The Top Management Review Panel was scheduled to discuss the performance of senior council officers, including the Chief Executive and Directors, as part of the council's mid-year review process. The panel was also set to review probation objectives for a newly appointed Director.

Performance Management and Appraisals

The panel was scheduled to review the council's Performance Management Scheme, which was revised in July 2021. This scheme applies to the Corporate Leadership Team and is being further developed to align with the council's Delivery Framework and culture transformation programme. A new appraisal process is pending approval and consultation with trade unions, with the aim of aligning the Top Management Review process with this new approach for the end-of-year appraisal in April 2027.

The report pack outlined the key elements assessed through the appraisal scheme for 2026/27. These include:

• Progress against Key Objectives: Objectives are designed to reflect the outcomes and priorities of the Corporate Plan and personal goals. While mid-year reviews are not scored, end-of-year appraisals use a scale of 1 to 4, where 4 signifies exceeding all objectives to an excellent standard and 1 indicates objectives have not been met with significant development required.
• Assessment of Behaviour and Attitude: This element considers how well individuals achieve results in line with the council's required behaviours and values, as detailed in Appendix 1 of the report pack. This is also rated on a scale of 1 to 4 at the end-of-year review.
• Assessment of Compliance: This assesses whether employees have met procedural and legislative requirements, including mandatory training, budget monitoring, and staff management. This is rated on a scale of 1 to 3 at the end-of-year review.
• Overall Rating: At the end of the year, the panel determines an overall rating for the Chief Executive and reviews the scores for Directors. A rating of 3 or 4 can result in an increment for Corporate Leadership Team members not at the top of their pay grade.
• Health & Wellbeing and Personal Development: Discussions on health, wellbeing, and development needs are a key aim of the scheme, though these elements are not rated.

Director of Place Probation Objectives

The panel was scheduled to review and comment on the probation objectives for the Director of Place, who joined the council on 7 September 2026. The Chief Executive would assess performance against these objectives, taking into account the panel's views. The proposed objectives were contained in Exempt Appendix 2.

Director and Chief Executive Appraisals

The panel was also scheduled to discuss the objectives and progress to date for the following Directors:

• Director of Adult Social Care & Health
• Director of Children's Services
• Director of Finance & Corporate Services

The appraisal objectives for these Directors, as agreed by the Top Management Review Panel, were contained in Exempt Appendix 3. Additionally, the panel was to review and comment on the mid-year review for the Chief Executive, covering their objectives since the start of the 2026/27 performance year. The Chief Executive's appraisal objectives and progress were detailed in Exempt Appendix 4.

The report pack indicated that the press and public would be excluded from discussions relating to agenda items 6b, 6c, and 6d, as these contained exempt information relating to individuals, as defined by Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972. The council's position was that the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighed the public interest in disclosure.

The meeting was scheduled to consider the High Performance Indicators which outline the behaviours expected from staff and managers, aligning with the council's values of Innovation, Leadership, Collaboration, Listening and Responding, Open and Accessible, and Impact. These indicators are detailed in Appendix 1 of the report pack.

The Top Management Review Panel is a key committee for overseeing the performance of the council's most senior staff. The panel's responsibilities include conducting performance appraisals for the Chief Executive and reviewing those completed by the Chief Executive for the Directors. This ensures accountability and alignment with the council's strategic objectives.

The report pack also provided general guidance for Members on declaring interests at meetings, outlining the definitions of Disclosable Pecuniary Interests and Other Significant Interests, and the required actions if an interest is declared. This guidance is in line with The Relevant Authorities (Disclosable Pecuniary Interests) Regulations 2012.

The meeting was scheduled to take place on Tuesday, 22 September 2026, at 7:30 pm in the Board Room (107) of Bexley Civic Offices. The contact officer for the meeting was John Adams.