Agenda and draft minutes

To Approve and Sign as a Correct Record the Minutes of the Meeting of the Chief Officer Employment Committee held on 11 September 2025.

RESOLVED that the Minutes of the Meeting of the Chief Officer Employment Committee held on 11 September 2025 be confirmed and signed as a correct record.

Members may make any declarations of interest at this point but may also make them at any time during the course of the meeting.

There were no declarations of interest made at this point in the meeting.

To resolve that under Section 100 (A)(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the public and press be excluded from the meeting for the following item of business on the grounds that it involves the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in paragraphs 1 and 2 and 4 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Act.

RESOLVED that under Section 100 (A)(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the public and press be excluded from the meeting for the following item of business on the grounds that it involved the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in paragraphs 1 and 2 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Act.

Members considered a report which presented proposed revisions to the council’s Senior Officer structure together with a policy that sought to formalise the council’s approach to the evaluation and payment for senior leadership (Chief Officer) roles.

In presenting the report, the Chief Executive outlined the reasoning and rationale for the review in detail to the Committee.  Details of how the proposed revised structure would seek to address the points raised were shared with Members.  The report also set out, subject to Committee approval, the next steps, with it being noted statutory consultation would commence, early in the New Year with the new structure effective from 1 April 2026.

The proposed Senior Officer Job Evaluation and Pay Policy provided the foundations for the review of the Senior Officer structure and provided clarity and consistency. 

The proposed Policy included new pay scales for those posts considered Chief and Deputy Chief Officers.  Sam Maher of the East Midlands Council addressed committee and outlined to Members the benchmarking which had been undertaken, the comparisons which had been made and where the proposed salary rates sat within a local and national context. Members had been provided with a full written benchmarking report.

A period of questioning which sought to clarify a number of points ensued with Officers responding accordingly. Members were referred to the financial implications section of the report and the benchmarking information.  Members welcomed the revisions and the clarity, consistency and transparency both the new structure and pay policy provided.

All were supportive of the need and the reasoning for the review.  Members were advised no wider consultation had yet been undertaken, outlining the reasons for  this and the Head of Paid Service’s role in determining a structure. As such the detail of the report would only be provided to those affected Officers in the New Year, once statutory consultation commenced.

It was also confirmed that the three main unions were being engaged.

Having been proposed and seconded on being put to the vote it was: -

RESOLVED that : -

(a)    the proposed revisions to the Senior Officer structure as set out in this report be approved;

(b)    the Senior Leadership Job Evaluation and Pay Policy as set out in Appendix B of the report be approved; and

(c )   delegated authority be granted to the Chief Executive, in consultation with the Chairman of the Committee, the Chief Financial (S151) Officer and the People Services Manager as appropriate, to take all necessary action to implement the proposals in accordance with the arrangements set out in the report, including delegated authority to make any minor revisions to the structure and policy.