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of application. This will require that comprehensive information is provided as economically
as possible together with adequate manpower and equipment. To this objective a number of
senior officers were allocated different duties and responsibilities. This has had the effect of
improving the Chief Administrative Officer's span of control by developing an integrated headquarter
unit which will assist the establishment of area teams.
Instead of working through a deputy 3 senior administrative officers are responsible on
a functional basis to the Chief Administrative Officer. This has enabled a senior officer to
devote more time to the managerial and maintenance problems associated with controlling a
large number of premises catering for a variety of needs. His expertise is also available in
connection with planning new capital projects. It was considered appropriate that normally the
Special Duties Officer would be responsible also to this post.
Hitherto the organisation of the department has been divided in two. The system has
operated tolerably well though it is arguable that the structure has a divisive effect and coordination
can be made more difficult when responsibility for operating services is considered
separate from staffing and financial implications. However, in co-operation with the accountant
in the Borough Treasurer's department who is concerned with Health and Welfare finance, a
better system of budgetary control has been established with up-to-date information available
to enable better decisions to be made thus enabling optimum use of scarce resources. It is
intended to further underpin all aspects of the services with a thorough understanding of the
finance and staffing implications involved but further organisation changes will be required
before further implementation is possible.
It is to be expected that ambitious professional staff would wish to influence policy
and be responsible for allocation of resources. This tendency is likely to increase in line with
the Fulton Committee recommendations on the Civil Service. It does throw into question the
whole future for the generally trained administrative officer who emerges on his merits from the
lower ranks. For the top managers of the future in Local Government are likely to be those
who take management training after gaining a relevant professional qualification in a particular
discipline either within or without Local Government. This can only mean that the calibre of
future administrative staff will decline further.
The administration of the Social Services is made more difficult, in common with other
departments, with the wide scatter of central offices. I refer to the separate town halls and the
difficulties of co-ordinating arrangements in what is essentially old-fashioned and out of date
office accommodation.
Further economies could be made and improvements shown if the Council decides to
adopt a Maud type structure and combine many of the existing departments under Directorships
with consequent fusion of the administrative and financial processes to serve these large
groupings of services. This is a policy matter affecting as it does the Committee structure and
and interests of Members.
Apart from re-organisation of administrative staff a number of other suggestions were
made relating to a number of services operating within the department. So far as the Home
Help Service is concerned it was decided to change the organisation to a three-tiered system
in four areas from a two-tiered system in five areas. This necessitated the appointment of
Assistant Organisers with the intention of increasing the supervision on follow-up of individual
cases. This is particularly important as the Home Help Service spend a high proportion of the
total estimate.
I referred earlier to the Chief Welfare Officer assuming an advisory role and together
with this recommendation it was suggested that a Principal Social Worker should be appointed
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