Councillor calls senior officer a ‘good boy’ amid concerns over staff changes

Twm Owen, Local Democracy Reporter

A council officer named to succeed a senior figure who left at short notice has been praised as a “good boy”.

Tom Roberts has been designated as the new head of democratic services at Torfaen Borough Council but members have complained at being kept in the dark over comings and goings among senior staff.

Mr Roberts, whose appointment has to be confirmed by the full council, will have responsibility for supporting and advising the authority in relation to its meetings and supporting the 40 councillors to carry out their responsibilities as elected members.

He succeeds Jason Lewis who held the statutory post of head of democratic services before recently leaving his role as director of corporate services. He was appointed as head of democratic services in February 2023 when his salary pay band, for the director position he already held, ranged from £80,847 to £96,150 per year.

Mr Roberts hasn’t assumed Mr Lewis’ former director role and remains the business and democratic support services manager and his new title doesn’t come with any increase in salary that remains at £62,235 a year.

Andrew Lovegrove the council’s strategic director for resources told the council’s democratic services committee he “recognised the concerns” they had raised about a failure to keep councillors up to date when officers leave.

Apology 

He said: “I can’t talk about individuals. The previous post holder he left, we had a conversion and agreed he could leave without working his full notice period, I won’t go into details, that’s why it was all of a sudden on there, so I apologise for that but sadly these things happen at times.”

Mr Lovegrove said the committee they had made some “valid points” and noted there would be “staff changes” due to the federation agreement to work closer together with Blaenau Gwent Borough Council and a joint director of economy and place is currently being advertised and due to be appointed at a later date.

He said he would discuss how best for councillors to contact officers with colleagues.

Welsh councils are required, by law, to appoint a head of democratic services but cannot appoint their chief executive or most senior financial officer to the post.

‘Good boy’

Mr Lovegrove told the committee: “Tom, as we know, is a very well experienced and capable officer and able to carry out these duties.”

Committee member Ron Burnett praised Mr Roberts but questioned why councillors aren’t updated on changes among senior staff.

The Independent councillor said: “I’ve no problem at all with Tom, he’s a good boy.”

But the Cwmbran Two Locks member said councillors “should at least have an email” when officers leave. He said: “I ring up sometimes and they say ‘good lord, they left months ago’. We should know as members who’s going and who’s coming.

“There was one officer the other day I didn’t have a clue who he was.”

Pontnewydd Labour councillor Stuart Ashley said he often no longer knows which officer he should approach on issues.

Panteg councillor Norma Parish said it would previously be noted at the end of a report if an officer was leaving and who was taking their place. The Labour member said: “It can be done I don’t know why it was stopped really by this council?”

Mr Roberts had left the chamber during the committee’s discussion and only returned after members had agreed to designate him as the council’s head of democratic services. The appointment will likely be considered by the full council in May.