Leader's Announcements
To receive such announcements as may be made by the Leader.
Minutes:
The Leader of the Council, in summary:-
1. Welcomed Cllr Joy Bratherton to her first meeting of the Council, noting that she had taken over from the much respected and hard working Cllr David Newton.
2. Reported that she had been in London on the previous day and had contacted DCLG, whilst there, to offer to meet with them to answer any questions regarding concerns in respect of special measures. She reported that the Council had engaged with DCLG since the day that the Investigation and Disciplinary Committee had decided to suspend the Chief Executive and that this engagement with DCLG had shown that the Councils service delivery continued to be high. She referred to recent awards received by the Council. Since April 2017, Cheshire East Council staff and projects had won awards for social care practice, information governance, service delivery model, community benefit, best public building and housing adaptations. The Council’s services had been shortlisted for fifteen regional and national awards in total, in a wide range of council services from right across the organisation. She considered that this showed that the Council’s services continued to be recognised by its peers and by independent organisations, as being of the highest quality. She asked that thought be given to the impact on the morale of the staff delivering these high standards and that she considered that the Council was being responsible and dealing with these matters. She wished to put on record thanks to the staff within the structure. She referred to the acting up arrangements in respect of officers and stated that, beyond the Section 151 Officer, all the officers concerned were already Cheshire East Council officers and that all these officers were familiar to the staff and familiar with Cheshire East. She felt that this evidenced why there was continuity of service. In addition, all officers who were acting up had mentoring arrangements, working with colleagues in neighbouring and other authorities. She referred to the announcements regarding funding for the Middlewich Eastern by-pass and further funding for Crewe, under the North West Crewe package, from the Productivity Investment Fund, which had brought £5M of funding to Crewe. She also referred to an award of £3.5M for the Macclesfield Movement Strategy. She questioned whether this showed a failing Council that was in special measures and suggested that it did not. She asked that comments made that hurt the Council’s staff be retracted.
3. Reported that work was continuing with the LGA and Cabinet and executive officers to draw together the framework for what a “Member- led” model meant in Cheshire East, including training and picking up issues of culture. She wished to put this on record and looked forward to disseminating the proposals and sharing them with all Members.
4. With regard to culture, announced that work was continuing and that following on from the staff survey, the Council had commissioned an independent review by the LGA into the culture of the Council and particularly regarding allegations in respect ... view the full minutes text for item 33