Agenda and draft minutes

There were no apologies for absence.

To agree the Minutes of the meeting held on 13 October 2021.

RESOLVED that the minutes of the meeting held on 13 October 2021 were agreed as a correct record.

To receive from Members, declarations of interest in relation to any items included on the agenda for this meeting in accordance with the Waverley Code of Local Government Conduct.

There were no declarations of interest.

There were no items under this heading.

Unless specified in the report, there are no background papers, as defined by Section 100D(5) of the Local Government Act 1972).

It is recommended that the Joint Appointments Committee agree the Framework in Annexe 1 to sign-off the Trial Period fo the Joint Chief Executive.

At the invitation of the Chairman, Waverley Borough Council’s HR Manager presented the report which set out a framework for the four week trial period for the Joint Chief Executive.  The trial period was statutory under s138 of the Employment Rights Act 1996 and the purpose was not for the employer to test the employee, but for the employee to test whether the role was a suitable alternative following potential redundancy.  However, there were options set out for the councils to assess whether the role was working out as envisaged.  The trial period would start when the Joint Chief Executive came into post on 1 December and must end on 29 December, unless the trial period needed to be extended for retraining reasons.  In the event of an extension, written confirmation would be required. 

In response to a question from Committee members, the HR Manager advised that the trial period was a mutual agreement but was not a formal probation or appraisal process, although if both councils felt that the role was not working out as envisaged there was the option to terminate but evidence would be required to take this option.  In that instance, the post holder would be made redundant.

The HR Manager clarified the difference between a probation period and a trial period, the former being a performance review and the latter being the viability of the role and the post holder’s decision to exercise their right to redundancy.

There was a discussion on the setting and publication of the objectives for the new role.  It was noted that the performance objectives would be set jointly by the Leaders of the two councils and officers advised that an employee’s performance objectives would normally confidential however officers would seek advice on the publication of those objectives either publicly or to the wider councils’ memberships. 

RESOLVED that the Framework in Annexe 1 to the report, to sign off the Trial Period for the Joint Chief Executive, be agreed.

To agree the date of the next meeting.

The Committee noted that the Joint Chief Executive would need to indicate his wish to be made redundant before the end of the trial period, but the meeting to review the trial period could not take place until after the end of the trial period on 29 December 2021.  Therefore, it was proposed that a meeting be held in early January 2022.

RESOLVED that the next meeting would be held in early January 2022, to be chaired by the Leader of Guildford Borough Council, on a date to be confirmed.