The Appointments Panel was scheduled to consider the interview process for a senior role overseeing assurance services across three London boroughs. The meeting was also scheduled to address the exclusion of the press and public for a specific agenda item.

Interview for Tri-Borough Director of Assurance

The Appointments Panel was scheduled to interview candidates for the position of Director of Assurance, a shared service role for the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea (RBKC), Westminster City Council, and the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. This role is described as a senior strategic appointment with a broad remit across audit, risk, fraud, insurance, procurement assurance, and cyber assurance.

The candidate pack for the role highlights that the successful candidate will help shape the future of assurance across three inner London boroughs, ensuring that strong governance, effective risk management and independent challenge support innovation, improvement and transformation. The role is also central to the councils' efforts to strengthen organisational resilience, particularly in the context of ongoing cyber recovery and preparedness. The Director of Assurance is expected to provide strategic leadership and trusted advice to Members, Audit Committees, and senior leaders across the three authorities.

The position was advertised with a salary of £134,616 per annum, with a hybrid working arrangement of 3-4 days per week in Kensington and Chelsea. The recruitment process was outlined, including shortlisting, technical assessments, officer assessments, and a members' panel. The role reports to the Executive Director of Finance and Assurance and directly supervises several heads of service, including those for Internal Audit, Fraud and Risk, Insurance, Strategic Procurement, and Cyber Assurance.

The recruitment materials also reference the councils' strategic priorities, such as RBKC's K&C 2030: We're All In initiative, which aims to build a modern, resilient, and high-performing organisation. The importance of learning from the Grenfell tragedy is also noted, with a commitment to ensuring actions are grounded in residents' needs and contribute to building a safer, stronger community. The role is seen as critical in helping the three councils navigate complexity and change, balancing independence with partnership to support each council's ambitions and transformation objectives.

Exclusion of Press and Public

The agenda indicated that the Appointments Panel was scheduled to consider excluding the press and public from a specific agenda item. This exclusion was considered necessary because the report was likely to contain information relating to an individual, potentially revealing their identity. The council's assessment was that in all the circumstances of the case, the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information.¹