Agenda item

To receive a report and consider the interim arrangements for the role of the Head of Paid Service. Report to follow

Council was asked to receive and consider the report and the recommendations of the Staff and Appointments Committee in respect of the appointment of an Interim Head of Paid Service and Chief Executive.

The Staff and Appointments Committee had met that morning and Councillor Wearmouth confirmed the Committee’s resolution and recommendation that Council appoint Rick O’Farrell as the Interim Head of Paid Service and Chief Executive on a temporary basis effective from 1st August 2022. The Leader had confirmed that there were no objections to the proposal from Cabinet.

Mrs Furnell confirmed that the Staff and Appointments Committee had been satisfied that Mr O’Farrell met the requirements of the role and the salary had been recommended as £195,000 following consideration of benchmarking information.

Councillor Wearmouth moved the report’s recommendations, with the salary set at £195,000. The Staff and Appointments Committee would consider a job description, salary, and conditions for the permanent appointment in due course. This was seconded by Councillor Stewart.

Councillor Swinburn asked whether the new staff structure review would be carried out by the Interim Chief Executive or the substantive appointment. He also asked how long the interim would be in post for, would the substantive post be externally advertised and recruited to via a fair procedure, and who did the interim Chief Executive report to as their line manager?

Councillor Cartie asked for an approximate timeframe for a permanent appointment and hoped the post would be advertised externally.

Councillor Ball asked whether the proposed salary included any bonuses or enhancements and was concerned that the Executive Team would be assembled and then have to be changed at a later date.

Councillor Wearmouth responded that matters would be progressed as swiftly as practical and would be brought to Council, probably in September. The Chief Executive would report to Staff and Appointments Committee and members would determine the structure and appoint to the Executive Team ultimately. Staff within the organisation would be able to apply for the new roles and there would be the opportunity for external appointments as well.

Mrs Furnell confirmed that the process would be external for all of the senior appointments which were currently vacant. There were no additional bonuses for the temporary chief executive appointment and Mr O’Farrell would have the same terms and conditions as all other NCC staff.

Councillor Horncastle hoped that if Council approved this, it would be the start of getting things right and getting permanent appointments made. He felt it must be very difficult for officers to not be in a permanent role when they had put so much effort into the work of the Council.

Councillor Mather felt there was a need to look at the entire Council staffing structure as there were problems with recruitment across the board because of pay levels. £195,000 was a significant salary and staff at the lower end of the pay scale needed to remunerated properly for the valuable work they did.

Councillor Cartie commented that this needed to be a member led organisation going forward.

Councillor Wearmouth briefly summed up.

On the report’s recommendations being put to the vote there voted FOR: a substantial majority; AGAINST: 0; ABSTENTIONS; 1. It was therefore RESOLVED that:-

(a)      Rick O’Farrell be appointed as the Interim Head of Paid Service and Chief Executive on a temporary basis effective from 1st August 2022;

(b)      the renumeration for the post of Interim Head of Paid Service and Chief Executive be agreed at a rate of £195,000.00 per annum with access to staff benefits in line with all Council employees; and

(c)      it be noted that there are no objections from the Leader or Cabinet to the appointment.