The Chief Officer Appointments Sub-Committee was scheduled to consider the appointment of a new Director of Young People and Opportunities. The meeting's agenda also included procedural items such as apologies for absence and declarations of interest, as well as the exclusion of the press and public for certain parts of the meeting.

Appointment for the Post of Director of Young People and Opportunities

The Chief Officer Appointments Sub-Committee was scheduled to interview candidates for the position of Director of Young People and Opportunities. This role was described as providing senior leadership and direction across a multidisciplinary portfolio, including targeted youth support, youth justice, youth services, NEET reduction, post-16 education, and youth commissioning. The recruitment process, which began in August 2026, involved an executive recruitment agency, Gatenby Sanderson, and attracted ninety-three applicants. Following initial assessments, four candidates were to progress to a Selection Assessment Centre, which included a Partner Stakeholder Panel and a Young People's Panel, before the final interviews.

The report pack indicated that the sub-committee was asked to:

Recommend for appointment, following consultation with Cabinet members, the successful applicant following the conclusion of the interviews; details of which will be recorded in the minutes of the meeting.

The report also stated that the recommendation of the sub-committee would be subject to consultation with every member of the Cabinet for a period of two working days. This consultation period would allow Cabinet members to consider the proposed appointment and raise any objections, provided they were reasonable, well-founded, and based on material fact.

The position of Director of Young People and Opportunities was noted as a budgeted post, with salary costs falling within the range set out in the Council's Pay Policy for 2026/2027. The process and recommendation were stated to be in accordance with the Council's Constitution and Officer Employment Procedure Rules, and all appointments were to comply with general employment legislation and the Council's recruitment policy.

The report pack included exempt information regarding candidates, such as interview schedules, job descriptions, candidate applications, and assessment sheets, which were not available for public inspection. This exemption was based on the grounds that the information related to individuals and that the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighed the public interest in disclosing it.

The meeting was scheduled to take place at Newham Dockside, 1000 Dockside Road, London, E16 2QU. The members of the Chief Officer Appointment Sub-Committee who were scheduled to attend included Councillor Lakmini Shah (Chair), Councillor Susan Masters, Councillor Tahir Mirza, Councillor Syed Taqi Jawad Naqvi, and Councillor Ren Tilbury. Officers scheduled to be in attendance were Laura Eden, Corporate Director of Children and Young People, and Caroline Bloch, Strategic HR Business Partner.