Agenda and minutes

None.

The Legal Adviser presented the report in the Head of Service. Achievement and Extended Services absence. The purpose was to revisit the previous report approved by SAC on 4^th October 2023 establishing an appointments panel for SAC vacancies. 

The report proposed removing teacher representative vacancies from the remit of the appointments panel, which was included in error in the report of 4^th October 2023. There is already in place an established process whereby teaching professional associations make nominations for vacancies via the Joint Advisory Group (JAG) with appointment by Full Council.  This would effectively confine the remit of the appointments panel to considering nominations for vacancies in the faith and belief group only.

Secondly, it is proposed that the appointments panel consists of the SAC Chair, SAC Vice Chair and one elected Member from each of the two largest political groups that make up the current County Council.  Each Panel Member will have one vote.  In the event of a tie, the SAC Chair will have a casting vote. The panel will have the power to recommend an applicant’s appointment to SAC. The SAC Chair will inform the Full Council of any such recommendation. The final decision to appoint will be made by Full Council.

Once a decision to appoint has been made by Full Council, the SAC Chair will inform the applicant of the outcome and, if appointed, invite the latter to the next SAC meeting.

A Member asked if existing SAC Members would carry over their membership to the new SAC.  It was clarified that the appointments panel would be considering vacancies on an ad hoc basis only as and when they occur.  There is no intention to review existing memberships of SAC but may be reviewed at a later date.  It was noted as per the report of 4^th October 2023 that terms of office on SAC will be four years. 

In response to a question about Co-Optees to SAC, it was confirmed that these are non-voting positions and are appointed by SAC as a whole.

Considering teacher representation, it was understood that the professional associations have made some nominations.  These will be submitted to JAG and if satisfactory, passed to Full Council for ratification.   It was agreed that the JAG should ensure that nominations are shared evenly between the all teaching professional associations to provide balanced representation. JAG should also  consider that representatives should be current serving staff working within Monmouthshire.

It was agreed in line with teacher representation, representatives of the faith and belief group should be based within Monmouthshire to give that local focus. 

ACTION: The Clerk was requested to arrange a special pre-meeting of the recruitment panel to discuss practicalities and how the panel will carry out its responsibilities.

The report was approved.