The Leader of the Council, Councillor AW Johnson, had been elected Chairman at the meeting held on 13 June 2013.

Apologies for absence were received form Councillor WLS Bowen and Councillor KS Guthrie.

There were no named substitutes.

There were no declarations of interest made.

To:

• agree the terms and conditions for the Chief Officer Finance role enabling the permanent recruitment & selection process to commence;
• appoint the interim Chief Officer Finance; and
• recommend to Council that the Chief Officer Finance be designated as the authority’s Section 151 Officer

The Panel considered a report of the Assistant Director of Organisational Development which set out the process for the permanent recruitment and selection of the Chief Finance Officer recommended the appointment of an interim Chief Officer Finance and also recommended that the post be designated the authority’s Section 151 Officer.

It was noted that the current Chief Finance Officer / Section 151 Officer was to leave the Council at the end of September.

Members were advised that the statutory role of the Section 151 Officer must be performed by an officer of the Council, but the non-statutory role (in effect the Director of Finance role) could be performed through a contract for services.

It was felt that given the statutory requirement to ensure that an employee performs the role of the Section 151 Officer together with the Council’s critical financial position and consequent need for experienced leadership of the budget planning process over the coming months the Council could not afford a gap and needs therefore to recruit an experienced interim to fulfil this role until a permanent appointment could be made.  In this situation CiPFA guidelines contemplated a scenario where the Director of Finance / Section 151 Officer is paid via a contract for services for 80% of their time (non statutory work) and via a contract of employment for the remaining 20% (statutory duties).

The Panel was advised that the process of recruiting an interim Chief Finance Officer had taken place and the Panel was being asked to confirm the appointment of Peter Robinson as interim Chief Finance Officer and that Council be recommended to designate this post holder as the Council’s Section 151 Officer.

Members sought assurances that the cost of this interim appointment would be met from within existing budgetary provision, which the Chief Executive gave.

In response to a question it was confirmed that the interim appointment could be for between 6 and 7 months.  The permanent recruitment would commence from the end of September.

Following discussion it was:

RESOLVED:

That:

a)         The role profile for the post of Chief Finance Officer be approved with all other terms and conditions associated with this post remaining the same.

b)         Peter Robinson be appointed Interim Chief Officer Finance; and

c)         Council be recommended to designate the person holding the post of Chief Officer Finance as Section 151 Officer for Herefordshire Council and the Monitoring Officer be authorised to make the consequential changes to the Constitution as are necessary.