Agenda item

The Director of Parks and Leisure submitted, for the Committee’s consideration, the undernoted report:

“1        Relevant Background Information

            The strategic review of leisure highlighted the need to examine the cost of leisure provision and to challenge us to use resources more effectively to engage our communities in healthy activities.

            A review of management arrangements including roles and responsibilities and an expression of interest for voluntary redundancy (VR) were considered to be priorities in the first phase of the leisure improvement programme. Outcomes from this first stage were presented to committee in January 2011 in the form of a management side position on a Leisure Services management structure. This included the rationale for allowing three members of staff to be released through VR.

            The committee agreed to adopt the proposed organisational structure subject to agreement by the Strategic Policy and Resources Committee and approved the recommendation for the deletion of four management posts and release of three staff through voluntary redundancy. This was supported at the Strategic Policy and Resources committee in January 2011. Committee agreed to proceed with the implementation of the proposed organisational structure in February 2011.

            During the past year an extensive consultation exercise has been undertaken following Committee’s approval of the draft structure. The new management included a new Leisure Area Manager, merging the Assistant Manager and Recreation Officer role into a new Duty Manager post and deleting the Tennis Development Manager post.

            The roles of Leisure Area Manager and Duty Manager would be generic to allow for dedicated staff to work across the areas of operations (facilities) and participation (outreach). This is a critical element of the new roles and responsibilities and will provide greater flexibility to enable Leisure Services to meet the needs of the community and deliver on the vision of an Active Belfast.

2          Key Issues

            A number of working groups were established to agree how the new management arrangements would be effectively implemented and to identify any issues that were required to be resolved.  In addition a monthly trade union steering group (and subsequent implementation sub-group) were established to obtain an ‘agreed position’ regarding job roles, job descriptions and flexible working arrangements which cumulated in new job descriptions being agreed in February 2012.

            Implementation of the new management arrangements will now continue anticipating that staff will be in post from July 2012.

3          Resource Implications

            Financial

            The Duty Manager post job description has been agreed and evaluated at SO2.

            The financial implications are as those agreed by Committee in January 2011 regarding the releasing of the three staff members on voluntary redundancy. Approximate costs were agreed by committee and were within the agreed payback period.  The final position is now set out below for your information and meets the appropriate payback target.

            Cost

            VR costs for three members of staff: £244,541

            20 Scale 6 posts to 20 SO2 posts £161,360

            Total costs: £405,901

            Savings

            Deletion of 3 posts (1xPO3 and 2xSO2) : £140,485

            Deletion of 1 temporary Leisure Centre Manager Post: £51,664

            Total savings; £192,149

            Overall cost £213,752

            Payback Period 2.11 – This is in line with the corporate target of 3.25

            Human Resources

            Normal HR policies and procedures will be applied in conducting all changes. Consultation with management, Trade Union representatives and staff has been ongoing throughout this review and an agreed management and staff position has been established.

4          Equality and Good Relations Considerations

            There are no equality implications.

5          Recommendations

            Committee is asked to note the updated position regarding the implementation of the Leisure management arrangements which includes:

-     Introduction of a new Leisure Area Manager post which will incorporate former Leisure Centre Managers who now have responsibility for the management of a number of centres;

-     Introduction of a new Duty Manager post which incorporates the former Assistant Manager and Recreation Officer posts;

-     Deletion of the Tennis Development Manager post.”

            The Committee noted the information which had been provided and acknowledged the work which had been undertaken thus far.