Appointment and Employment Committee – 26 March 2012
Chairman: To be agreed
Venue: Civic Centre, Scunthorpe (Conference Room)
AGENDA
1. Appointment of Chairman.
2. Declarations of Personal or Personal and Prejudicial Interests.
3. Any other items.
The public are likely to be excluded from the meeting for consideration of the following item on the grounds that they involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Paragraphs 1 and 2 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act, 19762, (as amended)
4. Appointment Process for Directors – Report by the Chief Executive.
5. Assistant Director Posts – Report by the Chief Executive.
Minutes
PRESENT: Councillors Briggs, Davison, Mrs Redfern, Swift and Waltham.
1. APPOINTMENT OF CHAIRMAN – Resolved – That Councillor Mrs Redfern be and she is hereby appointed chairman of the committee.
2. DECLARATIONS OF PERSONAL OR PERSONAL AND PREJUDICIAL INTERESTS – There were no declarations of personal or personal and prejudicial interests.
3. EXCLUSION OF THE PUBLIC – Resolved – That the public be excluded from the meeting for consideration of the following items on the grounds that they involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in paragraphs 1 and 2 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972 (as amended).
4. (1) APPOINTMENT PROCESS FOR DIRECTORS – The Chief Executive submitted a report which considered the appointment process for the three new Director posts within the council’s management structure.
The report indicated that at the meeting of the cabinet on 23 January 2012, approval had been given to the establishment of three new Director posts as part of the senior management structure. Subsequently at the meeting of council on 21 February 2012 council had approved the terms and conditions of these posts and that they should be filled in accordance with the council’s review protocol. Consequently, the existing Directors had been informed that they had not been designated into a post and had been invited to express an interest in the three posts that were available. The Chief Executive reported that three expression of interest forms had been received by the deadline date. The committee was therefore asked to consider these expression of interest in accordance with the council’s review protocol.
The council’s review protocol was attached as an appendix to the report and it was explained that the first stage of the process was the slotting in of any applicants meeting the essential criteria for a post where there was only one applicant per post. Of the three expressions of interest received there was one first preference for each of the three posts. The committee was therefore requested to undertake the first stage of the process to determine if slotting in was appropriate for any of the applicants.
The committee discussed the process for the appointments and considered the individual expressions of interest received. Although the committee was mindful that the three applicants for the three posts generally met the essential criteria for those posts, particularly within their individual professional disciplines, it felt that there was a need for each candidate to demonstrate evidence of transferable skills across the range of services that they would be responsible for in the wider context. On that basis it was proposed that each candidate should be interviewed and given the opportunity to demonstrate this evidence.
Resolved – (a)That the report and the expressions of interests received be noted; (b) that arrangements be made to interview each of the candidates for each of the three posts on Monday 2 April, 2012, and (c) that as part of the interview process, each candidate prepare a 15 minute presentation setting out their vision for the service which they would be responsible for.
5. (2) ASSISTANT DIRECTOR POSTS – The Chief Executive submitted a report which considered the next stages in the review of the council’s management structure particularly in relation to the grading and appointments process for Assistant Director posts. Cabinet at its meeting held on 23 January 2012 had approved the establishment of 12 Assistant Director posts as part of the senior management structure. Subsequently at the meeting of the council held on 21 February 2012 council had approved the existing pay grades, terms and conditions of these posts where appropriate. The report now submitted also considered the outcome of the grading processes of the approved posts. Details were contained in appendix 1 to the report.
The new structure would merge some existing service areas which were currently led by existing Assistance Directors. The grades of these old posts ranged from JNC Grade 2A to NJC Grade 12. This reflected the current wide range of responsibility and accountability of the posts. The new posts would range from JNC Grade 2A to JNC Grade 4 and the council’s review protocol would be followed to appoint to these posts. Where there was matching of the new with the old posts there would be designation or slotting in. For all other posts expressions of interest would be sought from the staff in the Assistant Director ring fence. Where more than one expression of interest was received for a post there would be a competitive interview and this would be a member appointment process as approved by council on 21 February 2012.
The Chief Executive also submitted a proposed forward timetable for dealing with the appointment of Assistant Directors. He indicated that four of the posts matched the new with the old posts and should therefore be subject to designation into post. Expressions of interest would then be used to appoint to the remaining eight posts within the Assistance Director ring fence.
In view of the decision contained in minute 4 above, it was felt that the timetable should be delayed until the appointment of Directors on 2 April 2012.
The report also indicated that the indicative savings arising from the overall review of senior management of £780,000 had been reflected in the council’s approved budget for 2012/2013. The detailed financial implications would be worked through on a service by service basis.
Resolved – (a) That the grading of the new Assistant Director posts as set out in appendix 1 to the report be approved and adopted; (b) that the designation of Assistant Directors into the four posts where there is matching of the new with the old posts be carried out on 2 April, 2012, following the interviews for the three Director posts, and (c) that expressions of interests be then invited from officers within the Assistant Director ring fence for the eight available posts of Assistant Director.