Skip to content

Agenda and minutes

Venue: Virtual meeting.

Contact: Karen Strahan 01392 382264  Email: karen.strahan@devon.gov.uk

Note: Note: To be conducted in line with The Local Authorities and Police and Crime Panels (Coronavirus) (Flexibility of Local Authority and Police and Crime Panel Meetings) (England and Wales) Regulations 2020. 

Items
Note No. Item

*

65.

Minutes

Minutes of the meeting held on 30th July 2020.

Minutes:

RESOLVED that the minutes of the meeting held on 30th July 2020 be signed as a correct record.

*

66.

Items Requiring Urgent Attention

Items which in the opinion of the Chair should be considered at the meeting as a matter of urgency.

Minutes:

There was no item raised as a matter of urgency.

67.

Head of Children's Social Care and Deputy Chief Officer for Children's Services pdf icon PDF 140 KB

Report of the Chief Executive proposing the commencement of the recruitment of a permanent appointment for the post of Head of Childrens Social Care and Deputy Chief Officer for Children’s Services, attached.

Minutes:

The Committee considered the Report of the Chief Executive which proposed the commencement of the recruitment of a permanent appointment for the post of Head of Childrens Social Care and Deputy Chief Officer for Children’s Services.

 

The Report outlined that the current post holder had left his employment in September 2020 and the post was currently being covered by an internal acting-up arrangement.

 

The Chief Officer post held responsibility for the following key service areas:

 

      MASH and Children and Families Social Work;

      Social work and allied services for children in care and care leavers;

      Fostering and Adoption, including hosting the Regional Adoption Agency;

      Social work and allied services for disabled children;

      Operational delivery of Early Help Services; and

      Residential care: short breaks homes for disabled children and the Atkinson Secure Children’s Home.

 

The service area was also facing a rapid improvement journey following the outcome of an ILACS inspection in early 2020 which deemed the service ‘Inadequate’ and the new appointment would need to continue to ensure that the service worked towards a ‘good’ outcome in the next stage of the improvement process.

 

It was proposed that the vacancy was filled on a permanent basis at its current L3 salary level of £105,669 plus a Market Supplement to the value of £20,000 per annum.

 

The Committee noted that a robust recruitment process would be used to provide assurance of the expertise, knowledge and skills required for the post as well as utilising other mechanisms for attracting a wide range of potential candidates, including targeting those not currently actively seeking other employment.

 

It was MOVED by Councillor Hart, SECONDED by Councillor Parsons, and

     

RESOLVED that the proposal to commence recruitment to the permanent appointment for the post of Head of Childrens Social Care and Deputy Chief Officer for Children’s Services be approved.

*

68.

Chief Officer for Children's Services

Officers to report on the process for attracting suitable candidates for the above post.

Minutes:

The Committee noted that recruitment process for the Chief Officer for Children's Services would commence at 9.30am under Part 2.

*

69.

Exclusion of the Press and Public

Recommendation: that the press and public be excluded from the meeting for the following items of business under Section 100(A)(4) of the Local Government Act 1972 on the grounds that they involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Paragraph 1 and 2 of Schedule 12A of the Act namely relating to any individual and information likely to reveal the identity of an individual and in accordance with Section 36 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000, by virtue of the fact that the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information.

Minutes:

It was MOVED by Councillor Hart, SECONDED by Councillor McInnes and

 

RESOLVED that the press and public be excluded from the meeting for the following items of business under Section 100(A)(4) of the Local Government Act 1972 on the grounds that they involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Paragraph 1 and 2 of Schedule 12A of the Act namely relating to any individual and information likely to reveal the identity of an individual and in accordance with Section 36 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000, by virtue of the fact that the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information.

*

70.

Appointment of Chief Officer for Children's Services pdf icon PDF 233 KB

To interview shortlisted candidate(s) and, if possible, make a recommendation upon an appropriate appointment to the next meeting of the County Council.

 

Papers attached include

 

·         Job description for the Chief Officer for Children's Services; and

·         Report on candidates for the post.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Committee interviewed two candidates for the post of Chief Officer for Children's Services with a view to making a recommendation upon an appropriate appointment to the County Council on 1st October 2020.

 

The process had been undertaken in line with the terms of reference of the Appointments, Remuneration and Chief Officer Conduct Committee, the Pay Policy Statement and the Chief Officer Employment Procedure Rules (set out at Part 6 of the Constitution).

 

The interviews having been completed and the suitability of the candidates for the post having been fully discussed and all relevant factors having been considered, such as the very high level and breadth of experience and responsibility required for the role:

 

It was RESOLVED

 

(a) that whilst the Committee were impressed with the candidates before them, they were unable to make an appointment at this time; and

 

(b) that additional recruitment options be investigated with a view to re-advertising the post as soon as possible, alongside the recruitment process for the Head of Children’s Social Care.


Top