The Chief Officer Appointment Committee of Newham Council met on Wednesday 18 February 2026 to discuss the establishment of sub-committees for the appointment of several key chief officer roles. The meeting's agenda focused on agreeing the size and membership of these sub-committees, which will be responsible for making appointments to significant positions within the council.

Establishment of Chief Officer Appointment Sub-Committees

The committee was scheduled to discuss the establishment of four Appointment Sub-Committees. These sub-committees will be responsible for making appointments to the following director-level positions:

• Director of Digital, Data and Technology: This role will report to the Corporate Director of Resources (Section 151 Officer) and is intended to lead the development of the organisation's digital strategy and resident experience. The job description outlines responsibilities for leading digital transformation, provisioning digital infrastructure, and building digital capabilities across the organisation.
• Director of Communications, Policy and Strategy: Reporting to the Assistant Chief Executive, this role is intended to oversee organisational strategy, communications, and policy development. The responsibilities include advising the Mayor, Cabinet, and senior officers on corporate strategy, leading the council's communications function, and developing strategic relationships with external policy influencers.
• Director of Transformation: This position will report to the Corporate Director of Strategy and Resources and is designed to lead the Transforming Newham for the Future Programme. The programme aims to fundamentally change how the organisation works, improving customer service, reducing costs, and enhancing digitisation, while also fostering a culture of accountability and innovation.
• Director of Community Safety & Integrated Enforcement: This role will report to the Corporate Director of Environment and Sustainable Transport. The responsibilities encompass community safety, including emergency planning, anti-social behaviour, counter-terrorism, and licensing and regulation. The role also involves managing a significant budget and overseeing a workforce of approximately 150 staff.

The report pack details the background to these new roles, stemming from a review of the corporate leadership structure designed to enhance strategic capacity and streamline decision-making. It also outlines a recruitment timetable, the composition requirements for the sub-committees, and considerations for financial, legal, and equalities implications. The council intends to engage executive search firms to assist with the recruitment process for these roles, with a focus on establishing diverse pools of candidates. Guidance on diverse recruitment panels, which aims to ensure fairness and transparency in the selection process, was also provided as an appendix.

Establishment of a Chief Officer Appointment Sub-Committee for Director of Adult Social Care

The committee was also scheduled to agree the size and membership of a specific Appointment Sub-Committee for the Director of Adult Social Care. This role is crucial following a 'Requires Improvement' rating from the Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspection in December 2025. The report highlights the need to strengthen senior leadership capacity within Adult Social Care to effectively implement an improvement plan and meet statutory responsibilities. The recruitment process for this role will also involve an executive search firm, with a detailed timetable and similar considerations for sub-committee composition and diverse recruitment panels. The Director of Adult Social Care will be responsible for leading and ensuring the effective, efficient, and compliant delivery of adult social care services, meeting all statutory and regulatory requirements.

Establishment of an Appointments Advisory Committee (AAC) for Director of Public Health

Finally, the committee was set to agree the size and membership of an Appointments Advisory Committee (AAC) for the Director of Public Health. This appointment follows the departure of the previous Director, Jason Streltiz. The Director of Public Health is a statutory chief officer and a key advisor on all health matters. The recruitment process for this role will adhere to the Faculty of Public Health (FPH) guidance, which requires the establishment of an AAC with representation from the FPH, Public Health England, and the NHS. The Mayor, Rokhsana Fiaz OBE, was scheduled to chair this committee. The role's responsibilities include improving health and reducing health inequalities in Newham, providing expert advice to elected members and senior officers, and leading on health protection and health improvement initiatives. The report also details the professional accountability of the Director of Public Health to the Newham Health and Wellbeing Board, the Chief Executive, and the Secretary of State for Health.