3.2.8 Relationship with the chief executive and council staff
The Local Government Act requires the Governing Body to appoint a chief executive and cannot delegate the decision to a smaller group. The chief executive is the only employee directly appointed by the Governing Body. All other employees are appointed by the chief executive [1].
Elected members need to be aware that their position can come across to junior staff members as having more power than they individually possess [2]. As governors, elected members should interact mainly with senior staff or designated staff providing them with advice or support.
A healthy and productive relationship between governance and management, and between decision-making by elected representatives and operational activity, is essential to an authority’s effectiveness. Problems in this relationship can have a significant effect on all levels of the organisation.
