Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence were submitted on behalf of Councillor Paul Follows, Leader, Waverley Borough Council, for whom Councillor Liz Townsend substituted.

To receive from Members, disclosures of interest in relation to any item included on the agenda for this meeting in accordance with Guildford and Waverley’s respective Codes of Conduct for Councillors.

There were no disclosures of interest.

To confirm as a correct record the minutes of the last meeting of the Joint Appointments Committee held on 14 December 2023.

The Joint Appointments Committee approved, as a correct record, the minutes of the last meeting held on 14 December 2023.

The Joint Appointments Committee is asked to consider passing the following resolution:

“(1)  That pursuant to Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the public be excluded from the meeting during consideration of 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 the item, there would be disclosure to them of exempt information (as defined by Section 100I of the Act) of the description specified in Paragraph 1 of the revised Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Act namely: ‘Information relating to any individual’.

(2)   That the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information.”

Prior to the consideration of this item, the Monitoring Officer advised the Joint Appointments Committee on the process and procedure in respect of Item 5 on the agenda - Appointment of Interim Joint Chief Executive and Head of Paid Service.

The Monitoring Officer advised that the Joint Appointments Committee had the authority to identify and recommend to the full council meetings of both councils a preferred candidate for appointment to the role and designation as Head of Paid Service pending the arrival of the permanent Joint Chief Executive and Head of Paid Service, Pedro Wrobel, on 8 April 2024.  No formal offer of appointment could be made until both councils had approved the appointment. 

The Monitoring Officer also reminded the Joint Appointments Committee of its duty of Best Value.  Whilst the application process had been ring-fenced to internal candidates only, there remained an option, should the Joint Appointments Committee so choose, to compare the internal candidates with external candidates in order to demonstrate that the market had been tested, both internally and externally, notwithstanding the relatively short two-month interim period of appointment.

The Joint Appointments Committee

RESOLVED:

(1)    That pursuant to Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the public be excluded from the meeting during consideration of the following item of business on the grounds that it was 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 the item, there would be disclosure to them of exempt information (as defined by Section 100I of the Act) of the description specified in Paragraph 1 of the revised Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Act namely: ‘Information relating to any individual’.

(2)    That the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information.

The Joint Appointments Committee (JAC) noted that Section 4 of the Local Government and Housing Act 1989 required a local authority to designate one of its officers as the Head of Paid Service.  Pedro Wrobel, the new Chief Executive would take up this role from Monday 8 April 2024, However, for the period between Tom Horwood’s departure on 9 February, and 8 April both councils would need to designate another individual as the interim Joint Chief Executive and Head of Paid Service.

The JAC considered a report which set out the approach for the appointment of an interim Joint Chief Executive and Head of Paid Service to cover this role between 9 February and 8 April 2024.

The Leaders of both councils had invited expressions of interest from the current Joint Strategic Directors in respect of covering the interim role of Joint Chief Executive and Head of Paid Service for both authorities.  Following the deadline set for receipt of expressions of interest, Thursday 11 January 2024, two expressions of interest had been received. 

The JAC was asked to consider the expressions of interest put forward and, where appropriate, to recommend an appointment for confirmation at extraordinary meetings of both councils scheduled to take place on 23 January 2024 at Guildford and 24 January 2024 at Waverley.  Any formal offer of appointment was subject to no material or well-founded objection being made by either of the two Council Leaders on behalf of their respective Executives in accordance with the provisions of Paragraph 5 of Part II of Schedule 1 to the Local Authorities (Standing Orders) (England) Regulations 2001.

The JAC, having interviewed the two candidates, and having taken into account their written expressions of interest, 

RECOMMEND: (to Guildford Borough Council and Waverley Borough Council): 

That, whilst both candidates were considered to be appointable to the role, confirmation of a formal offer of appointment to the role of Interim Joint Chief Executive, and designation as Head of Paid Service, for both Guildford and Waverley Borough Councils be made to Annie Righton, Joint Strategic Director: Community and Wellbeing, subject to:

(a)  the salary for the interim role being set at a level equivalent to the current salary for the Joint Chief Executive/ Head of Paid Service post, pro-rata for two months; and

(b)  no material or well-founded objection being made by either of the two Council Leaders on behalf of their respective Executives, in accordance with the provisions of Paragraph 5 of Part II of Schedule 1 to the Local Authorities (Standing Orders) (England) Regulations 2001.

Reason:

To appoint an interim Joint Chief Executive and Head of Paid Service, as part of the agreed collaboration arrangements between Guildford and Waverley Borough Councils to ensure compliance with the requirements of Section 4 of the Local Government and Housing Act 1989.