Agenda item

(Councillor J M Whitehouse – Chairman of the Committee) To consider a report (to follow after the meeting of the Committee on 8 June 2012).

Mover:  Councillor J M Whitehouse – Chairman of the Committee

Councillor Whitehouse submitted a report outlining the selection process for the post of Chief Executive.  He advised that the recruitment advertisement had produced 43 firm applications and that the Committee had agreed proposals by the Council’s recruitment advisers, Messrs GatenbySanderson for a long list of 11 candidates.  Applicants had then been involved in technical interviews with GatenbySanderson and a peer adviser recruited by the company, the latter being a Chief Executive of another local authority.  At its meeting of the Committee on 18 May 2012, a detailed report had been received from GatenbySanderson on the results of the technical interviews and an assessment of each of the long listed candidates.  As a result, the Committee had agreed a shortlist of five candidates who had been submitted to a two day recruitment exercise held on 7/8 June 2012.

Councillor Whitehouse emphasised that the Committee had been impressed with the range of applicants and the strength of the long and short lists.  He drew attention to the individual characteristics being sought for the post.

The Council noted that, following conclusion of the recruitment exercise on 8 June 2012, the Committee had met and were recommending that Mr Glen Chipp be appointed as Chief Executive.  Councillor Whitehouse advised that Mr Chipp currently held the post of Strategic Director for Place with Bath and North East Somerset Council and the responsibilities of his current position covered planning, transport, environmental and waste services, tourism and leisure, culture, economic development and major capital projects.

Councillor Whitehouse advised that under the Local Authorities (Standing Orders) Regulations 2001, the Committee had been required to notify the Proper Officer (Mr I Willett, Assistant to the Chief Executive for this purpose) of the name of the person to whom it was intended to make an offer of an appointment.  The regulations were designed to allow the Cabinet members to object if they so wished to any proposed appointment, reflecting the fact that the appointment of a Chief Executive/Head of Paid Service was a matter for the Council rather than the Cabinet.  Councillor Whitehouse advised that the Proper Officer had provided each member of the Cabinet with relevant information on the proposed appointee.  As a result, all nine members of the Cabinet had confirmed in writing that they had no objection to the proposed appointment to be made.

Councillor Whitehouse confirmed that the Committee had followed the requirements adopted by the Council last year, following recommendations from an Overview and Scrutiny Task and Finish Panel regarding the process for recruitment to top management positions and employment contracts.  He advised that the Committee were recommending that a review report should be submitted to the Overview and Scrutiny Committee once this recruitment had been finalised.

Councillor Whitehouse drew attention to the Committee’s recommendation expressing appreciation of the work undertaken by Mr D Macnab as Acting Chief Executive.

Councillor Whitehouse thanked the other members of the Appointments Committee for their work throughout the appointment process.

Councillor Wagland thanked Councillor Whitehouse for the manner in which he had chaired meetings and Mr D Macnab for the work which he had undertaken as Acting Chief Executive.

Councillor Murray thanked the other members of the Appointments Committee for their work and paid special tribute to the role of Councillor Whitehouse.

Councillor Whitbread also thanked Councillor Whitehouse and Mr D Macnab for the work they had undertaken.

Councillor Cohen endorsed the comments made by other members about the work undertaken by the Appointments Committee and the Acting Chief Executive.

In response to a question, Councillor Whitehouse advised that the cost of the recruitment exercise as a whole had been approximately £24,000 of which some two thirds had represented the recruitment consultant’s fees.

Report as first moved ADOPTED

            RESOLVED:

            (1)        That Mr G Chipp be offered the position of Chief Executive at the salary indicated in the report subject to final agreement of the contract;

            (2)        That the Chairman of this Committee and the Leader of the Council, in consultation with the Assistant Director (Human Resources) and Messrs GatenbySanderson, be authorised to agree a starting date and agree any other detailed terms in the contract as may arise, subject to legal advice from a nominated employment law specialist from the Public Law Partnership;

            (3)        That the Council notes that the Contract of Employment for the Chief Executive will make specific provision for clear and measureable performance management and supervision based on:

            (a)        the Council’s key objectives;

            (b)        specific personal targets to be set for the Chief Executive by the Leader of the Council; and

            (c)        regular review meetings with the Leader of the Council of a kind and at a frequency which meets the bests interests of the Council, together with an annual appraisal;

            (4)        That the Overview and Scrutiny Committee receive a report on the recruitment process for this appointment and be requested to undertake, through the Constitution and Member Services Standing Scrutiny Panel, a review of the Constitution’s Employment Procedure Rules in the light of recent legal advice;

            (5)        That, if necessary, the temporary contract of the Acting Chief Executive be extended if the new Chief Executive takes up his duties after 31 August 2012 and that the Chairman of the Committee and the Leader of the Council be authorised to agree the revised termination date for the temporary contract and Mr Macnab’s return to his substantive post of Deputy Chief Executive; and

            (6)        That the Council’s appreciation of Mr D Macnab’s work as Acting Chief Executive be recorded.