Agenda and minutes

The Chairman opened the meeting and proposed an adjournment, explaining to Members that the Panels for Chief Executive candidates had overrun slightly. Having been seconded, and voted upon, it was

RESOLVED that the meeting be adjourned until 3.20pm in order for the Panels to conclude.

Note:              The meeting adjourned at 3.00pm and re-convened at 3.20pm

To Approve and Sign as a Correct Record the Minutes of the Meeting of the Chief Officer Employment Committee held on 14 April 2025.

RESOLVED that the Minutes of the Meeting of the Chief Officer Employment Committee held on 14 April 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 items of business on the grounds that they involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in paragraphs 1 and 2 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 items of business on the grounds that they involved the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in paragraphs 1 and 2 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Act.

Note:             The meeting entered closed session at 3.21pm

Members of the Committee were appraised of the recruitment process prior to the current interview stage, by Mr Gary Evans of Gatenby Sanderson. Members were aware there had been a longlisting exercise undertaken as well as the subsequent shortlisting.

For shortlisted candidates there had been technical interviews undertaken by Gatenby Sanderson, as well as psychometric testing. For those Committee Members who had not been present during the day, it was explained that candidates had been seen by three separate panels, those being Group Leaders, Partners, and Management Team. As well as the technical interview and psychometric testing outcomes, feedback would be provided from all panel scenarios.

With no questions from the Committee at this stage, Mr Evans proceeded to provide feedback from the technical interviews.  

Members received feedback per candidate, with Mr Evans detailing the motivations of each individual for applying for the positions, as well as a summary of their performance at interview. This included information regarding their backgrounds, progression route through management roles, and demonstrated ability to step into a Chief Executive role.

Documents providing the technical interview summaries had been shared with the Committee prior to the meeting, and, with no questions or comments, Mr Evans proceeded to provide feedback from the psychometric testing.

Members again received feedback per candidate, with Mr Evans detailing the key strengths and areas of consideration identified within the psychometric profiling reports. These had also been shared with Members ahead of the meeting.

Having heard feedback regarding all four candidates, a Member of the Committee enquired as to the balance of strengths versus weaknesses, seeking clarification for how that translated per candidate. This was summarised by Mr Evans, and with no further questions or comments, the Committee continued with the agenda’s business.

Members were provided with a copy of the questions and scenarios posed to candidates by the panel of Group Leaders. The People Services Manager, who had facilitated the panel, summarised the responses and interactions from all four candidates. Those Group Leaders present at the meeting also expressed their feedback from the panel scenarios.

The People Services Manager provided the scoring for each candidate, alongside examples of positive or negative interactions. Members of the Committee thanked those involved and appreciated the detailed information provided.

The Committee heard again from Mr Evans of Gatenby Sanderson, who had facilitated the panel comprised of key partners to the Council. He summarised the questions and scenarios which had been posed, and which had also been provided to the Committee in their documents, and provided details per candidate as to how they had responded. He provided the rating per candidate as given by the panel and also examples of positive and negative responses and interactions.

Members of the Committee extended their thanks to those involved and appreciated the detailed information provided.

To conclude the feedback summaries, the Committee heard from Jaki Salisbury, Independent Consultant, who had facilitated the panel with members of the Council’s Management Team. Members of the Committee had again been provided with the questions posed by the panel, and Ms Salisbury proceeded to summarise the responses provided by candidates. She provided Members with the scoring from the panel, as well as examples of positive and negative interactions or responses.

The Committee expressed their thanks for the involvement of Senior Officers, and, having received all feedback from all panel scenarios, each Member expressed their impressions of the four candidates to this point. It was highlighted by Members that they had a collective, clear direction for whomever was to be the successful candidate.

The Committee gave consideration to the draft questions which had been prepared and shared with Members in advance of the meeting. With no comments or suggested amendments, the questions as drafted were finalised, and Members were in agreement as to whom would ask each question of the candidates. It was also agreed that the Committee may ask questions of the candidates’ presentations should the be time at the conclusion of the fixed interview questions.

With all in agreement, Members took a short adjournment ahead of the first candidate being invited in.

Note:              The meeting adjourned at 4.25pm and reconvened at 4.31pm

The Committee welcomed the first candidate at 16.36 and introductions were made. The Candidate gave their presentation on the previously agreed subject, after which Members posed the interview questions which had been agreed earlier, with supplementary questions also being posed where relevant, and the candidate duly responded.

The candidate was provided the opportunity to ask questions of the Committee, with Members responding accordingly. Having concluded the interview, the Chairman thanked the candidate for their time and attendance, and the candidate left the meeting at 17.24.

Members welcomed the second candidate at 17.32 and introductions were made.  The Candidate gave their presentation on the previously agreed subject, after which Members posed the interview questions which had been agreed earlier, with supplementary questions also being posed where relevant, and the candidate duly responded.

The candidate was provided the opportunity to ask questions of the Committee, with Members responding accordingly. On conclusion of the interview, the candidate was thanked for their time and attendance, and they left the meeting at 18.10.

The third candidate was welcomed at 18.18 and introductions were made. The Candidate gave their presentation on the previously agreed subject, after which Members posed the interview questions which had been agreed earlier, with supplementary questions also being posed where relevant, and the candidate duly responded.

The candidate was provided the opportunity to ask questions of the Committee, with Members responding accordingly. Having concluded the interview, the Chairman thanked the candidate for their time and attendance, and the candidate left the meeting at 18.56.

The final candidate was welcomed at 19.10 and introductions were made. The Candidate gave their presentation on the previously agreed subject, after which Members posed the interview questions which had been agreed earlier, with supplementary questions also being posed where relevant, and the candidate duly responded.

The candidate was provided the opportunity to ask questions of the Committee, with Members responding accordingly. Having concluded the interview, the Chairman thanked the candidate for their time and attendance, and the candidate left the meeting at 19.48.

The Committee took a short adjournment at 19.50, prior to commencing deliberations.  The meeting resumed at 20.00.

Members began their deliberations and shared their views in light of the information provided by the candidates during their presentations and interviews. Members also revisited the feedback from the different activities held through-out the day. Scoring of the questions was discussed and shared.

The Committee debated between themselves the potential strengths and differences between the candidates.

Acknowledging that appointment offers often involved a level of negotiation, in order to avoid needing to bring matters back to Committee, Members debated the parameters within which they were happy for Officers to negotiate, noting the pay scales within the Chief Executive role and been very clear as to the maximum which would be accepted.

Following much debate, it was RESOLVED that: -

(a)        Mr Paul Burkinshaw be offered the appointment of Chief Executive, subject to references and employment checks;

(b)        the starting salary be £128,437,000, with standard terms & conditions in respect of holiday allowance (33 days plus Bank Holidays);

(c)        authority be delegated to the People Services Manager to enact the decision of the Committee, determine the commencement salary in line with the maximum expressed by the Committee during the debate, and the commencement date of employment; and

(d)        the appointment of Mr Paul Burkinshaw to the Statutory Roles of Head of Paid Service, Returning Officer, and Electoral Registration Officer be RECOMMENDED to Full Council for approval.