Independent member recruitment

Report: 9
Date: 28 February 2008
By: the Chief Executive

Summary

This report outlines the changes to the basis of and recruitment process for the MPA’s Independent membership consequent upon the provisions of the Police & Justice Act 2006.It asks the Authority to make appointments to the Selection Panel.

A. Recommendation

That the Authority:

1. endorses the timetable for the recruitment and appointment of Independent members;

2. appoints its representatives on the Selection Panel;

3. notes that appointments to the Appointments Panel will be sought at the Authority’s Annual Meeting; and

4. seeks the Home Secretary’s approval to the next term of office for Independent members being 1 October 2008 to 2 July 2012.

B. Supporting information

1. The Police and Justice Act 2006 introduced changes to the basis of and recruitment process for independent/magistrate membership of police authorities. These changes are to be detailed and introduced by Regulation. For the purposes of this report, the key changes are:

• The abolition of the category of Magistrate member. In future the MPA will have 11 Independent members of whom at least one must be a magistrate. As before, one of these will be appointed by the Home Secretary
• A two-stage selection process as opposed to the previous three stage process (a broader based first-stage Selection Panel and no direct involvement of the Home Secretary)

2. The new selection process will consist of:

1. A five-person Selection Panel comprising two persons appointed by the MPA, a person appointed by the Mayor, a person appointed by the Home Secretary and an independent assessor appointed by the other members of the Panel from a list provided by the Home Office. This Panel will interview candidates to put forward to the MPA a shortlist which is twice the number of vacancies – the MPA will have nine vacancies this year, so a shortlist of 18 candidates.
2. the MPA will then interview these candidates and appoint to the vacancies. It is proposed that this be done by a panel of members, with their recommendations approved by the full Authority.

3. The term of office of the MPA’s current Independent and Magistrate members was due to expire in early July. However, the Home Office has experienced difficulties in finalising the necessary Regulations governing the recruitment selection process. As a consequence the Home Secretary has agreed to extend the MPA’s current Independent and Magistrate members’ term of office to 30 September 2008 (similar provision has been made in respect of Magistrate members of other police authorities).

4. This delay poses some difficulties for the MPA in particular because the recruitment process will span the Greater London Authority elections and the summer holiday period when the availability of Selection/Appointment Panel members and candidates is bound to be an issue. A proposed timetable is attached which seeks to minimise these problems by concentrating the process as far as possible. It is proposed that the Selection Panel part of the process be initiated before the May GLA elections as otherwise the whole process would have to take place over the summer period. The outcome of the GLA elections might have implications for the membership of the Selection Panel but these would have to be addressed if they occurred. The final interviews by the Appointment Panel could then take place in June. This is a challenging timescale and depends on the availability of Selection Panel and Appointment Panel members. However, there is scope for slippage if absolutely necessary.

5. The Authority is asked to appoint its two representatives on the Selection Panel. These do not have to be MPA members, but if they are they must be drawn from the Assembly Members on the Authority and any Independent or Magistrate members who are not applying for reappointment. The draft Regulations provide for the term of office of these appointments to be five years, although it is of course open to members to resign if they do not wish to serve the full term. If, in line with best practice, the Selection Panel decides to interview candidates to produce a shortlist then membership of that panel will involve interviewing to achieve a short list of 18 candidates.

6. It is not necessary to agree the membership of the final Appointment Panel at this stage so it is proposed that these appointments be made at the Authority’s Annual Meeting in May.

7. The deferral of the new term of office for Independent members until 1 October creates a gap of nearly five months between their appointment and that of Assembly Members appointed to the MPA by the Mayor after the May elections. To reinstate the original appointment cycle it is proposed that the Home Secretary be asked to agree that the Independent member term of office run from 1 October 2008 to 2 July 2012.

C. Race and equality impact

An Equalities Impact Assessment will be carried out to identify and address any issues for the recruitment and appointment process. As on previous occasions, an integral requirement of the appointment process is to ensure that the MPA’s membership represents, as far as possible, the diversity of London’s communities

D. Financial implications

A sum of £50,000 was included in the 2007/08 budget for the recruitment process. Because of the delay to the Regulations this sum will now be required in 2008/09 instead.

An attendance allowance is payable to Members of the Selection Panel (apart from Assembly Members). These costs will be met from the Members’ Allowances budget.

E. Background papers

None

F. Contact details

Report author: Simon Vile, Head of Corporate Secretariat, MPA

For more information contact:

MPA general: 020 7202 0202
Media enquiries: 020 7202 0217/18

Appendix 1

Outline recruitment timetable

• 28 February Full Authority to appoint its membership of the Selection Panel
• During March the MPA, Home Sec and Mayoral reps on the Selection Panel meet to appoint the 5th member who will be drawn from a list of candidates prepared by the Sec of State
• March/April Selection Panel agrees the recruitment process
• Week of 21 April Advertise appointments + other recruitment activity started
• 12 May Closing date for applications (up to three weeks for applications)
• Five weeks allowed for long listing and interviews (to put forward 18 names)
• By 13 June Selection Panel interviews and decisions completed
• By 30 June Appointment Panel interviews and decisions completed (18 candidates to be interviewed for 9 appointments) – references sought at this stage
• 24 July Confirmation by Full Authority, subject to security clearance
• 1 October Term of office starts

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