This meeting was a Confirmation Hearing for the appointment of a new Chief Executive for the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner for Lancashire. The meeting was intended to allow the panel to review the application of the preferred candidate, and to question the candidate on their ability to do the job.

Confirmation Hearing for the Appointment of the Chief Executive for the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner

The Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011 requires that Police and Crime Panels conduct Confirmation Hearings when a Police and Crime Commissioner intends to appoint someone to certain senior roles. This meeting was a Confirmation Hearing for the appointment of a new Chief Executive for the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner.

The report pack contains the following description of the purpose of a Confirmation Hearing:

A ‘confirmation hearing’ is a meeting of the Panel, held in public, at which the candidate is requested to appear for the purpose of answering questions relating to the appointment.

The Police and Crime Panel has the power to make a recommendation to the Police and Crime Commissioner about whether the candidate should be appointed. They can recommend that the candidate is appointed, or that they are not appointed. If they have concerns, but believe the candidate is appointable, they can make a recommendation to the Commissioner that includes their concerns.

According to guidance produced by the Local Government Association (LGA), Confirmation Hearings should focus on the candidate's professional competence, and their personal independence from the Commissioner. The guidance suggests that Panels should think in terms of the minimum standards for the role, saying there should be minimum standards below which it would not be appropriate to appoint a candidate under any circumstances .

Confirmation Hearing for the new Chief Executive Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner Dr Anna Hopkins

This section of the meeting concerned the proposed appointment of Dr Anna Hopkins to the role of Chief Executive of the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner. The meeting was to include a question and answer session with Dr Hopkins in which she would be asked questions about her suitability for the role.

The report pack contains a summary of Dr Hopkins' career:

Dr Hopkins has spent over twenty years working within a policing environment, starting the journey as a serving police officer in Greater Manchester Police where she worked across a variety of front line and investigative roles, specialising in Domestic Abuse (DA).

In her academic role she has conducted applied research working with victims, police forces and third sector agencies to further the understanding of the complexities of VAWG issues. She has experience and knowledge of working in a political environment at a senior level, working with national MPs, engaging with them in various discussions as well as advising them on topical and emerging issues in the area of VAWG as well as engaging in effective and constructive relationships with partners and key stakeholders.

Additionally, in this role she has acted as a consultant and trainer to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office delivering training to Commissioners and British Overseas Officers, as well as being the DA advisor to Merseyside Police.

Dr Hopkins is also an experienced and professional senior director, leading a Community Interest Company in Lancaster which involved working with a large group of volunteers and locally elected councillors, MPs and third sector agencies and politicians to lead on the organisation of various community projects.

Throughout the appointment process Dr Hopkins demonstrated that she has a thorough understanding of the culture of policing and the role of the Police and Crime Commissioner and has built up a thorough understanding of policing issues within Lancashire.

The report pack says that the salary for the role is in the range of £102,633 to £107,199.