The Members' Staffing Panel of Bexley Council was scheduled to convene on Wednesday, 9 April 2025, to discuss the appointment of a Deputy Director for Transformation. The meeting's agenda also included standard procedural items such as the approval of previous minutes and declarations of interest.

Appointment of Deputy Director (Transformation)

The primary focus of the meeting was the appointment of a Deputy Director (Transformation). This is a newly created senior management position reporting to the Chief Executive, tasked with leading and delivering the Council's transformation agenda. This agenda encompasses key areas including Customer Experience, Children's Services, Corporate Core, Commercial Services, and Culture Change. The role is designed to drive organisational transformation, aiming to deliver the Council's agreed future operating model and achieve medium-term financial savings.

The recruitment process for this role involved an executive search conducted by Berwick Partners (an Odgers Berndtson Company). The search aimed to identify senior leaders with experience in transformation across various public sector bodies and consultancy firms. A total of 187 applications were received, with candidates assessed for strategic transformation leadership, programme governance, and change delivery experience. Following technical interviews, four candidates were shortlisted to attend the Members' Staffing Panel.

The Deputy Director (Transformation) will be responsible for developing and implementing cross-council transformational strategies, ensuring alignment with the Council plan and its strategic objectives. A key aspect of the role will be to develop and deliver a new target operating model for the Council, reflecting the requirements of the Medium-Term Financial Strategy (MTFS). The post holder will also act as a strategic commissioner and contract manager for external advisors, overseeing transformation budgets and resources. The role requires significant influencing skills to drive change across service areas where direct line accountability may not exist.

The appointment is to be made on the terms and conditions for senior roles, in accordance with the Council's Pay Policy. The grade for the role is Bexley24, with a salary range of £110,248-£129,280, plus a Choices benefits package of £5,550. The report pack included the job description and person specification for the role, outlining the essential and desirable criteria for candidates. These included experience in designing and delivering whole organisation transformation programmes, a detailed understanding of change management strategies, and the ability to work effectively in complex and politically sensitive environments. The person specification also highlighted the need for strong leadership, communication, and analytical skills, as well as the ability to foster a culture of innovation and continuous improvement.

The meeting was scheduled to consider personal information relating to the shortlisted candidates, necessitating the exclusion of the press and public from this part of the proceedings, as outlined in the notice of motion for exempt items. This exclusion was based on Paragraph 1 of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972, which pertains to information relating to any individual. The report indicated that the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighed the public interest in disclosing the information.

Declarations of Interest

The meeting also included a section dedicated to declarations of interest, providing general guidance to members on declaring interests relevant to agenda items. This guidance outlined the definitions of Disclosable Pecuniary Interests and Other Significant Interests, as prescribed by The Relevant Authorities (Disclosable Pecuniary Interests) Regulations 2012¹. It detailed the actions members must take if they have an interest to declare, including declaring the nature of the interest and potentially leaving the room during discussion.