Minutes:
Summary of the proceedings during which the press and public were excluded (this is a fair summary of the proceedings)
The Chairman and Panel agreed to take this as an urgent item given the shortness of time to appoint statutory officers.
After 21 years at the Council, Simon Mallinson was to retire on 14 February 2020 from the position of Assistant Director for Legal and Governance. The Council must have a statutory Monitoring Officer to ensure its propriety and legality, designated to be undertaken by this AD post which would become vacant from 15 February. Recruitment for his successor was ongoing but in the interim there must be someone undertaking the role of Monitoring Officer. It is was recommended that Sheena Jones, currently Democratic Governance and Scrutiny Manager and a Deputy Monitoring Officer, undertook the role of Acting Monitoring Officer pending recruitment to the substantive Assistant Director post. Backfill arrangements would be available.
The law also requires the Council to have a statutory Scrutiny Officer, whose role is to promote and support Overview and Scrutiny and provide guidance to members and officers on the Overview and Scrutiny function. Sheena Jones undertakes this role but the legislation is clear that the Monitoring Officer cannot also be the Scrutiny Officer. Therefore, if the Panel appointed Sheena Jones as Acting Monitoring Officer, it must also appoint a different Acting Scrutiny Officer. It was recommended that Samantha Morris, who currently deputises for Sheena in relation to Scrutiny matters, be so designated.
RESOLVED: the Panel:
(a) agreed the designation of Sheena Jones, Democratic Governance and Scrutiny Manager, as Acting Monitoring Officer on a temporary basis from 15 February 2020 until that role is filled through recruitment to the post of Assistant Director for Legal and Governance;
(b) noted that the statutory Monitoring Officer and statutory Scrutiny Officer cannot be the same person, and that currently Sheena Jones is the statutory Scrutiny Officer;
(c) agreed the designation of Samantha Morris as Acting Scrutiny Officer on a temporary basis whilst Sheena Jones is Acting Monitoring Officer; and
(d) authorised the Strategic Director of Commercial and Change in consultation with the Assistant Director for Human Resources, Organisational Development and Engagement to make all necessary arrangements to put the above into effect.
Summary of the proceedings during which the press and public were excluded (this is a fair summary of the proceedings)
On 27 September 2019 an Appointments Etc Panel agreed the recruitment process for Chief Officer roles as part of the Organisational Re-Design.
The post of Strategic Director for People was advertised in The MJ and Guardian online from 5 December 2019 until 6 January 2020, and 14 applications were received.
In accordance with the process agreed by Panel in September, all applications were reviewed and a number were long-listed for interview by 2 panels. One panel focused on leadership behaviours and one was technically-focused on the statutory element of this post as DASS.
Following an assessment against the Council’s leadership competencies and final interview, it was
RESOLVED that:
a) the post of Strategic Director for People, which includes the statutory post of Director of Adult Social Services (DASS), should be offered to Paula Furnival, subject to formal written offer; and
b) the Chief Executive be authorised, in consultation with the Cabinet Member with Responsibility, to settle the detailed terms of the contract for the successful applicant, including any Market Forces Supplement.
Supporting documents: