Our role, structure and objectives

Our values are at the heart of what we do and what we want to achieve.

Values

Our values are inclusive, ambitious, creative and together – I ACT. These values guide how we – with our customers, partners and others – work together to achieve the council’s ambitions.

• Inclusive – we act with kindness and integrity, respecting differences and embedding equality of opportunity.
• Ambitious – we are citizen and community focused, and adaptable in our approach to delivering excellent services as one local council.
• Creative – we are connected, inventive, continuously learning and look for improvements that deliver value for money.
• Together – we work collaboratively with colleagues and partners as one team to deliver our shared goals.

Behaviours

Our behaviours are the ways in which we demonstrate the values of our council.

Inclusive

• Be kind, compassionate and treat each other with respect.
• Be inclusive, seek the views of others and respond positively even when there are differences.
• Celebrate diversity recognising each other’s contributions.

Ambitious

• Be aspirational in our service delivery for our local communities.
• Seek opportunities to share ideas and develop our approaches across partners.
• Understand how to deliver priorities on a locality basis.

Creative

• Adapt to a changing environment by listening to others and learning from each other.
• Think differently and seek new ways to improve services.
• See feedback and shared views as opportunities to learn.

Together

• Build on and develop relationships with colleagues and partners.
• Deliver excellent customer service through partnership working.
• Be visible and accessible within the team and with others to achieve goals together.

Ambitions

Our Council Plan sets out our long-term ambitions. This includes the need to attract new businesses while developing traditional sectors such as farming and tourism, and ensuring career opportunities are available for young people in North Yorkshire. The plan sets out how we deliver services ranging from education, highways and social care to waste collection and disposal, planning and economic development.

The chief executive is Richard Flinton. The senior managers are:

• Stuart Carlton – Corporate Director Children and Young People’s Service
• Richard Webb – Corporate Director Health and Adult Services
• Nic Harne – Corporate Director Community Development
• Karl Battersby – Corporate Director Environment
• Gary Fielding – Corporate Director Resources
• Trudy Forster – Assistant Chief Executive HR and Business Support
• Rachel Joyce – Assistant Chief Executive Local Engagement
• Barry Khan – Assistant Chief Executive Legal and Democratic Services

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An executive, or decision-making group, made up of ten councillors meets regularly to make decisions about the council's policies and budgets. Five 'overview and scrutiny' committees examine the executive's decisions, while the full council considers the executive's decisions.

Major issues to be discussed are published in the executive's forward plan which describes the decisions to be made and when, as well as who is responsible for making them.

By law, the executive is not allowed to make some decisions. So, in addition to the executive we have regulatory committees to make decisions on issues such as planning and highways.

The decision-making structure is designed to make the council's processes more transparent. The council's constitution sets out how the council operates, how decisions are made, and the rules and procedures which are followed to make sure that these are efficient, transparent and accountable to local people.

We have a commitment to open government and freedom of information. Public discussions about our policies and the services we provide is an important part of effective local democracy. We therefore give as much information as we can to local people and the press.

You have a right to see decision making in action and the background information to council decisions. The great majority of meetings are open to the public throughout, but the committee may resolve to meet in private when discussing personal details about individuals or commercial information about contracts. You can listen to recordings of council meetings.