Agenda and minutes

To elect a Chair for the duration of the meeting.

RESOLVED – That Councillor Mulherin be elected as Chair for the duration of the meeting.

To consider any appeals in accordance with Procedure Rule 15.2 of the Access to Information Procedure Rules (in the event of an Appeal the press and public will be excluded)

(*In accordance with Procedure Rule 15.2, written notice of an appeal must be received by the Head of Governance Services at least 24 hours before the meeting)

There were no appeals against refusal of inspection of documents.

RESOLVED – That Appendix 2 to the report entitled ‘Appointment of Chief Officer Social Work, Children’s and Families referred to in Minute No. 7 be designated as exempt from publication under the provisions of Access to Information Procedure Rule 10.4(1) and (2) and on the grounds that, in all the circumstances of the case, the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information by reason of the need to maintain the competitive nature of the interview process and to retain information submitted by individual applicants in confidence, as disclosure could undermine the process, future appointment processes, or the outcome on this occasion to the detriment of the Council’s and public interest.

To disclose or draw attention to any disclosable pecuniary interests for the purposes of Section 31 of the Localism Act 2011 and paragraphs 13-16 of the Members’ Code of Conduct.

There were no declarations of disclosable pecuniary interests made at the meeting.

To receive any apologies for absence from the meeting.

No apologies for absence from the meeting were received.

To receive a report of the City Solicitor which provides an overview of the governance arrangements and format for this specific Employment Committee which will have responsibility for the recruitment to the position of Chief Officer Social Work, within the Children and Families Directorate.

(Report & Appendix attached)

The City Solicitor submitted a report which provided Members with an overview of the governance arrangements and format for this specific Employment Committee which had responsibility for recruitment to the post of Chief Officer Social Work.

RESOLVED –

(a)  That the governance arrangements and format relating to the Employment Committee, as detailed within the submitted report, be noted;

(b)  That the Council’s requirements regarding the consideration and disclosure of confidential and ‘exempt’ information, be noted.

To receive a report of the Chief Officer (HR) which presents a proposal to the Employment Committee to appoint to the position of Chief Officer Social Work, within the Children’s and Families Directorate.

(Cover report, Appendix 1 & 2 attached, Appendix 3 to follow)

(Please note that Appendix 3, is designated as exempt from publication under the provisions of Access to Information Procedural Rule 10.4(1) & (2))

The Chief Officer (HR) submitted a report which outlined the process for the recruitment to the position of Chief Officer Social Work.

The Head of Service from within HR, together with the Director of Children and Families were in attendance at the meeting in an advisory capacity.

Having considered the submitted report and appendices, with the details of exempt appendix 2 being considered in private, the Committee undertook the formal recruitment process (shortlisting).

RESOLVED - That one candidate be shortlisted for interview for the position of Chief Officer Social Work.

At this point, the meeting was adjourned, to be reconvened on 8^th August 2018 in order to undertake the formal interview process.

The meeting was reconvened on Wednesday, 8^th August 2018 at 1.00pm

Councillors: L Mulherin, C Anderson, H Hayden, and J Lewis were in attendance.

The Committee met to undertake the formal interview process for the one  candidate who had been shortlisted for the position of Chief Officer Social Work.

The Head of Service (HR), together with the Director of Childrens and Families were in attendance at the meeting in an advisory capacity.

Having considered the submitted report and appendices, the Committee undertook the formal interview process for the position of Chief Officer Social Work.     

RESOLVED: That Julie Longworth be offered the position of Chief Officer Social Work, subject to the conclusion of the associated notification processes, as set out within the Officer Employment Procedure Rules.