This meeting was scheduled to include a confidential session closed to the public, to discuss the recruitment of a new Chief Officer.

The meeting also included a discussion of whether to approve the minutes of a previous meeting of the Chief Officer Appointments Panel, held on 15 November 2024.

Recruitment of a Chief Operating Officer

The Panel were provided with a verbal report from Chris Squire, Service Director for HROD at Plymouth City Council, which updated them on the progress of the recruitment process for a Chief Operating Officer.

Mr Squire reported that:

The Panel previously interviewed to the post where an offer was made, but the post was not filled;

This was in relation to a previous recruitment process that did not result in the appointment of a Chief Operating Officer.

Mr Squire's report went on to say that the panel had previously:

agreed to appoint an interim candidate, Jens Gemmel to the post for a period of six months with the option to extend to nine months;

Mr Gemmel's appointment as Interim Chief Operating Officer followed the previous unsuccessful attempt to appoint a permanent Chief Operating Officer.

The report also mentioned the outcome of the most recent attempt to recruit a permanent Chief Operating Officer, saying that:

the council began a search for a permanent candidate for the role and three went forward to the assessment centre. There were no candidates suitable to proceed to the Panel for interview.

Because no suitable candidates were found, the Panel were asked to note the report, having been told that no further action was being taken.

Recruitment of an Interim Service Director for Education, Participation and Skills

The Panel were provided with a report by Chris Squire, Service Director for HROD at Plymouth City Council, about the process for appointing a new Interim Service Director for Education, Participation and Skills.

The report, which was discussed in a part of the meeting that was closed to the public, advised the Panel that the Service Director for Education, Participation and Skills provided their formal resignation.

The Panel were asked to:

Undertake a process to request that a current employee from the Children’s Services Directorate acts-up into the post;

and

Dependent on point two, commence a recruitment process for the post of Interim Service Director for Education, Participation and Skills.