The Portfolio Holder Decisions/Leader Decisions meeting of Warwickshire Council on 16 May 2025 was scheduled to address the appointment of cabinet portfolios, the delegation of executive functions, and appointments to various bodies. The report pack includes recommendations for the Leader to confirm the appointment of the Deputy Leader, appoint councillors to the Cabinet, confirm or amend the delegation of executive functions, and make appointments to several bodies. The agenda frontsheet for the meeting was made available online.

Appointment of Cabinet Portfolios and Delegation of Executive Functions

The Leader of the council has the authority to appoint up to nine other members to the Cabinet, determine their portfolios, and delegate executive functions. The Leader is also responsible for appointing a Deputy Leader from within the Cabinet. According to the report pack, the Leader was invited to confirm the appointments set out in the appendix.

The Leader was also invited to confirm or amend the delegation of executive functions to members, officers, or other bodies as outlined in the council's constitution. The Executive Director for Resources is authorised to make any necessary modifications to the constitution to reflect the Leader's decisions.

Appointments to Member Bodies

The meeting was scheduled to address appointments to several member bodies, including:

• Joint Negotiating Bodies: These bodies, one for teaching staff and one for other staff, provide a forum for discussions with trade unions regarding the conditions of service for staff members. They also make recommendations to the Staff and Pensions Committee regarding any changes or amendments to these conditions. The membership of each body includes two Cabinet members and two non-Cabinet members. The Leader is required to appoint the two Cabinet members to each body and was invited to confirm the appointments set out in the appendix.
• Adoption Panel: The Adoption Panel is a statutorily required body with a membership prescribed by legislation. While there is no longer a legal requirement for an elected member to be appointed to the Panel when the council is the adoption agency, the council may choose to appoint one. However, an elected member cannot be appointed as Chair, as regulations state that this position must be held by an independent person. The Leader was invited to appoint one County Councillor to the Panel and to confirm the appointment set out in the appendix.
• Fostering Panel: The Fostering Services (England) Regulations 2011 sets out the requirements for the constitution and membership of Fostering Panels. Similar to the Adoption Panel, there is no longer a legal requirement for an elected member to be appointed when the council is the fostering service provider. However, the council may choose to appoint one, with the same restriction on the Chair position. Warwickshire Council has determined that one County Councillor should sit on the Fostering Panel, and the Leader was invited to confirm this appointment.

Appointment to External Bodies

The meeting was also scheduled to address appointments to external bodies, specifically the Eastern Shires Purchasing Organisation (ESPO).

• Eastern Shires Purchasing Organisation (ESPO) Management Committee and Finance and Audit Committee: ESPO is a joint committee between consortium authorities that aims to improve and maintain effective, efficient, and economical arrangements for the supply of goods and services to its constituent authorities. Each member authority has two places on the Management Committee, one of which must be a Cabinet member. The Leader was invited to confirm the two appointments to the ESPO Management Committee. The Leader was also asked to appoint one of those members to sit on the ESPO Finance and Audit Committee, which oversees the financial planning process undertaken by ESPO.

Financial and Environmental Implications

The report pack states that all proposals outlined in the report can be accommodated within the 2025/26 approved budget. It also notes that there are no environmental implications associated with the proposals.