Document Officer Decisions 2020

Officer decision making during the pandemic Most operational and incidental decisions are taken by officers. Officers have delegated authority to make executive and nonexecutive decisions under the Council’s Scheme of Delegation to Officers. These delegations are interpreted widely to aid the smooth running of the council, the efficient delivery of services and the achievement of the council’s goals. This continues under the current circumstances with arrangements for appropriate councillor consultation in place. Under Part 3, Section D1 of the constitution, council directors are also empowered to take all necessary decisions in cases of emergency. Under this scheme, “emergency” means any situation in which the relevant officer believes that there is a risk of damage to property, a threat to the health or wellbeing of an individual or that the interests of the council may be compromised. This would cover the current situation regarding Covid-19 given the critical issues this is causing, Government advice and the declaration of a major incident by Local Resilience Forum (LRF) on 19th March 2020. As the country moves towards recovery, the necessity for decisions to be taken as emergency decisions will continue to be reviewed on a case by case basis with input from the council’s monitoring officer. Executive decisions taken by officers, including emergency powers, under delegated powers must be taken in accordance with the Scheme of Delegation, recorded and published on the council website. Copies of the relevant reports can be found below. During the current emergency all executive decisions relating to the pandemic are approved by the Chief Executive Officers before being enacted by the relevant director.