The Staffing Committee of Waltham Forest Council met on Wednesday 15 April 2026 to consider the appointment of a new Corporate Director of Community Safety and Public Protection. The meeting's agenda focused solely on this key chief officer appointment.

Chief Officer Appointment: Corporate Director of Community Safety and Public Protection

The primary item scheduled for discussion was the appointment of a new Corporate Director of Community Safety and Public Protection. This role is considered pivotal in driving the Council's mission to ensure safe neighbourhoods where everyone can thrive. The report pack outlined that the position is budgeted for and that recruitment is necessary to provide permanent leadership and stability to the management and strategic direction of this critical area.

The responsibilities of the Corporate Director of Community Safety and Public Protection are extensive, encompassing a wide range of statutory and discretionary services. These include:

• Community Safety and Resilience: Leading the development of strategies and operations to tackle anti-social behaviour, community safety initiatives, and emergency and contingency planning.
• Regulatory Services: Overseeing services such as CCTV, private sector housing licensing, premises licensing, market trading, food safety, and trading standards.
• Partnership Working: Providing system leadership across the borough's statutory Community Safety Partnership, developing a robust community safety strategy, and ensuring effective tactical and operational tasking arrangements.
• Financial Management: Maintaining a strong grip on finances and focusing on the impact of services for residents and businesses.
• Influence and Representation: Projecting the borough's influence across London and national forums, demonstrating innovation and ambition, and embodying the commitment to tackling inequality. This also includes building and maintaining practical and strategic relationships with the Police.

The role profile details that the Corporate Director will lead the development of a new combined directorate, bringing together various services to ensure safe and secure neighbourhoods. The position requires a deep understanding of the political and strategic context of the Council, the ability to anticipate and respond to changing priorities and external issues, and to foster a culture of continuous improvement and innovation.

The report pack indicated that the Staffing Committee was recommended to interview candidates and make an appointment for the post of Corporate Director of Community Safety and Public Protection. The appointment process is to be conducted on merit, in accordance with the Local Authorities (Standing Orders) Regulations 2001 and the Council's Recruitment & Selection Policy and Procedure. The role is part of the Neighbourhoods and Environment Directorate and sits at Chief Officer level, with a service budget of £19 million, including responsibility for generating £7 million of income. The post holder would directly manage senior management teams responsible for significant resources and operational service delivery.

The meeting was scheduled to consider the candidate for this significant role, with appendices containing the role profile, candidate curriculum vitae, and interview questions being made available, though some of these were exempt from public access.