The Employment Committee of North Northamptonshire Council met on Wednesday 8 January 2025 to discuss the appointment of a permanent Director of Law and Governance, who will also hold the designation of Monitoring Officer. The committee resolved to establish a sub-committee to oversee the selection process for this crucial role.

Selection and Appointment of a Permanent Director of Law & Governance (Monitoring Officer Designation)

The most significant item on the agenda was the selection and appointment of a permanent Director of Law and Governance, a role that also carries the statutory designation of Monitoring Officer. The committee was informed by Chief Executive Adele Wylie that following her own appointment, an interim arrangement had been in place for the Assistant Director of Legal and Democratic Services to fulfil the Monitoring Officer duties. However, with the restructuring of the council's leadership, a permanent appointment to the Director of Law and Governance role, which encompasses the Monitoring Officer designation, is now essential.

The report presented to the committee outlined the need for this statutory role, which is responsible for ensuring effective and lawful decision-making, promoting high standards of conduct, and reporting instances of maladministration, as required by Section 5 of the Local Government and Housing Act 1989¹. The Director of Law and Governance will report directly to the Chief Executive and will be a member of the Corporate Leadership Team. The report highlighted that the permanent appointment needed to be made before the elections scheduled for May 2025.

The committee resolved to establish a politically balanced sub-committee of six elected members to undertake the interview process and make a recommendation to the full Council for final approval. The membership of this sub-committee will consist of four Conservative Group members, one Labour Group member, and one member from either the Green Alliance Group or the Reform UK Group. Additionally, stakeholder panels, including a Member Stakeholder Panel and a Corporate Leadership Team Panel, will be established to provide feedback to the sub-committee. Authority was delegated to the Assistant Director of Human Resources, in consultation with the sub-committee, to longlist and shortlist suitable applicants. The assessment process will also include a technical interview.

Councillor Mark Pengelly was nominated to represent the Labour Group on the sub-committee. The committee noted the importance of members' availability for the various stages of the recruitment process, which is scheduled to take place relatively quickly, with a draft timetable included in the papers. The resolution was proposed by Councillor Tom Partridge-Underwood and seconded by Councillor Jan O'Hara, and it was agreed unanimously by the committee.