The Chief Officer Appointments Sub-Committee convened to interview candidates for the position of Corporate Director of Adults and Health, but ultimately decided not to make an appointment. The committee interviewed two candidates, but after careful consideration, concluded that neither was suitable for the role.

Appointment of Corporate Director of Adults and Health

The Chief Officer Appointment Sub-Committee met to interview candidates for the position of Corporate Director of Adults and Health, but decided not to make an appointment.

The agenda for the meeting stated that the sub-committee had been convened to interview candidates for the position and recommend an appointment. According to the Chief Officer Appointment Committee Report 2025, the recommendation of the committee would be subject to consultation with cabinet members.

The reports pack details the recruitment process undertaken to find suitable candidates. The council engaged Gatenby Sanderson, an executive search firm, to assist in the search. Abi Gbago, Chief Executive of Newham, oversaw the recruitment process, with support from Caroline Bloch, Strategic HR Business Partner. Councillor Neil Wilson, Cabinet Member for Health and Adult Social Care, and Mayor Rokhsana Fiaz OBE, were consulted on the recruitment process.

Twenty-seven applications were received, and six candidates were longlisted. Technical interviews were conducted by Jeremy DeSouza, the Executive Director of Adult Social Care Services across both Richmond Council and Wandsworth Council, along with a representative from Gatenby Sanderson. Shortlisted candidates were to participate in an assessment centre, including a resident panel, a stakeholder partner panel, and one-on-one interviews with the Chief Executive and the Mayor of Newham.

The committee was originally scheduled to meet on 17 June 2025, but it was rescheduled to 18 July 2025 because one of the candidates was unable to attend.

Ultimately, after interviewing two candidates, the minutes record that:

After careful consideration of the candidates throughout the interview and selection process, the Chief Officer Appointment Sub- Committee agreed not to make an appointment.

Exclusion of Press and Public

The Sub-Committee resolved to exclude the press and public from the meeting, citing paragraph 1 and 3 of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972¹ as the reason. They stated that the information being considered fell under these paragraphs and that it was not in the public interest to disclose it.