The Chief Officers' Employment Panel was scheduled to discuss the employment arrangements for the Head of Paid Service (Managing Director). This discussion was to take place in private, with the press and public excluded.

Employment Arrangements for the Head of Paid Service (Managing Director)

The panel was scheduled to consider options for the recruitment process for the Head of Paid Service (Managing Director) role. The current postholder, Alex Dewsnap, has been in the role on fixed-term contracts since June 2023, with the current contract due to end on 30 November 2026. The report presented to the panel outlined three potential options for filling the permanent position:

• Option 1: Recommend permanent appointment of the current postholder without a competitive recruitment process. This option would involve recommending to Full Council that Alex Dewsnap be appointed permanently without a new recruitment process. The report noted that the Council generally appoints staff on merit, typically demonstrated through an external recruitment process, and that this approach has been used for other chief officer roles.
• Option 2: Recommend to Council that the fixed-term contract is extended for a further period. This option was not recommended for consideration in the report.
• Option 3: Advertise externally and run a competitive recruitment process. This option would involve advertising the role externally. The report stated that this was the process followed for other chief officer roles, which were all filled by internal candidates, suggesting that internal candidates can be appointed on merit through external competition.

The report highlighted that any decision to appoint to the role is reserved for Full Council and would need to be a recommendation from the panel. The discussion was to take into account legal advice obtained from a King's Counsel, which was included in a confidential appendix. The report also detailed the role and responsibilities of the Head of Paid Service, which include overseeing the strategic and general management of the Council, leading strategic partnerships, and sustaining the democratic process. The salary for this post is budgeted between £181,251 and £205,704.

The panel was also scheduled to note membership attendance and receive declarations of interest. Additionally, the minutes of the previous meeting held on 5 November 2025 were to be taken as read and signed as a correct record.