The Director of Adults, Health and Commissioning introduced the report, which requested the Committee to consider and agree to the proposed arrangements for the recruitment to the post of Director of Public Health.

Members were informed that the appointment panel did not need the full General Services Committee, as it had to involve a number of others from the CCG and the Public Health Faculty.

When considering the report and the recommendations, a number of Members spoke and raised the following points:

·         The Council should have a full-time Director of Public Health because from 2016, additional responsibilities for children from 0 to 5 would be taken on and work with the CCG was require to ensure that the Better Care Fund would work for Thurrock.

·         Concern was expressed that a full-time role would be an additional drain on the tax payer.

·         From reading the report, some Members could not see why a full-time role was needed and had not been aware of the additional duties that would be taken on, until advised of these at the meeting.

·         A Member asked about the position of Southend if the current shared arrangement was coming to an end in March 2015.

The Director of Adults, Health and Commissioning advised Members that the current post holder did not wish to continue in the shared role from 1 April 2015 and so there was no option to share with Southend. It was reported that Thurrock would not have a Director of Public Health, unless an alternative arrangement was put in place.

Members were informed that the Council had looked at alternatives to a full-time post but that there did not appear to be a viable alternative.

In respect of the extra costs of a full-time Director of Public Health, Members were informed that a consultant post was currently vacant and if a clinician was appointed as Director of Public Health, the Council may not need as many consultant hours.

A Member queried whether the Council had not appointed to the consultant post because it was unable to recruit to a full-time post and asked whether, once a full-time Director of Public Health had been appointed, the Council would also look to appoint a full-time consultant and so have less money in the public health budget. The Director of Adults, Health and Commissioning advised Members that, nationally, it was difficult to appoint full-time consultants as most had chosen to work for Public Health England and continued to work in the clinical world of the NHS. It was reported that if the Council was lucky, it would appoint a clinician as its new Director of Public Health.

When considering recommendation 1.3, a Member suggested that this could be amended to include the words “or nominees” to reflect the issue raised by the Director of Adults, Health and Commissioning regarding the potential size of the interview panel.

The Committee indicated their agreement to the recommendations in the report, as amended at the meeting.

RESOLVED:

1.         That the appointment process, as set out in the report, be confirmed.

2.         That the appointment of Penna to undertake an external assessment of shortlisted candidates be agreed.

3.         That the General Services Committee, or nominees, be the appointment panel for the post of Director of Public Health (alongside any requirements of the Faculty of Public Health and Public Health England) with the final recommended candidate being endorsed at full Council on 25 February 2015.