On a motion by Councillor Adrian Jones, seconded by Councillor Bernie Mooney, it was –

Resolved – That Councillor Phil Davies be appointed Chair of this Panel.

Members are asked to consider whether they have any disclosable pecuniary and / or any other relevant interest, in connection with the item on this agenda and, if so, to declare them and state the nature of the interest.

Members of the Panel were requested to declare whether they had any disclosable pecuniary interests and/or any other relevant interest in the item on this agenda and, if so, to declare it and state the nature of such interest.

The Assistant Director: Human Resources and Organisational Development then informed the Panel that should a candidate be known to them they should so declare and inform the clerk. Members were advised that a work based relationship would not form a basis for prejudice. 

No such declarations were made.

The public may be excluded from the meeting during consideration of the following item of business on the grounds that it involves the likely disclosure of exempt information.

RECOMMENDATION – That in accordance with section 100A (4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the public be excluded from the meeting during consideration of the following item of business, on the grounds that it involves the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined by paragraph 1 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A (as amended) to that Act. The public interest test has been applied and favours exclusion.

On a motion by the Chair, seconded by Councillor Bernie Mooney it was -

Resolved - That, under section 100 (A) (4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the public be excluded from the meeting during consideration of the following item of business on the grounds that it involves the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined by paragraph 1 of Part I of Schedule 12A (as amended) to that Act.

To consider the applications for this post.

The Assistant Director: Human Resources and Organisational Development welcomed Amanda Riley from the recruitment consultants, Penna, who provided Members with an overview of the sifting and grading of the nine candidate applications for the post.

Amanda Riley informed the Panel of the process they had taken in their assessment of the potential candidates and responded to questions from the Panel.

Ms Riley further informed that candidate 9 would have been recommended for interview but had been offered another role earlier in the week which she had decided to accept. Her application to Wirral had therefore been withdrawn.

The Panel then considered which of the remaining eight candidates should be short listed for the next stage of the selection process.

Resolved (unanimously) – That candidates 1, 2, 3, 4 and 8 be put forward to the next stage of the selection process.

The Assistant Director: Human Resources and Organisational Development then informed the Panel of the next stage of the selection process, which would be for technical assessments, to be undertaken by Penna, the results of which would be circulated to Members by email. Members would then have an opportunity to feedback any comments prior to the interview stage. Shortlisting would therefore be undertaken by email circulation.