Agenda and minutes

RESOLVED

THAT Cllr Hawthorne be appointed as Chairman for the meeting.

Cllr Hilton suggested that a Chairman should be appointed for a year.  Other members agreed with this suggestion and it was

RESOLVED

THAT at the next meeting of the Appointments Committee a Chairman should be appointed for the ensuing year.

Apologies for absence were received from Cllrs McLain & Andrewartha.

To sign as a correct record the minutes of the meetings held on:

24 March 2010

23 April 2010

5 May 2010

RESOLVED

THAT the minutes of the meetings held on 24 March 2010, 23 April 2010 and 4 May 2010 be approved as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.

To answer any written public questions about matters which are within the powers and duties of the Committee.  The closing date/time for receipt of questions is 10.00am on Wednesday, 8 September 2010.

To answer any oral question(s) put by a member of the public with the consent of the Chairman.

Depending on the nature of the questions asked it may not be possible to provide a comprehensive answer at the meeting, in which case a written answer will be supplied as soon as reasonably possible after the meeting.

No public questions were received.

To answer any written members’ questions about matters which are within the powers and duties of the Committee.  The closing date/time for the receipt of questions is 10.00am on Wednesday, 8 September 2010.

No members’ questions were received.

Peter Jones presented this report that sought authority to make variations to the current recruitment process.  He explained that it was acknowledged that there would probably not be a large number of senior appointments in the near future but those people seeking these appointments will be of a high calibre and sought after.  It is therefore necessary that as an organisation we need to be more efficient with our recruitment processes.  The current model very time consuming and clumsy.  We were now using web-based recruitment and more sophisticated methods of assessing candidates.  Members’ attention was drawn to paragraph 4 of the report which outlined the proposed alternative arrangements.

During the ensuing debate Cllr Hilton explained that whilst he was in favour of a more efficient, consistent approach to the recruitment, he expressed concern that the decision with regard to the appointment at Director level would be delegated to the Chief Executive.  He felt that the final decision should be made by the Leader of the Council, Opposition Leader and the relevant Cabinet Member.  As Group Leader, whilst not being involved in the process, he would like to be informed when a decision was made to appoint at Director level.

In response to Cllr Hilton’s concerns, Peter Jones explained that there was no proposal to change the terms and conditions of service; that would remain the role of the Appointments Committee.  The Chief Executive would make the decision following consultation with the Lead Members, if he ignored their advice, Members would not make the appointment. 

Cllr Hawthorne confirmed that Members of the Appointments Committee would be informed when a decision had been made to appoint at Director level.

Members agreed that it was important to have a process in place that enabled us to attract the best candidates in the market.

It was therefore

RESOLVED

THAT

(i)        The current thinking on the recruitment process for senior officer roles be endorsed.

(ii)       The proposed revised arrangements to the process of recruiting to senior officer roles as set out in paragraph 4 of the report be agreed.

(iii)      Recommended to the Constitution Committee that subject to their formal approval of their proposals, including the reduction in the size of the interviewing panels to appropriate numbers, that the revised process is recommended to full council for changes to the Constitution.

The Committee may wish to exclude the press and public from the meeting during the consideration of the remaining items on the agenda in accordance with the provisions of section 100A of the Local Government Act 1972 (schedule 12A paragraphs 1,2 & 3) which are:

Information relating to any individual

Information which is likely to reveal the identity of any individual

Information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the authority holding that information).

RESOLVED

THAT the public be excluded from the meeting during the following item of business on the grounds that it is likely, in view of the nature of the business to be transacted or the nature of the proceedings, that if members of the public were present during consideration of this item there would be disclosure to them of Exempt information as defined in Section 100A of the Local Government Act 1972 (as amended).

MINUTE 42 & 43                 DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPT INFORMATION

Information relating to any individual, information which is likely to reveal the identity of any individual or information relating to the financial business affairs of any particular person (including the authority holding that information).

Peter Jones presented this report that sought approval to start a process to appoint a Chief Fire Officer for Gloucestershire County Council.

Following a discussion on the options contained within the report and a debate on the risks of each of the options it was

RESOLVED

THAT procedures be put in place to recruit a Chief Fire Officer within the Group Director band: the range of responsibilities to be determined as ‘Meeting the Challenge’ unfolds.

Peter Jones presented this report that sought the approval of the extension of the contract of Interim Transition Director to 31 March 2010.

RESOLVED

THAT

(i)             the extension of the post of Interim Transition Director to 31 March 2011 be approved.  The Head of Paid Service be authorised to extend the post further as deemed necessary but no longer than 31 March 2012.

(ii)          The current postholder continues in this post for the appropriate extended period be approved.