The Appointment Sub-Committee of Tower Hamlets Council is scheduled to convene on Wednesday, 21 October 2026. The primary focus of the meeting will be the shortlisting process for the Director of Young Tower Hamlets position.

Director of Young Tower Hamlets - Shortlisting

The committee is set to consider a report detailing the shortlisting for the Director of Young Tower Hamlets role. This position is a Deputy Chief Officer post, and the appointment process is governed by the council's Constitution and agreed Recruitment and Selection procedure. The report, prepared by Ellen Clark, Director of HR & Organisational Development, will provide recommendations on which candidates should progress to the final interview stage. The report itself is classified as Part Exempt, with appendices containing information that is likely to reveal the identity of individuals or relate to their financial or business affairs. The public will be excluded from this part of the meeting due to the confidential nature of the information.

The report outlines that the position was advertised from 25 August 2026, closing on 9 September 2026, and was promoted through various channels including the council's website and LinkedIn. A longlist of candidates was reviewed by Senior Officers on 7 October 2026, leading to a recommendation for a shortlist of four grade A candidates and two grade B candidates to be presented to the Appointment Sub-Committee.

The committee is being asked to agree the shortlist of candidates to be invited for final stage interviews. The report highlights that recruiting to this role on a permanent basis is considered to offer better value for money and provide greater leadership stability compared to continuing with an interim arrangement. It also notes that the role is crucial for the council to effectively discharge its safeguarding and corporate parenting responsibilities. The cost of the role is confirmed to be within the youth services' budget.

The meeting will also include standard procedural items such as the election of a Chair, noting apologies for absence, and declarations of interest. Members are reminded of their obligations regarding Disclosable Pecuniary Interests (DPIs) and Non-DPI interests, as detailed in guidance from the Interim Monitoring Officer, Mark Norman. The committee will then be recommended to exclude the press and public from the remainder of the meeting to discuss the exempt/confidential business.

The Appointment Sub-Committee is established with terms of reference to make appointments to Chief Officer and Deputy Chief Officer posts. For a role at this level, the committee comprises five councillors, with specific requirements for representation from the Leader of the Aspire Group and a collective selection from the Leaders of the Labour and Green Groups. At least one member of the Executive (Cabinet) must be included, and all members must have received relevant recruitment and selection training. The process involves the committee interviewing shortlisted candidates, with a provisional offer being made subject to a two-day objection period from the Mayor and Executive members.

The report also touches upon equalities implications, stating that the council is committed to achieving a workforce that reflects the community and that all posts are recruited on merit. Statutory implications, including Best Value, Safeguarding, and Risk Management, are also noted. Legal Services confirm that the appointment process aligns with Section 112 of the Local Government Act 1972 and the council's Officer Employment Procedure Rules, as well as the Local Authorities (Standing Orders) (England) Regulations 2001. Compliance with the Equality Act 2010, including the public sector equality duty, is also a consideration.

The members of the Appointment Sub-Committee scheduled to attend are Councillor Faysal Ahmed, Councillor Kabir Ahmed, Councillor Minara Khatun, and Councillor Maium Talukdar. The quorum for the committee is three voting members. The meeting is scheduled to take place at Tower Hamlets Town Hall, 160 Whitechapel Road, E1 1BJ.