The Appointments & Disciplinary Committee of Croydon Council met on Monday 29 January 2024 to appoint a new Director of Customer Experience & Technology and to note the outcome of an employment tribunal case. The committee resolved to agree the salary package and appoint a candidate to the Director of Customer Experience & Technology role. They also noted the outcome of the Hazel Simmonds Employment Tribunal case, which dismissed all claims against the council.

Appointment of Director of Customer Experience & Technology

The committee agreed the salary package for the new Director of Customer Experience & Technology, setting the grade at Grade 3 with a salary range of £122,803 to £127,684. This appointment is crucial for the council's transformation through digital solutions and improved customer experience. The Chief People's Officer, Dean Shoesmith, highlighted that the salary was benchmarked to be competitive within the London market. The committee also resolved to undertake the selection process and agree an appointment from the candidates detailed in the exempt appendices, noting that any appointment would be subject to the council's constitution regarding staff employment procedures.

Outcome of the Hazel Simmonds Employment Tribunal Case

The committee noted the outcome of the Hazel Simmonds Employment Tribunal case, which concluded on 22 December 2023. The Chief People's Officer, Dean Shoesmith, informed the committee that Ms. Simmonds had brought claims against the council and its Chief Executive for race and sex discrimination, harassment, and victimisation, all of which were dismissed by the tribunal. A further claim for unfair dismissal was also dismissed.

The tribunal did uphold a claim for an unlawful deduction of pay, resulting in a payment of £14,527 to Ms. Simmonds. However, the council noted concerns about outdated wording in the JNC Handbook for Chief Officers regarding suspension pay, which was subsequently raised with the Local Government Association (LGA).

The report detailed the significant costs incurred by the council in defending the claims, amounting to £132,165 for the internal disciplinary process and £313,296 for the employment tribunal litigation. The committee was informed that the council was not in a position to make a further application for costs, and this decision would be made at an officer level. The Deputy Monitoring Officer, Looqman Desai, confirmed this. The committee unanimously agreed to note the outcome of the tribunal case.

Senior Staffing Matters

The committee also considered senior staffing matters, including a review of the Chief Executive and Head of Paid Service pay, and a review of Chief Officer and Deputy Chief Officer market supplements. These discussions took place in the exempt Part B session of the meeting.