The Appointments Committee of Merton Council met on Tuesday 28 July 2026 to discuss the appointment of senior officers. The meeting's agenda included the consideration of minutes from a previous meeting and the appointment of senior officers, with a portion of the meeting scheduled for exclusion of the public to discuss exempt matters.

Appointment of Senior Officers

The primary focus of the meeting was the appointment of senior officers. The report pack indicated that the committee was scheduled to consider recommendations regarding the salary packages for three key roles: Director of Public Health and Community Wellbeing, Director of Children's Social Care and Youth Inclusion, and Director of Governance and Civic Services.

For the Director of Public Health and Community Wellbeing, the committee was scheduled to consider recommendations for the salary package, to be in accordance with the Council's Pay Policy Statement. The report noted that this is a mandatory joint appointment by the local authority and the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with specific processes and requirements outlined in the Health and Social Care Act 2012. The recommended grade for this role is MG5, with a salary range between £118,878 and £127,105 as of April 2026. The report also detailed a recommendation to approve appropriate market supplement allowances, potentially up to £25,000 per annum, if deemed necessary to attract suitable candidates. The implementation of the recruitment process was to be delegated to the Strategic Director of Integrated Social Care and Health, in consultation with the Chair of the Appointments Committee and the Regional Director of Public Health for London.

Regarding the Director of Children's Social Care and Youth Inclusion, the committee was scheduled to consider recommendations for the salary package, also in accordance with the Council's Pay Policy Statement. This role is a key strategic leadership position within the Children, Lifelong Learning and Families Directorate, with a salary range also at the MG5 grade (£118,878 - £127,105 as of April 2026). The implementation of the recruitment process was to be delegated to the Executive Director of Children and Families, in consultation with the Chair of the Appointments Committee.

For the Director of Governance and Civic Services, the committee was scheduled to agree to commence recruitment for this post. This role includes the statutory Monitoring Officer responsibilities. A subcommittee of the Appointments Committee was to be established to agree a shortlist of candidates and conduct the final interviews.

The report pack detailed a comprehensive recruitment process for these roles, involving the engagement of recruitment consultants, preliminary interviews with technical assessors, psychometric profiling, stakeholder panel interviews, staff panel interviews, meetings with the Chief Executive, and final interviews. The job descriptions for all three roles were provided as appendices to the report.

The report also highlighted the relevance of these appointments to the Council's strategic priorities, including Building a Sustainable Future, Nurturing Civic Pride, and Organisational Development. The financial implications of the proposed salary packages were outlined, noting that the Director of Public Health role may require a market supplement to ensure recruitment. The legal implications, including compliance with the Council's Pay Policy Statement and the Localism Act 2011, were also detailed.