The Chief Officers Employment Committee of Cornwall Council met on Wednesday 3 June 2026. The meeting's agenda included the end-of-year appraisal of the Chief Executive and a senior recruitment matter. Much of the meeting was scheduled to be held in private to discuss sensitive information.

End of Year Appraisal of the Chief Executive 2025/26

The committee was scheduled to consider the end-of-year appraisal of the Chief Executive for the period 1 April 2025 to 31 March 2026. This included reviewing the Chief Executive's contribution and progress against her objectives. The report indicated that the Leader of the Council, Councillor Leigh Frost, is responsible for conducting this appraisal and reporting to the committee. An external facilitator had been appointed to support the process, meeting with Group Leaders as part of their contribution to the final report. The purpose of this discussion was to provide assurance that effective arrangements are in place for the Chief Executive's appraisal and that her objectives are reviewed and performance assessed.

The report highlighted that residents can be assured of these effective arrangements. It also referenced a previous report on the Chief Executive's mid-year appraisal for 2025/26, which the committee received on 5 December 2025. The report stated there were no financial implications arising from this item, but it did have legal and governance implications, fulfilling the requirements of the Council's Constitution regarding the committee's responsibilities. The report also aimed to mitigate reputational risk by providing a route for the Council to be assured of the adequacy of the appraisal arrangements. The committee had the option to make comments regarding the Leader's assessment of the Chief Executive's contribution.

Senior Recruitment Strategic Director for Together for Families (Director for Children's Services) - Part 2

The committee was also scheduled to discuss the recruitment of a Strategic Director for Together for Families, who also holds the role of Director for Children's Services. This item was designated as Part 2 and was to be considered in a confidential session, with the press and public excluded. The exclusion was based on the grounds that the discussion would likely involve the disclosure of exempt information relating to individuals. This follows previous discussions on this recruitment matter, with confidential minutes from meetings on 6 May 2026 and 18 May 2026 also scheduled for review.