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Staffing Matters & Urgency Committee |
18 October 2021 |
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Report of the Chief Operating Officer
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People Directorate - Appointment of Sub-Committee for appointment of Corporate Director People and cover for current vacancies
Summary
1. Following the resignation of the current Corporate Director People Services this paper makes proposals to permanently recruit to the post.
2. This report also provides committee with assurances of the cover arrangements for the current vacancies in People Directorate.
3. This report seeks approval to:
i. Establish an Appointments Sub-Committee for Chief Officer Appointments. To delegate sufficient powers to the Sub-Committee enabling them to conduct the recruitment process, select and appoint a candidate, subject to the requirements of the standing orders on appointment.
Background
4. This post is part of the senior management structure, (as approved by Staffing Matters and Urgency Committee in December 2020), reporting into the Chief Operating Officer.
5. The current Corporate Director of People has resigned and will leave the authority at the end of October 2021. Their last working day is 8 October due to outstanding annual leave.
6. Members of this committee were approached in September to ask approval to progress with the recruitment process outside of receiving formal approval at committee due to the timings. Approval was given and recruitment is being progressed, this can be halted if committee make a different decision.
7. Permission is sought to appoint permanently to this central role. This will enable the authority not only to discharge its statutory responsibilities in terms of adults and children’s social care, but will provide key strategic leadership in the delivery of some of the council’s priorities.
8. A copy of the job description is attached at Annex A
Interim Arrangements to cover vacancies in People
9. Committee is aware that the current Assistant Director Childrens Social Care leaves the organisation on 5 November 2021. Committee agreed to the recruitment of the permanent post. The selection process takes place on 20 and 22 October. With the expectation an appointment will be made and the successful candidate will be in post by beginning of January 2022.
10. The process is being completed to recruit an interim AD from within our current officer cohort. Interviews are being carried out on 7 October.
11. The decision has been taken not to cover for the Corporate Director People in its entirety. In the interim period until a replacement commences, the Chief Operating Officer will directly line manage Director of Safeguarding, Director Prevention & Commissioning and the Interim DCS.
12. Anne Coyle has commenced on an interim basis to cover the Director of Children’s statutory role from 1 October and has worked with the Corporate Director of People for a handover.
13. Michael Melvin (Director of Safeguarding) will also take over the Director of Adult Services statutory role from today on the same basis.
14. Amanda Jones joins us on the 15 November as the Assistant Director for Adult Services.
15. We believe the measure we have put in place provides the necessary support and direction needed to ensure service delivery is maintained across People Directorate and taking forward the key priorities.
Remuneration Package
16. The Committee is asked to confirm the pay package for this post which will be offered as part of the recruitment process. It is set at a job evaluated grade for Corporate Director with a salary of £101,661 to £112,067 with access to the standard set of Chief Officer Terms and Conditions. It is also proposed that relocation costs may be reimbursed up to a maximum of £7383 as per the Council’s policy. There are no other enhancements recommended for this role.
17. However we have had evidence that the market for this role is quite tight and that other Authorities remuneration is higher. Whilst the recruitment process is being progressed we can review the feedback from potential candidates and can raise with the sub-committee if there are any major concerns.
Appointments Committee
18. The council’s Constitution allows for an Appointments Committee, including at least one member of the Executive, to interview applicants for a post and to determine who should be offered the vacant post.
19. It is requested that the Appointments Committee shall be made up of two members from Lib Dems and one member from Labour.
20. To attract the strongest field of candidates with the right knowledge and skills it is recommended that an external recruitment consultancy, that has experience and a proven track record in the sector, is engaged to support the Appointments Sub-Committee.
External Recruitment Consultancy
21. Once approval was given by the Committee outside of this meeting we obtained three quotes to carry out this work.
22. In assessment of the quotes against the specification, we have progressed with Resourcing Solutions, part of our neighbouring authority.
23. This work has commenced.
Consultation
24. Consultation has taken place with the Corporate Management Team as to the need for this appointment. It is requested the committee now nominate Members to participate in the Appointments Committee.
Options/Analysis
25. There are no alternative options for Members on the recruitment process to consider, other than simply not proceeding with the recruitment to the post. The failure to create Appointment Committees at this stage would delay any subsequent appointment to the post.
Council Plan
26. Making an appointment to these posts will contribute to delivering the Council Plan and its priorities.
Implications
27. Thefollowing implications have been considered:
· Financial – The Assistant Director post is within the pay range £101,661 to £112,067. Including on costs this totals £131,963 to £145,595 for a full year. The cost of the post and associated recruitment costs will be managed within existing departmental budgets.
· Human Resources (HR) – The job description for the Corporate Director People role has been subject to the Council’s established job evaluation mechanism and a grade established for the post. The Appointments Committee is in line with the constitutional requirements for the recruitment and appointment of Chief Officers. The appointment will be carried out in accordance with the Chief Officer recruitment protocol.
· Equalities - There are no equalities implications.
· Legal – The Appointments Committee is created pursuant to S.102 (1)(c) of the local Government Act 1972 and its terms of reference are to exercise the functions of the Council in relation to the selection and appointment of the successful applicant in respect of the Assistant Director posts. The proceedings of the Appointments Committee are likely to be held mainly in exempt session due to the nature of the information that it will be considering.
In circumstances where the appointing committee agrees, without any member voting against, S.17 of the Local Government & Housing Act 1989 provides that the distribution of seats on a sub-committee need not comply with the political balance requirements contained in Part 1 of that Act.
The process of appointing officers of this level is regulated by the Local Authority (Standing Orders) (England) Regulations 2001. Amongst other things, these regulations require that an appointment committee must include at least one member of the Executive and further, that no formal offer of appointment may be made until all members of the Executive have been informed of the details of the intended appointee, and have raised no objection within the specified period, (usually 5 clear days).
· Crime and Disorder – There are not crime and disorder implications.
· Information Technology (IT) – There are no IT implications.
· Property – There are no property implications.
· Other – There are no other implications.
Risk Management
28. The risk of no or delayed appointment could risk delivery against the Council Plan and its priorities.
Recommendations
29. It is recommended that committee:
i. Establish an Appointments Sub-Committee for Chief Officer Appointments. To delegate sufficient powers to the Sub-Committee enabling them to conduct the recruitment process, select and appoint a candidate, subject to the requirements of the standing orders on appointment.
Reason: To allow appointment to the Corporate Director post to be made.
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Contact Details
Specialist Implications Officer(s) Legal: Janie Berry – Director of Governance Finance: Richard Hartle - Finance Manager
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Wards Affected: |
All |
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For further information please contact the author of the report |
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Annex:
A. Job Description –Corporate Director