The Chief Officer Advisory Appointments Committee of Newham Council was scheduled to convene to discuss the appointment of a new Director of Public Health. The meeting's agenda focused on the interview and selection process for this key statutory role.

Appointment of Director of Public Health

The primary item scheduled for discussion was the appointment of the Director of Public Health. This role is a statutory chief officer position within the council and serves as the principal advisor to elected members and officers on all health-related matters. The Director of Public Health is responsible for providing strategic leadership to improve population health and reduce health inequalities. The role is accountable to the Newham Health and Wellbeing Board, the Chief Executive, and the Secretary of State for Health.

The recruitment process for this position began with an advertisement on 5th March 2026. The council engaged the recruitment agency Penna to assist in finding suitable candidates. A total of eight applications were received, with four candidates being longlisted. These longlisted candidates were assessed on 8th April 2026, and a shortlist of four candidates was finalised on 17th April 2026. These shortlisted candidates were scheduled to proceed to a selection assessment centre between 20th and 29th April 2026.

The report pack indicated that the selection process would involve a one-to-one interview with Fiona Connolly, Corporate Director of Adults and Health, a partner stakeholder panel, and a residents' panel facilitated by the council's Co-Production team. The Faculty of Public Health Assessor, Eleanor Roaf, was to confirm that the shortlisted candidates possessed the necessary qualifications, registration, training, and experience. Professor Kevin Fenton, Regional Director of Public Health for London, was also to approve the final shortlist on behalf of the Secretary of State.

The Chief Officer Appointment Sub-Committee and the Advisory Appointments Committee (AAC) were scheduled to interview the shortlisted candidates. The recommendation of the committee was to be subject to a two-day consultation period with all members of the Cabinet. Any objections raised by Cabinet members would need to be reasonable, well-founded, and based on material fact.

The report pack outlined the roles and responsibilities of the Advisory Appointments Committee members. Mayor Rokhsana Fiaz OBE was scheduled to chair the committee, with Councillor Rita Chadha, Cabinet Member for Health and Adult Social Care, also a member. External representatives included Professor Kevin Fenton, representing Public Health England and the Secretary of State; Eleanor Roaf, the Faculty of Public Health Assessor; and Dame Marie Gabriel, Chair of the North-East London Integrated Care Board, representing the NHS. Fiona Connolly, Corporate Director of Adults and Health, was to attend as the line manager for the position. Caroline Bloch, Strategic HR Business Partner, was to provide HR advice to the panel.

The report pack stated that the committee was asked to recommend to the Council for appointment the successful applicant following the conclusion of interviews. The details of this recommendation were to be recorded in the formal minutes of the meeting.

The meeting also included provisions for the exclusion of the press and public for agenda item 5, which concerned exempt information regarding candidates, as detailed in Appendix A of the public reports pack. This appendix contained information relating to individuals, and the public interest in maintaining its exemption was considered to outweigh the public interest in disclosure.

The financial implications of the appointment were noted as being within the council's established budget for the Director of Public Health post, with salary costs aligning with the council's Pay Policy for 2026/2027. There were no direct legal implications arising from the report, with the process adhering to the Council's Constitution and Officer Employment Procedure Rules, and complying with general employment legislation and the council's recruitment policy.