The Chief Officer Appointments Sub-Committee of Newham Council met on Thursday 16 April 2026 to interview candidates for the newly created role of Director of Young People and Opportunities. Following the interview process, the Sub-Committee decided not to make an appointment for the position.

Appointment of Director of Young People and Opportunities

The Sub-Committee interviewed one candidate for the newly established position of Director of Young People and Opportunities. This role, reporting to the Corporate Director of Children and Young People, is intended to strengthen senior leadership within Children and Young People Services and align service delivery with the Council's corporate priorities. These priorities include early help, education partnerships, community cohesion, safeguarding, Youth Services, Youth Safety, and achieving planned financial savings. The role encompasses strategic direction for targeted youth support, youth justice, youth services, NEET reduction, post-16 education, and youth commissioning.

The recruitment process involved a ring-fenced interview for an existing employee who was at risk of redundancy due to a review of the Council's management structure. This process was conducted in line with the Council's Change Management Procedure¹.

During the meeting, Mayor Rokhsana Fiaz OBE declared an interest due to her interaction with the candidate on youth safety matters. Councillor Amar Virdee declared an interest as he had engaged with the candidate on the Newham Community Safety Board². Councillor Sarah Ruiz also declared an interest, noting that the candidate was a member of the Strategic Leadership Team with whom she had worked.

After careful consideration of the candidate throughout the interview and selection process, the Sub-Committee concluded that no offer of appointment could be extended. Consequently, the Sub-Committee agreed not to make an appointment for the Director of Young People and Opportunities role. The decision was made in closed session, with press and public excluded, due to the nature of the information considered, which fell under specific exemptions of the Local Government Act 1972.