JOB
JOB OVERVIEW
Ashfield is thriving. We are proud of our district and our ambition is to be 'great' across all our services.
We have already secured over £200m of investment for the district, and we are driving better services and local growth through innovation and by adopting a 'can-do' attitude. The council is financially sustainable and secure, and we are also maximising the benefits of our location - right next to the M1 and sitting between the core cities of Nottingham and Sheffield.
Ashfield is a great place to work and we know that we already excel in many areas, but we want all our services to be the best. We are therefore seeking an exceptional Assistant Director for Neighbourhoods to lead our waste, recycling, streetscene, parks and fleet services – and we need someone who can combine a strong technical understanding with a focus on transformation and improvement. We are keen to use data more effectively to help us become more efficient and improve services, so our new AD will need to combine robust and clear leadership with an analytical and problem-solving mindset. And with new regulations and legislation impacting upon these services, we need to be ready for the changes ahead. Candidates will also need high levels of political understanding, with the skills to support our Members' ambitions for residents.
The role offers a great opportunity for an ambitious and talented person who wants to make their mark and who can live our values
Salary and progression
Salary: up to £73,731 per annum
Relocation package up to £5000.
The salary offered will be determined by an individual applicant's experience and skill level. This will be discussed at interview stage.
ASHFIELD
WHY ASHFIELD?
You will be an instrumental and valued member of #TeamAshfield. Let us begin.
The Council is an ambitious, aspirational, driven authority. Our Corporate Plan is moving from Good to Great in everything we do.
As Assistant Director-Neighbourhoods, you will lead and manage high profile services, ones that affect every resident, every business, every customer, every visitor. Neighbourhood Services are a critical success factor in delivering our Corporate Plan across all priority areas such as community safety, mental health, well-being, tourism, a clean environment, play and fitness activity, local and wider economic spend.
You will benefit from an ambitious, driven senior management and political leadership who have demonstrated commitment and passion to exemplary Neighbourhood Services, tangibly backed by significant ongoing investment and profile raising.
You will lead and drive forward key projects such as Simpler Recycling roll out, depot modernisation projects, fleet investment programme, investment and strategic plans for our cemeteries, green spaces and a cleaner Ashfield.
You will meet challenges head on to lead and drive continual service review, embedding focus, innovation and creativity aligned to customer experience and the customer journey; driving high levels of performance, income generation and productivity.
You will also directly benefit from knowledgeable, experienced teams and workforce. All at Team Ashfield are very passionate about working for the Council and our recent employee survey told us that over 80% of our employees are proud to work for the authority. We have healthy, constructive relationships with our recognised trade unions and place a high level of emphasis on employee engagement, recognition, awards, development and staff conferences for all our employees.
You will be extensively supported in your role. Unusually for a District Council, we have invested extensively in organisational development and support services to all our service areas. This involves active investment and resource support with new technology, enhanced customer experience, service reviews, performance management, business intelligence and analysis, customer journey mapping, invest to save ethos, policy and strategy development, corporate and internal communications and project management. You will not be left to fend for yourself!
The Council has adopted the LGA Decision Making Accountability Principles-ensuring that you have accountability, and are empowered to expediently make decisions, live and breathe values based leadership, be encouraged to be creative and innovative and embrace the working together organisational culture.
You will be an active member of our Corporate Leadership Team involving all your peers cross-Council enabling knowledge share, joint working, support network and active influence and involvement in corporate decision making and shaping. You will be given opportunities to continually develop by working with senior management, political leadership and peers.
We are an authority that actively promotes career progression ideally within the Council but certainly across the Public Sector domains, knowing that in doing so we are benefiting from the added value that officers deliver. All recent previous post-holders have progressed on to higher positions usually at Director level.
BENEFITS
THE BENEFITS
As part of your package at Ashfield we have a range of workplace health and benefits, available to all our employees.
Pension scheme
Occupational pension scheme
Eligible employees have the option to join the local government pension scheme. Your contribution to the scheme is dependent on your pensionable earnings; the higher amount you earn, the higher your contribution rate. The scheme is good value for money, as we also make a significant Employers contribution to your pension.
Employee Benefits
Free car parking
Parking is free for employees at our premises:
- Main Council offices at Urban Road, Kirkby in Ashfield
- Northern Depot.
Viv Up
This is a discount and benefit scheme which gives employees access to a great range of discounts from food shopping to holidays. There is something for everyone and 1000s of ways to save through the scheme.
Viv Up gives employees access to a range of discounts.
Employees can subscribe to Office 365 at a reduced annual fee, either a personal copy or for 6 people in a household.
Employee health benefits
Ashfield District Council leisure facilities discounts
Our employees are entitled to use the 6 Ashfield District leisure centres for discounted rates for individual activities such as swimming, sports hall activities, snooker, squash and the fitness and health suites.
Cycle 2 Work scheme
We have a cycle to work scheme for our employees, available to purchase cycles and accessories and safety equipment, through salary sacrifice over a 12 month period. It saves up to 42% off the cost of bikes and associated equipment, used to cycle to work for at least 50% of journeys made.
Workplace benefits
Generous annual leave
Full time employees are given a basic entitlement which is 30 days, after 5 years service the entitlement will increase to 35 days; part time employees entitlement will be prorated.
The 8 statutory bank holidays are in addition to the annual leave entitlement.
Flexible working hours
We have a policy which gives employees the opportunity to make a request to amend working patterns to a more flexible arrangement.
Other flexible arrangements include adjusting start/finish times, the location that you work at or the pattern of the days you work.
Payment of professional fees
Contribution towards professional fees for employees who meet the specified criteria.
Career breaks
Employees can take a career break for a number of reasons including personal development, the opportunity to travel, to undertake community work, or to fulfil personal and domestic commitments. Career breaks are unpaid and can be for a period of 3 months, up to one year.
Special leave
We have a number of special leave allowances that allow employees to take time off in differing circumstances, for example bereavement leave.
Family friendly policies
We have a range of family friendly policies, which allow our employees to achieve a good work/life balance including:
- Maternity policy
- Paternity policy
- Adoption policy
- Parental leave policy.
Relocation assistance
We offer relocation assistance for any employee who meets specific criteria including being employed in a permanent role or fixed term role for at least 12 months, currently lives more than 25 miles away from their role base at the council, and moves to accommodation within 15 miles of their new job role at the council.
Employee health assistance
Occupational Health
If you have a health issue, your manager may refer you, or you can ask to be referred to, an occupational health expert, in order to gain more information and advice or support mechanisms that can be put into place.
Referred physiotherapy
In some instances, occupational health may recommend that physiotherapy would be beneficial to prevent further health issues which could result in time off work.
PAM Assist
We have an employee assistance service called PAM Assist. PAM Assist offer a free, confidential support service to all our employees and their families. This service is available 24/7, 365 days per year either online, by telephone or face to face. This service is completely confidential and can offer counselling services along with advice on family, financial and health issues.
Eye test and glasses contribution
Eye tests are available to all employees who use a VDU (a computer screen) or drive as an integral part of your job role. You can get a contribution towards an eye test and a pair of glasses if the eye test shows that you need them for your work.
Workplace health activities
A range of health and well-being activities are available to our employees including health checks, yoga, lunch time walks and workplace challenges. These are advertised on notice boards, screens and on the intranet.
Equality of Opportunity
Equality Framework for Local Government
This framework eliminates unlawful discrimination, harassment and victimisation and other conduct prohibited by the act.
It advances equality of opportunity between people who share a protected characteristic and those who do not, and fosters good relations between people who share a protected characteristic and those who do not.
Mindful employer charter
We have signed the Mindful Employer Charter; this demonstrates that we an employer that is positive about Mental Health and are focused on aspirations to promote good employee mental health within our organisation.
Disability Confident Employer
We are part of the Disability Confident accreditation scheme at the Employer level. This scheme is run by the Department for Work and Pensions encourages businesses to recruit and retain disabled people and people with health conditions for their skills and talent.
AREA
THE AREA
Ashfield is situated in Nottinghamshire, nestled on the edge of beautiful countryside, with 3 vibrant towns and picturesque rural villages. Renowned for its welcoming, supportive and passionate communities, the area boasts a mix of beautiful countryside, complemented by award winning urban and country parks.
There are also some fantastic leisure centres and attractions for visitors. The area has excellent road, rail and transport links and access to a mix of affordable housing, schools, colleges, and shopping centres. Sherwood Forest, Clumber Park, Hardwick Hall, Rufford Park are all on the doorstep. Conversion of formal mineral lines has created an extensive network of trails and cycle paths both within and linking to outside the district.
Ashfield District
Ashfield District covers an area of 10,956 hectares and is located on the western side of Nottinghamshire. It has an estimated population of 126,600. The majority of this population together with associated housing, jobs and services, are concentrated within the three main towns of Sutton in Ashfield, Hucknall and Kirkby in Ashfield together with three large villages in the substantial rural area mainly to the west of the M1 motorway.
Economics
The main settlements share strong historic, economic and cultural links based around the growth and subsequent decline of coal mining, textiles and engineering industries. This is reflected in Ashfield's rank as 63rd most deprived area in England out of 326 local authorities (IMD 2010), and the 7th most deprived in the East Midlands. Subsequently the economy has diversified and while challenges remain there is a significant amount of economic opportunity in Ashfield.
A recent investment by a major national company has seen circa £175m on a major new employment site and 3000 new jobs. Sherwood Park near junction 27 of the M1 is the district's flagship development. The park hosts around 6,000 jobs and is home to a number of national companies such as EON, Boots, Pendragon, Eddie Stobart and Rolls Royce.
Culture, heritage, leisure and sports
Ashfield has a rich cultural heritage and excellent leisure and sporting facilities. We are particularly proud of our cricket heritage through Harold Larwood and of our more recent Olympians Ollie Hynde and Becky and Ellie Downie.
Newstead Abbey (ancestral home of Lord Byron) lies just over Ashfield's eastern border and the Parish Church of St. Mary Magdalene in Hucknall is the final resting place of Lord Byron and of his daughter Ada Lovelace, revered by scientists as the first computer programmer.
Environmental reclamation has been achieved on many sites despoiled by the coal industry, resulting in a wealth of country parks, golf courses and development land. As a result Ashfield presents an accessible, attractive and clean environment in which to live and work.
Transport and travel
The district also has excellent communication corridors through the A38 and junctions 27 and 28 of the M1, also boasting close proximity to East Midlands Airport. The major Cities of Nottingham, Derby and Sheffield are all close by.
The Robin Hood Line runs north-south with 4 stations in Ashfield connecting Nottingham City to Worksop. There is a Tram run connecting Hucknall to Nottingham. Ashfield's location is so central that over 70% of the nation's population can be reached within 3 hours.
COUNCIL
THE COUNCIL
Ashfield is a really great place, located in the heart of the East Midlands and close to major transport connections including the M1 and A38.
We have big plans for the future, driven by an ambitious Corporate Plan, with a focus on delivering exceptional local services for our residents and businesses.
With a strong focus on driving economic growth, we have recently been successful in attracting over £100 million in project funding to our area. So, in addition to our core day-to-day services, we are currently delivering more than 20 key projects through external funding, partnership initiatives and the Council’s own added investment in our service infrastructure.
These include:
- Investment in Green Spaces, Cemeteries, Playgrounds, Trails, Cycle Paths
- Investment in Play Zones, Fitness, Sports Pitches, Tennis Courts
- Depot Modernisation
- Fleet investment and decarbonisation
- Simpler Recycling
- Kirkby Leisure Centre and a second swimming pool for Hucknall Leisure Centre
- Automated Distribution and Manufacturing Centre
- Investment in digitalisation and skills
- Maker Space; office and education space for creators
- Sherwood Observatory and Planetarium
- Leisure facilities at Kings Mill Reservoir
Our journey
The council is on a positive journey and over the past 5 years we have successfully improved performance year-on-year. To date and going forward we are achieving budget sustainability by cutting costs, becoming more efficient and by increasing income. Our approach has included:
- Undertaking a service review programme
- Digital transformation programme
- Creating income streams through existing and additional trading services
- Making our management structure leaner and more empowered.
- Achieving better value for money, through procurement.
- Creating a supportive organisational culture cross-Council enabling service creativity and innovation
Cumulatively the result is a more modern and less expensive organisation that has mitigated potentially adverse impacts on front line services.
Our services and approach
Ashfield is a district made up of 4 distinct community areas each with their own character, and specific service and support needs. This is reflected in how we deliver our services and our office location.
The Council is a team and is committed to making a big difference for the people we serve. But improving the quality of life of Ashfield residents remains a significant challenge - and not one that can be met by the council on its own. We recognise the need for joined-up thinking across the council, and also work closely and collaborate with other agencies to achieve our objectives.
In particular, we work with the police and Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), who are co-located with us at our Urban Road office. We also work in partnership with Nottinghamshire County Council and NHS colleagues on a range of cross-cutting issues. We are active members of the Nottinghamshire Joint Waste Partnership. WE have innovative partnerships with Football Foundation and Lawn Tennis Association to provide managed exemplary, affordable facilities.
Looking to the future the Council has adopted a more enterprising and commercial approach to support additional income generation from a range of sources. We want to work more closely with public, private and community groups to secure improvements for our residents.
There is a good working relationship between officers and Members, with a Leader and Cabinet model. Executive post holders work effectively across the Council to deliver key priorities.
Regular events
We hold regular events throughout the district, for our residents and visitors to enjoy:
- Ashfield Show – 3 day family themed event within one of our major parks.
- Food and Drink Festivals
- Programme of Events in the Parks.
- Plant and Garden Fairs
- Light Night
- Outdoor cinema in the park
DOCS
RELATED DOCUMENTS
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Apply
How to apply
How to apply
To apply please email your CV and supporting statement to ashfieldrecruitment@mansfield.gov.uk
Please note your supporting statement must clearly demonstrate, with examples how you meet the essential criteria (as stated within the person specification) for this post.
Key dates
Closing date: 8 December 2024
Assessment Centre: 8 January 2025
Final Interview with elected members: 13 January 2025
Further information
For more information about the role or an informal (and confidential) discussion please contact:
Charlie Edwards, Executive Director – Operations on charles.edwards@ashfield.gov.uk
Canvassing of members of the Council (directly or indirectly) for any appointment shall disqualify the candidate for that appointment.
Applicants should disclose if they are related to a Member or Officer of the Authority. Ashfield District Council is an Equal Opportunities employer and welcomes applications from all sections of the community.