The General Purposes Committee of Tower Hamlets Council met on Tuesday 22 March 2022, where members approved the appointment of new school governors and agreed to proceed with seeking extended legal powers for fixed penalty notices for bylaws. The committee also adopted the council's Pay Policy Statement for 2022-23 and noted updates on senior recruitment and the member induction program.

Appointment of School Governors

The committee approved the appointment of two new school governors: Rebecca Darker for Halley Primary School and Julie Brown for St. Agnes Catholic Primary School. Farhad Ahmed, Head of School Governance, Information and Trade Services, presented the report, noting that supporting statements from the school heads were received and all internal clearances were obtained. Councillor Danny Hassell commented that the appointments look fine and that the heads' approval was a good sign. Councillor Helal Uddin, Chair of the General Purposes Committee, highlighted the council's ongoing work to recruit BAME governors, noting that 50% of the last six appointments were of BAME background. He requested that this information be summarised and shared with council members.

Fixed Penalty Notices for Bylaws

Barry Scales, a project officer within community safety, presented a summary report on seeking additional legal powers for fixed penalty notices for all council bylaws. Following discussions at the previous meeting, the report focused on three key areas. Firstly, legal advice confirmed that bylaws apply to the same piece of land even if a park's name has changed since the bylaws were written in 2013. However, if a park is not listed in the original schedules, a separate process would be required to update the bylaws. Secondly, legal advice recommended pursuing fixed penalty notices for all bylaws, rather than a selection. The council will apply to London Councils for this authority and then decide locally which bylaws to enforce based on merit and proportionality. The committee agreed to proceed on this basis.

Pay Policy Statement 2022-23

Pat Chen, Head of HR at Tower Hamlets Council, presented the Pay Policy Statement for 2022-23. She explained that under Section 38.1 of the Localism Act 2011, councils are required to adopt and publish a pay policy annually. The committee was familiar with the document's content and layout. The main change for this year is the delegation of authorisation for appointments above the minimum point of the scale from the Director to either the Head of HR or a Senior Business Partner. This amendment aims to remove barriers and blockages in the recruitment process and will necessitate amendments to the council's Constitution and operating procedures. The committee agreed to adopt the report.

Senior Recruitment Update

Pat Chen also provided an update on senior recruitment. Two key posts are currently being advertised: Corporate Director of Resources (also the Section 151 Officer) and Director of Commissioning and Culture, whose current postholder is retiring. Adverts are expected to run through April and May, with shortlisting taking place during that period. Final interviews for both positions are scheduled for June 2022. The committee noted the report.

Member Induction Program

Matthew Mannion, Head of Democratic Services, presented an update on the member induction program. He explained that the program has been refined based on feedback from the previous General Purposes Committee meeting. The induction is designed to be extensive, covering key areas members will need, and will be evaluated as it progresses, with potential adjustments based on member feedback. Councillor Denise Jones raised a question about whether the induction would cover IT skills for online meetings, given the shift to in-person meetings but the possibility of future remote working. Mr Mannion confirmed that IT training is a priority, especially for new members, and that while in-person attendance at formal committees is encouraged, members will be made aware of how to access meetings remotely if needed. He also noted that most training will be hybrid or online to encourage attendance. Councillor Jones also inquired about councillors joining a pension scheme, to which Mr Mannion responded that this was previously allowed but is no longer legally permissible. The committee agreed with the report's recommendations.

Constitutional Update

Matthew Mannion also presented updates to the council's Constitution. These included changes to the executive scheme of delegation and the place scheme delegation, reflecting a recent restructure and the creation of the Chief Executive's Office. The committee was asked to approve a tweak to the Health and Wellbeing Board's Terms of Reference regarding external bodies and to agree to the removal of the London Housing Consortium body from the Joint Committee section of the Constitution, as the consortium is looking to reconstitute. A note will be added to the Constitution to reflect this pending update. The committee also noted that the Code of Conduct will be added to the Constitution in May. Mr Mannion suggested adding a review of the Constitution to the work plan for the next council cycle. Councillor Peter Golds, Chair of the Licensing Committee, commended the committee and officers for their work on the Constitution, noting that it had been significantly improved over the council's term. The committee agreed with the recommendations.

During the meeting, Councillor Helal Uddin, Councillor Danny Hassell, Councillor Tarik Khan, Councillor Peter Golds, Councillor Denise Jones, and Councillor Zenith Rahman all declared no interests. The minutes of the previous meeting held on 10 January 2022 were confirmed as correct. Apologies were received from Councillor Asma Islam and Councillor Mohsin Dharman, with apologies for lateness from Councillor Zenith Rahman. A public speaker, Terry, addressed the committee regarding his concerns about housing and the council's complaint system.