decisions, regulations, policies, procedures and practices which include Standing Orders and collective agreements reached by negotiation or agreement locally with the Trade Unions recognised by the Council. SUMMARY OF PRINCIPAL TERMS & CONDITIONS: SALARY: A competitive salary is on offer in line with the successful candidate‟s skills and experience. This figure is inclusive of all fees and allowances. This is a “spot” salary and therefore there is no entitlement to incremental progression.

Your salary will be paid monthly, in arrears, on the last banking day of the month by direct credit transfer into the Bank or Building Society account of your choice.

LEAVE ENTITLEMENT:

Annual leave

Your annual leave entitlement in a full year of service is 30 days. This figure is inclusive of “long service leave”. Employees starting or leaving the Council‟s employment during the leave year (i.e. 1st April to 31st March) will be entitled to leave proportional to their completed service with the Council.

Extra-Statutory Leave

In addition to your annual leave entitlement, you are entitled to 2 extra-statutory days leave per year.

Bank/Public Holiday Entitlement

You are also entitled to paid leave in respect of each of the bank/public holidays.

Concessionary Leave Entitlement

You are also entitled to 2 concessionary days leave per year which must be taken during the period between Christmas/New Year when the council‟s offices are closed.

16

HOURS OF WORK: The standard working week is one of 37 hours. However, it is recognised that the role of Chief Executive cannot be satisfactorily undertaken within a fixed working week. Therefore, you will be expected to work such reasonable additional hours as are required to ensure the efficient and effective discharge of your duties. This will necessitate your undertaking a significant amount of work outside normal office hours including at week-ends and on bank holidays. The salary attached to this post has been set having regard to these hours and working arrangements.

TRAVELLING ALLOWANCES AND EXPENSES: Travelling and subsistence allowances will be paid in accordance with the national terms and conditions of service. Reasonable out-of-pocket expenses will be paid.

SICKNESS SCHEME:

Your entitlement to sick pay, taking into account your previous relevant service will be as follows:

During first year of service: One month‟s full pay and, after four months‟ service, two months‟ half pay

During second year of service: Two months‟ full pay & two months‟ half pay

During third year of service: Four months‟ full pay & four months‟ half pay

During fourth & fifth year of service: Five months‟ full pay & five months‟ half pay

After five years of service: Six months‟ full pay & six months‟ half pay

PENSION: You are eligible to become a member of the Local Government Pension Scheme. OTHER BENEFITS: You will be reimbursed the cost of one professional association fee in addition to the membership fee of one Local Authority Association relevant to your duties and responsibilities.

PROBATIONARY SERVICE: Confirmation of your appointment would be subject to you completing satisfactorily a probationary period of six months.

17

PERIODS OF NOTICE: Your appointment would be subject to determination by three calendar months‟ notice in writing on either side unless the council terminates your employment during the probationary period or as a result of gross misconduct or for some other substantial breach of contract.

POLITICAL RESTRICTIONS:

Your post is politically restricted. In general terms this will disqualify you from becoming a member (by election or otherwise) of a local authority (except town, parish or community Council), from membership of the House of Commons and of the European Parliament. Your public political activities may also be further restricted in accordance with such regulations prescribed by the Secretary of State (e.g. holding office in a political party, canvassing at elections and speaking or writing publicly on matters of party political controversy).

NO SMOKING POLICY:

The Council has a “no smoking policy” which means that you will not be permitted to smoke in the workplace.

RELOCATION EXPENSES:

If you are appointed and reside more than 25 miles outside the City, you will qualify for financial assistance

to relocate to Brighton and Hove up to a maximum of £10,000.

18

The Selection Process

The closing date for applications is Midday 12th September 2012. The recruitment timetable (subject to change) is as follows: Preliminary interviews for long-listed candidates (London) 17th – 18th September 2012

Psychometric Assessment 22nd – 25th September 2012

Final Assessment, consisting of: - Assessment Day - Member Panel Interview Day

2nd October Brighton Centre 3rd October Kings House, Hove

How to Respond To apply for this post, please respond by submitting:

A covering letter, explaining what has motivated you to apply for this post

A comprehensive, up-to-date CV

A supporting statement that fully addresses the criteria set out in the „Experience‟ section of the Person Specification. Your supporting statement should be no longer that four sides of A4 in length

It is absolutely essential that in your written application you give evidence of experience and/or achievements in each of the selection criteria listed in the „Experience‟ section of the Person Specification. Please also include details of at least two referees in support of your overall application, one of whom should ideally be your current/most recent employer. No referees will be contacted without your prior approval. If you name any referees that you are prepared for us to contact at any stage in the process, please clearly state this in your application. Finally, please ensure you have included your mobile, work and home telephone contact numbers, a personal email address, as well as any dates when you will not be available or where you might have difficulty with the indicative timetable. You are invited to complete and return our Equality & Diversity Monitoring Form. This will help Brighton & Hove to follow the recommendations of the Equality & Human Rights Commission, that employers should monitor selection decisions to assess whether equality of opportunity is being achieved. The information on the form will be treated as confidential and used for statistical purposes only. The form will not be treated as part of your application. Applications should be made on line via the GatenbySanderson website: www.gatenbysanderson.com For further information and an informal, confidential discussion about this position, please contact Martin Tucker on 020 7426 3963 or Penny Ransley on 020 7426 3962.