The meeting of Newham Council's Chief Officer Appointment Committee on 05 March 2025 was scheduled to discuss the potential appointment of four new Council officers. The Committee was also scheduled to receive a report on the rules about members' attendance at meetings.

Appointment of a Director of Housing Needs

The Committee was scheduled to consider a report on the creation of a sub-committee to appoint a new Director of Housing Needs for Newham Council. The report explained that This role is being recruited to as the current post holder will be leaving the organisation (Director of Housing Needs Committee report - Final). If it was appointed, the new Director would be responsible for:

• Lead[ing] the service in tackling homelessness and ensuring everyone has access to good quality and timely advice that helps people to avoid becoming homeless and keeps people out of temporary accommodation
• Ensur[ing] that the Council’s duties under parts 6 and 7 of the Housing Act 1985 as amended and subsequent relevant legislation such as the Homeless Reduction Act, are efficiently and fairly complied with in a way that treats all such duties as part of one system.
• Ensur[ing] effective supply and management of a large portfolio of temporary accommodation

Appointment of a Director of Housing Services

The Committee was also scheduled to consider a report on the appointment of a new Director of Housing Services. The report explained that a new Director of Housing Services was required as a result of a finding by the Regulator of Social Housing that the standard of our Housing Services [was] very poor (Director of Housing Services Committee report - final). This had led to a decision to dramatically improve the management of our homes and the inclusion of our communities in our services. The new Director would be responsible for:

• Delivering resident focused housing services with an emphasis on high quality, responsiveness, and preventative maintenance
• Delivering a high-quality cost-effective repairs and maintenance service always ensuring strong and effective internal controls are maintained
• Providing an effective, value for money HRA business plan with a focus on preventative maintenance.

Appointment of a Corporate Director, Environment & Sustainable Transport

In addition, the Committee was scheduled to consider a report on the appointment of a new Corporate Director, Environment & Sustainable Transport. The new Corporate Director would have responsibility for:

• Street cleansing, recycling and waste management
• Highways, traffic management, Parking services and sustainable transport
• Parks and open spaces, and grounds maintenance
• Licensing and regulatory services (trading standards, licensing, health and safety, food safety, registrars and cemetery, animal welfare)
• Community safety (emergency and business continuity planning, CCTV control room; police contract, neighbourhood operations and anti-social behaviour enforcement)
• Climate Action and Sustainability

Appointment of a Corporate Director of Adults and Health

Finally, the Committee was scheduled to consider a report on the appointment of a new Corporate Director of Adults & Health. This new Corporate Director would be responsible for:

• Commissioning of health and social care and the integrated care system with Newham CCG
• Adult social care and safeguarding (assessment and care management, rough sleepers & homelessness commissioning and market development, enablement, occupational therapy and mental health)
• Integrated support (contract management, brokerage, business systems, workforce planning, performance, safeguarding governance)
• Public health.

Attendance of Members at meetings

The Committee was scheduled to receive a report that reminded its members of their statutory duty to attend meetings. According to The Local Government Act 1972, a Member (Councillor) of an authority must attend a meeting of the authority as a whole (i.e. Council) or a Committee, Sub-Committee or a Joint Committee at least once every six months. The report explained that attendance at any of the following committees would fulfil this statutory duty:

• Standards Advisory Committee
• Local or Strategic Development Committee
• Licensing Committee
• Overview and Scrutiny Committee or a Scrutiny Commission
• Pensions Committee
• Chief Officers Appointment Committee
• Audit Committee
• Health & Wellbeing Board
• Corporate Parenting Board
• Standing Advisory Council on Religious Education (SACRE)