The General Purposes Committee of Tower Hamlets Council met to discuss and agree on the process for recruiting to several key senior officer positions within the council. The committee agreed to establish an appointment subcommittee to oversee the recruitment of a permanent Chief Executive, Corporate Director of Resources, and Director of Finance, Audit and Procurement.

Senior Officer Recruitment

The committee agreed to establish an appointment subcommittee to oversee the recruitment of three critical senior officer roles: the Chief Executive (also Head of Paid Service and Returning Officer), the Corporate Director of Resources, and the Director of Finance, Audit and Procurement. These roles are considered vital to the authority's functioning.

The council is proposing to fill these positions on a permanent basis. Steve Halsey is currently serving as interim Chief Executive, Caroline Holland as interim Corporate Director of Resources, and Nisar Visram is due to leave his role as Director of Finance on 26 May. The council is engaging an executive recruitment agency to support the search for these permanent appointments. The recruitment process is expected to begin with advertising the roles in April, with appointments anticipated by the summer at the latest.

Additionally, the committee was informed that Dan Jones, the Director of Public Realm, is leaving at the end of April. This role will not be filled permanently at this time due to potential restructuring, but an interim appointment is planned for no more than six months.

During the discussion, councillors raised several points regarding the recruitment process. Councillor James King inquired about the specific executive recruitment agency to be used, confirmation of politically balanced appointment panels, and the engagement of stakeholders in the Chief Executive appointment. Musrat Zaman, Director of HR, OD and Business Support Services, explained that the council would follow its procurement framework to select an agency, with evaluations based on quality and price. She confirmed that appointment panels would be politically balanced, as has been done previously. Regarding stakeholder engagement for the Chief Executive role, a wide range of internal and external stakeholders, including the voluntary sector, NHS, borough commander, schools, and all political parties, would be consulted, with the final list to be agreed with the Mayor.

Councillor Maium Talukdar, Deputy Mayor and Cabinet Member for Education, Youth and Lifelong Learning, sought clarity on the timeline for recruitment and the individuals who would cover the Director of Finance role during the interim period. Pat Chen confirmed that an interim would be appointed to cover the Director of Finance role. Both Pat Chen and Musrat Zaman assured the committee that a detailed timeline, from advertising to final interviews, would be provided to help members plan their diaries.

Councillor Kabir Ahmed, Cabinet Member for Regeneration, Inclusive Development and Housebuilding, asked whether the process followed best practice and which aspects of wider engagement and stakeholder input were binding versus advisory. Musrat Zaman stated that the council was following a standard practice model, guided by specialist agencies. She clarified that while stakeholder feedback is crucial for providing a rounded view of candidates, the ultimate decision-making authority rests with the appointment subcommittee, with recommendations going to full council for ratification.

Councillor King also enquired whether the final recommendations and details of the process would be reviewed by the General Purposes Committee before going to full council. Councillor Saif Uddin Khaled, Chair of the committee, indicated that the constitution might require the appointment subcommittee's recommendation for the Chief Executive role to return to the General Purposes Committee before proceeding to full council, though other roles might have slightly different processes.

The committee ultimately agreed to the recommendations in the report, including the establishment of the appointment subcommittee and the recruitment of all three permanent senior officer posts.