Agenda and minutes

To receive any apologies for absence.

The Chair opened the meeting at 9am and immediately adjourned until 9.30am.

Apologies from absence were received from Cllr J Brook (substitute Cllr Jarvis) and Cllr Thomson (substitute Cllr Burns).

To receive declarations of interest by Members of interests in respect of items on this Agenda, and to consider any dispensations.

Members may however, also decide, in the interests of clarity and transparency, to declare at this point in the meeting, any such disclosable pecuniary interests which they have already declared in the Register, as well as any other registrable or other interests.

The Interim Monitoring Officer provided legal advice on the declarations of interest for the meeting. Members having raised this at the last meeting.

For transparency she advised that she would record that one of the applicants was known to both members of a sovereign council and to members of the Shadow Authority in a work capacity.  The other registrable interests of being a member of another authority would be noted, and the Interim Monitoring Officer explained the test was whether a member of the public knowing the facts would think the interest would influence the way you would vote.

All members confirmed this was not the case and were asked if they had an open mind on the matter, were not biased or predetermined.  All confirmed they were not.

To consider whether the public and press should be excluded from the meeting during consideration of any item on the agenda.

RESOLVED, that the press and public be excluded during consideration of Item No 5 – Recruitment of the Monitoring Officer and Chief Finance Officer and Agenda Item No 6 - Appointment of the Chief Executive (Head of Paid Service) by virtue of Paragraph 1 of Part I of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972, as this report contains exempt information relating to an individual; Paragraph 2 – information which is likely to reveal the identity of an individual and Paragraph 3 – information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person, (including the authority holding that information).

To receive the minutes of the previous meeting held on 12 July 2022 (copy to follow)

RESOLVED, that the minutes of the previous meeting held on 12 July be agreed with the following amendment:-

Minute No 9 – Resolution should read ‘….interview on 18 July’ instead of 19 July.

To consider a report from the Technical Lead – LGR OD and HR Workstream (copy to follow for members only)

Not for publication by virtue of Paragraph(s) 1 of Part I of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972, as this report contains exempt information relating to an individual, Paragraph 2 - information which is likely to reveal the identity of an individual, and Paragraph 3 - information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the authority holding that information).

Ms L Fisher left the meeting at this point.

The Senior Appointments Committee considered a report from

the Technical HR Lead which reminded members that the Cumbria Structural Changes Order required that each shadow authority must before 31 December 2022 appoint a person to become, on and after that date, the Westmorland and Furness Council’s Monitoring Officer and Chief Finance Officer(Section 151 Officer).

This report detailed proposals and recommendations for the Senior Appointments Committee in relation to the appointment of the Council’s Monitoring Officer and Chief Finance Officer.

The Technical HR Lead took members through the report in detail, and highlighted the following:-

·           Legal Requirements for the Recruitment of the Monitoring Officer and Chief Finance Officer.

·           Other Issues Relating to the Recruitment Process

·           Timeline and Selection Process for Recruitment to the Monitoring Officer and Chief Finance (s151) Officer

·           Salary and Allowances

·           Role Profile & Criteria for Selection

A very detailed discussion then took place and upon conclusion of this it was,

RESOLVED, that the Committee

(1) Agrees that the roles should be filled via  simultaneous recruitment internally and externally;

(2)  Agrees the timeline and process outlined in paragraph 3.3.2 of the report and delegates any final adjustments to the Interim Head of Paid Service, in consultation with the Chair and Vice Chair of the Senior Appointments Committee;

(3)  Agrees that the recruitment and selection process is managed by the LGR HR&OD Workstream, with support from the LGR Communications and Engagement Workstream teams, with specific support on Executive Search only provided by commissioning an external recruitment partner;

(4)  Agrees the indicative range for Tier 3, as outlined in paragraph 3.4.3, for the Monitoring Officer and Chief Finance (s151) Officer, to be used for the purposes of recruitment salary and that a minimum of £8,000 be offered towards relocation costs, if relevant;

(5)  Considers and agrees in principle the draft job description and person specification for the Monitoring Officer and Chief Finance Officer at Appendix 1 and delegates any further amendments to the Interim Head of Paid Service in consultation with the Chair and Vice Chair of the Senior Appointments Committee.   

To consider a report from the Technical Lead – LGR OD and HR Workstream (copy to follow for members only)

Not for publication by virtue of Paragraph(s) 1 of Part I of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972, as this report contains exempt information relating to an individual, Paragraph 2 - information which is likely to reveal the identity of an individual, and Paragraph 3 - information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the authority holding that information).

Ms L Fisher returned to the meeting at this point.

A series of interviews took place involving a number of stakeholder panels and the Senior Appointments Committee.  The results of the psychometric tests were fed back to the committee before each interview and all stakeholder panels reported back before it was

RESOLVED, that the Shadow Senior Appointments Committee

(1)      RECOMMEND to Council the appointment of Mrs Samantha Plum to the post of Chief Executive (Head of Paid Service);

(2)      RECOMMEND a salary of £170,000