Agenda item

Report of the Director of HR and Cultural Change

The information in this case is exempt in that it falls within the following prescribed categories: 

1. Information relating to a particular individual.
2. Information which is likely to reveal the identity of an individual.

and since it is considered that, in all the circumstances of the case, the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information. 

The report and annexes containing exempt information under the above paragraph is attached. 

Members were asked to consider a proposed process for the conduct of appraisals for the position of Chief Executive.

The Monitoring Officer stated that she believed that the report and annexes 1, 3 and 4 should not have been deemed exempt when publishing the agenda.  Annex 2 Appraisal Report by South East Employers was correctly identified as including exempt information in the following categories:

1. Information relating to a particular individual.
2. Information which is likely to reveal the identity of an individual.

Members agreed with this view.  It was agreed that the agenda should be republished allowing public access to the report and annexes 1, 3 and 4.  Annex 2 will remain exempt.

Members confirmed that they did not wish to discuss anything in the exempt annex and the discussion continued in public session.

Cherie Cuthbertson, Director of HR and Cultural Change, introduced the report.  She stated that the current Chief Executive commenced in the position in March 2023.  An appraisal was conducted in January/February 2024 but no specific process had been defined.  It was decided to commission South East Employers (SEE) to recommend a process.

There were a number of approaches that could be taken but it was recommended that the appraisal be conducted by the Remuneration Committee and the Members of the Committee receive training on how to conduct the appraisal.  This was with a view to conducting the first appraisal under this process in January 2025.

In response to comments and questions from Members, officers responded as follows:

·       It was recommended that Council make amendments to the Constitution regarding the Terms of Reference of the Remuneration Committee and a process had yet to be conducted to check if there were any consequential amendments that needed to be made.

·       It was planned to provide the training in mid-December so that the appraisal could be conducted in January.

·       The appraisal would be conducted by the whole committee and not a subcommittee of it.

·       The appraisal itself would be conducted in private.

Members welcomed the proposals from South East Employers and the provision of a structured process for appraisals of the Chief Executive.

The recommendations were moved by Councillor Brighouse, seconded by Councillor Simpson and agreed.

RESOLVED to

a)    Agree to accept and recommend to Council the proposed changes to the appraisal process for the Chief Executive (Head of the Paid Service) as set out by the South East Employers (SEE) review report (Annex 2), including a change to the Remuneration Committee’s terms of reference to include operating as the Appraisal Panel for the Chief Executive appraisal process.

to RECOMMEND TO COUNCIL to:

b)    Approve the proposed changes to the appraisal process for the Chief Executive (Head of the Paid Service) as set out by the South East Employers (SEE) review report (Annex 2).

c)     Delegate to the Remuneration Committee to constitute the Appraisal Panel and undertake the appraisals for the Chief Executive.

d)    Approve amendments to the Constitution to include acting as an Appraisal Panel and undertaking Chief Executive’s appraisals to the terms of reference to Remuneration Committee at Part 5.1C and to delegate to the Director of Law and Governance and the Monitoring Officer to make any consequential amendments to the Constitution.