The Appointments Committee of Lewisham Council was scheduled to convene on Thursday 22 January 2026. The primary item on the agenda was the appointment of a Director of Housing Resident Engagement and Services. The meeting also included procedural items such as the election of a Chair and Vice Chair, and the confirmation of previous minutes.

Appointment of Director of Housing Resident Engagement and Services

The committee was scheduled to consider the appointment of a Director of Housing Resident Engagement and Services. The report pack indicated that this item was to be discussed with the press and public excluded from the meeting. This exclusion was recommended on the grounds that the discussion would likely involve the disclosure of exempt information, and that the public interest in maintaining this exemption outweighed the public interest in disclosing the information. The specific details of the appointment, including the candidate(s) and any recommendations, were contained within a restricted document.

Election of Chair and Vice Chair

The committee was scheduled to elect a Chair and Vice Chair. The report pack suggested that this election could be for the municipal year 2025/26 or for the purposes of this meeting only.

Minutes of Previous Meeting

The minutes of the previous Appointments Committee meeting, held on 19 December 2025, were scheduled for consideration and confirmation. The minutes from that meeting show that Councillor Amanda De Ryk was appointed Chair for that meeting, and that apologies for absence were received from Councillor Mark Jackson and Councillor Liam Shrivastava. The minutes also detail the resolution to exclude the press and public for the appointment of an Executive Director of Children and Young People, with Sara Rahman being appointed to that role.

Declarations of Interest

Members of the committee were scheduled to declare any personal interests they might have in any of the agenda items. The report pack provided detailed information on the types of interests that need to be declared, including disclosable pecuniary interests, other registerable interests, and non-registerable interests, as outlined in the Council's Member Code of Conduct. It also detailed the implications of declaring an interest, including the potential requirement to withdraw from discussions and voting.