To approve a shared service with Shropshire council for the provision of professional services, which include those of the director of public health. 

The director for adults and wellbeing presented a report on a shared service with Shropshire council for the provision of professional services, which would include those of the director of public health.

Since 1 April 2013 the council had been required to appoint an individual as the director of public health (DPH). Shropshire’s DPH had been seconded to the council on a part-time basis to perform this function from early 2015, devoting an average of two days a week to Herefordshire.  The secondment had been shown to be successful and it had become clear that there was scope for synergies to be secured in a number of areas of public health wider than simply the director role. It was appropriate that the arrangement should be formalised to reflect the sharing of a service, rather than the secondment of an individual.

Resolved: that the director for adults and wellbeing be authorised to take all necessary action to enter into a shared services agreement with Shropshire Council for a period of up to 4 years, at a value of £65k per year (up to £260k in total).