Issue - meetings

Recruitment of Co-opted Independent Members to the Governance and Audit Committee

 

 

Meeting: 14/03/2024 - Governance and Audit Committee (Item 48)

48 Recruitment of Co-opted Independent Members to the Governance and Audit Committee pdf icon PDF 261 KB

To consider the recruitment of Co-opted Independent Members to the Governance and Audit Committee (report of the Assistant Director – Governance (Monitoring Officer) enclosed).

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Consideration was given to the report of the Assistant Director – Governance (Monitoring Officer) which asked members to consider the recruitment of Co-opted Independent Members to the Governance and Audit Committee.

 

The report was introduced by the Assistant Director – Governance which outlined the following main points:

  • Background to the report which included CIPFA’s identification that the appointment of Independent Members to audit committees was beneficial;
  • That the Governance and Audit Committee had recommended, to Full Council, an amendment to its committee membership to include 2 Non-Voting Co-Opted Independent Members; this recommendation was approved at the Full Council meeting held on 29 February 2024; and
  • Following approval at Full Council, the current report outlined the next steps which sought members views on the recruitment pack and requested volunteers from the Committee to join the interview panel.

 

Members considered the report and made the following comments:

 

·       Members stated that the addition of Independent Members would benefit the committee however external expertise needed to be taken on balance with continuous internal training.

 

·       Members asked how the positions would be advertised.

  • The Assistant Director – Governance responded that the positions would be promoted through the council’s usual recruitment channels of website and social media, and through professional bodies/organisations.
  • Members stated that the local press was widely read and should also be utilised.

 

  • The Assistant Director – Governance requested volunteers to join the Chairman (Councillor Beal) on the interview panel.
    • Councillor Brewis and Councillor Geaney volunteered.

 

AGREED:

 

a)    That after consideration of the draft Co-opted Independent Member Recruitment Pack at Appendix A, the comments of the Committee be noted; and

 

b)    That the composition of the interview panel to undertake the recruitment exercise be Councillor Brewis, Councillor Geaney and Councillor Beal.