Agenda and minutes

Venue: Committee Room 3 - Wallasey Town Hall. View directions

Contact: Shirley Hudspeth 

Items
No. Item

13.

Apologies for Absence

Minutes:

Councillor Moira McLaughlin in the Chair.

 

Apologies had been received from Councillor Chris Blakeley.

14.

Declarations of Interest

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

 

Minutes:

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

 

Members were advised that should a candidate be known to them they should so declare. Members were further advised that a work based relationship would not form a basis for prejudice. 

 

Councillor Moira McLaughlin informed that she had knowledge of more than one candidate.

 

Councillor Phil Gilchrist informed that he had knowledge of one candidate.

15.

Trustees of Callister Youth Club pdf icon PDF 64 KB

To interview the short listed candidates for this post.

 

Minute extract – Standards and Constitutional Oversight Committee 29 June, 2017 (attached).

Minutes:

The Chair welcomed the six prospective Trustees to the meeting and informed that the Sub-Committee was in receipt of copies of their application paperwork detailing the written responses to questionnaires circulated in advance of the meeting.

 

The Chair informed that Members of the Sub-Committee were to determine whether the candidates collectively held the appropriate abilities, skills and time to act as Trustees of the Callister Youth Club. Candidates were also informed that in the interests of transparency of process the meeting was being held in public, but that should any questions deemed to be of a personal nature be asked any members of the public present would be excluded and any responses or further questioning would take place in closed session. The Chair advised that in addition to individual questions being directed to the candidates the meeting would also elicit information from the group in conversation on specific topics. 

 

At the request of the Chair, the prospective Trustees - Allan Brame, Karen Freeman, Mary O’Neill, Laura Penn, Melanie Routledge and Catherine Warren (The Group) - explained how they had come together, and one by one detailed their personal experiences, qualifications and skills relevant to the role.

 

Following the verbal updates, Members of the Sub-Committee questioned the candidates seeking reassurance of their understanding of the role and understanding of the time commitment required. Members also asked the candidates on their plans for the Trust, allocation of individual responsibilities, proposals for the administration and development of the Trust, and contingency planning with regard to the Trust’s assets. The candidates responded, providing evidence of past and current experiences in teaching, marketing, engaging with young people, working with health visitors, youth and women’s groups, recruitment, investment planning, acting as a Trustee, organising youth theatre and acting as school governor(s).

 

At the request of a Member of the Sub-Committee, the candidate group also provided a range of ideas for the development of the Trust and its assets. The Sub-Committee were impressed by the candidate’s knowledge of the Trust, its purpose, location, assets and current state of repair.

 

At the conclusion of questioning, the candidates were asked to leave the meeting whilst the Sub-Committee made their deliberations.

16.

Exclusion of the Press and Public

The public may be excluded from the meeting during consideration of the following items of business on the grounds that they involve 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 items of business, on the grounds that they involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined by the relevant paragraphs of Part 1 of Schedule 12A (as amended) to that Act. The public interest test has been applied and favours exclusion.

 

Minutes:

On a motion by the Chair, duly seconded 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.

17.

Trustees of Callister Youth Club

To interview the short listed candidates for this post.

Minutes:

Having considered the written and oral responses to the Sub-Committees questions, Members expressed a view that the candidates had clearly demonstrated a good range of the skills and personal qualities demanded of the role of Trustee, and were taken by the level of enthusiasm and working knowledge demonstrated during the interview process.

 

Candidates were invited to return to the meeting and the Chair then informed them how the Sub-Committee had been impressed by their enthusiasm and commitment to the project and that, subject to satisfactory references being received by the Assistant Director: Law and Governance, it was:

 

Resolved – That

 

(1)  the Standards and Constitutional Oversight Sub-Committee is satisfied as to the suitability of ‘The Group’ to act as Trustees to the Callister Youth Club;

 

(2)  subject to satisfactory references being provided to the Assistant Director: Law and Governance the appointment of the following persons be approved as the new Trustees of the Callister Youth Club –

 

·  Allan Brame

·  Karen Freeman

·  Mary O’Neill

·  Laura Penn

·  Melanie Routledge

·  Catherine Warren; and

 

(3)  the Council’s Solicitor be instructed to draft the relevant legal documentation to enact the changes.