Service groups

The Council's services are divided into the following service groups. There are 15 Service Groupings, each made up of services that have a logical connection to one another.

Adult Care Service

Interim Head of Service: Colin Beech
Telephone: 01706 925202
Responsible to Interim Executive Director of Adult Care, Jim Wilson

Responsible for arranging, commissioning and providing services for the care and protection of adults with community care needs, including:

  • Assessment of need and care management (including an out of hours Emergency Duty Service)
  • Careline and warden services
  • Day services for older people, disabled people and those with mental health problems
  • Drug and alcohol services to help those misusing drugs or alcohol
  • Equipment and home adaptations for disabled people
  • Home Care services
  • Learning disabilities services, including Adult Placement
  • Mental health services, including activities, therapy and counselling, and Community Restart (supported housing)
  • Residential and nursing home care
  • Intermediate care and rehabilitation services
  • Short-term or respite care (including specialist provision for older people with mental health problems)
  • Social Inclusion services, including Rochdale Employment Development Service (REDS) and Moving On
  • Support for carers
  • Information and advice on care services for adults

Business Partnerships

Head of Service: Anne Taylor
Telephone: 01706 925665
Responsible to Executive Director John Patterson

  • Facilities Management which was part of Property and Facilities Management until Property became part of the Impact Partnership.
  • Education Brokerage Service, a new service provided to schools across Greater Manchester, which is located in Rochdale
  • Corporate Procurement, previously part of Financial Services, in a new home following the restructuring of Support Services, and
  • Client Services Team. The Client Services Team is a new section that has been created to manage the relationship with the Impact Partnership, the Leisure and Culture Trust and the Schools PFI on behalf of the Council.

Children's Social Care Services

Head of Service: Steve Titcombe
Telephone: 01706 925203
Responsible to Executive Director Terry Piggott

Responsible for services for the care and protection of children and young people, including:

  • Assessment of need and planning services for children in need of care and protection (including an out of hours Emergency Duty Service)
  • Services to disabled children and their families (assessment and care planning, equipment and adaptations, residential and family-based respite, direct payments, long-term care, and family support services)
  • Child and adolescent mental health services
  • Services provided by the Youth Offending Team (YOT) aimed at preventing youth offending
  • Child protection services for children and young people
  • Family Support Services for children in need and their families (day care, sponsored child-minding, family work, home care support)
  • Services and placements for looked after children (children placed at home, foster homes, children placed for adoption, children's homes, children's rights and advocacy)
  • Services to young people leaving care and other vulnerable young people
  • Young Carers Service
  • Fostering and Adoption services (including recruitment, training, support and allowances )

Environmental Management

Head of Service: Peter Cunningham
Telephone: 01706 693000
Email: environmental.management@rochdale.gov.uk
Responsible to Executive Director John Patterson

Responsible for services relating to the general upkeep of the Borough including:

  • Bereavement Services, including management of cemeteries and crematoria
  • Countryside Service
  • Refuse collection
  • Grounds maintenance
  • Parks and Events
  • Recycling
  • Street Services, including providing and emptying litter bins, street cleansing, maintenance of shrub beds and verges, and clearance of fly-tipping.
  • Transport and vehicle workshops

Finance Services

Head of Service: Ruth Hunter
Telephone: 01706 925002
Responsible to Executive Director Margaret Carney

Responsible for the provision of Finance Services for the council:

  • Central Finance
  • Financial Systems and Administration
  • Finance Support Services
  • Audit
  • Business Development
  • Risk and Business Support Services.

Information and Libraries Services

Head of Service: Paul Young
Telephone: 01706 925535
Email: library.service@rochdale.gov.uk
Responsible to Executive Director Margaret Carney

  • Advice Service - housing rights, debt and welfare rights
  • Community Language Service – interpretation and translation
  • Customer Services – management of our seven “one-stop-shops”
  • Homeworking Service – advice and support to potential and existing homeworkers.
  • Switchboard Service – central Council switchboard
  • Design and Print - An integrated design, print and reprographic service to Council Services and external customers
Libraries

This comprises a wide range of services, including the following:

  • 17 static libraries and a mobile library that visits 125 locations every fortnight
  • Free use of computers, including internet access and email via the People’s Network
  • Local Studies enquiry services and reference materials
  • An annual programme of promotional events
  • Specialist library services for people who are “housebound”, visually or hearing impaired, residents in local residential homes and prisoners.

Learners and Young People's Services

Head of Service: Ann Tipton
Telephone: 01706 925105
Email: education@rochdale.gov.uk
Responsible to Executive Director Terry Piggott

Responsible for services to young people, including:

  • Work-based and Community Learning
  • Sure Start (education for children under five)
  • Pupil, Welfare and Inclusion
  • Special Educational Needs
  • Youth Service, including Connexions

Legal and Democratic Services

The Head of Service: Catherine Witham, Borough Solicitor
Telephone: 01706 924702
Email: legal@rochdale.gov.uk
Responsible to Executive Director John Patterson

Responsible for:

  • Committee Services - management and recording of the formal decision-making processes of the Council
  • Electoral Services, including compilation of the Electoral Register and organisation of elections
  • Legal Services, including legal advice and representation
  • Mayor's Office, including organisation of ceremonial events
  • Members' Services, including support to the Leader, Deputy Leader and all Councillors
  • Searches of the Local Land Register, especially for property-buyers

Regeneration Service

Head of Service: Penny Sharp
Telephone: 01706 924676
Email: regeneration&partnership@rochdale.gov.uk
Responsible to Executive Director Andy Zuntz

Responsible for:

  • Economic Affairs
  • Community Safety, including initiatives to prevent and combat crime and disorder
  • Drug Action Team, including initiatives to prevent and combat drug misuse
  • Major development projects, including Kingsway Business Park
  • Regeneration and Partnerships, including Implementation Planning, Township regeneration, community engagement, support to partner organisations, and development of the Community Plan through the Local Strategic Partnership
  • Special projects and resource procurement
  • Strategic planning and research, including the Unitary Development Plan
  • Sustainability issues, including Local Agenda 21

People Management Service

Head of Service: Stephen Harper
Telephone: 01706 925603
Responsible to Executive Director John Patterson

Responsible for:

  • Central health and safety
  • Corporate personnel

Performance and Development Service

Head of Service: Pam Smith
Responsible to Executive Director Margaret Carney

Responsible for:

  • Information
  • Communication
  • Development
  • Township management, including support for public involvement in local decision-making

Planning and Regulation Services

Head of Service: Peter Rowlinson
Telephone: 01706 924307
Responsible to Executive Director Andy Zuntz

Responsible for:

  • Building Control , including Building Regulations, dangerous buildings, dilapidated buildings, buildings open to access and safety at sports grounds
  • Coroners, administration of Coroner's Service
  • Development Control , including planning applications, planning enforcement, conservation and design, and mineral and waste
  • Environmental Health , including public health and control of noise nuisance, air pollution control, air quality, animal welfare and licensing, contaminated land, dog warden, food safety, health and safety enforcement, infectious disease and pest control.
  • Licensing, including licensing of premises, markets, street trading, and taxis and private hire vehicles and liquor licensing
  • Registrars - registration of births, deaths and marriages
  • Trading Standards, including fair trading, consumer advice, food standards, safety, weights and measures

Revenues and Benefits Service

Head of Service: Simon Bailey
Telephone: 01706 926001
Email: revenues.benefits@rochdale.gov.uk
Responsible to Executive Director Margaret Carney

Responsible for:

  • Administration and payment of benefits, including Council Tax Benefit, Housing Benefit and education benefits (free school meals and uniform grants)
  • Business Rates collection
  • Collection of income for council services to individuals and organisations
  • Council Tax calculation and collection
  • Income control and management

Schools Service

Head of Service: Sue Brown
Telephone: 01706 925014
Email: education@rochdale.gov.uk
Responsible to Executive Director Terry Piggott

Responsible for direct support to schools including:

  • Asset management and capital investment
  • Curriculum support
  • Ethnic Minority Achievement Team
  • Governor support
  • Health partnerships
  • Music Service
  • School improvement
  • Schools' Health and Safety
  • Specialist school personnel services

Strategic Housing Service

Head of Service: Paul Beardmore
Telephone: 01706 924037
Email: housing@rochdale.gov.uk
Responsible to Executive Director Andy Zuntz

Responsible for:

  • Homelessness services, including management of hostels and supporting people affected by domestic violence
  • Housing enabling, including housing association development and partnerships and performance monitoring
  • Private sector housing, including enforcement of housing law (including for houses in multiple occupation) and management of Rochdale Home Improvement Agency
  • Strategic Housing policy development, and monitoring of Rochdale Boroughwide Housing Ltd, the Councils arms length housing management organisation
  • Supporting people with special housing need, commissioning and monitoring housing related support services
  • Management of private sector housing renewal areas including the Housing Market Renewal Initiative.