Report to:	Governance Committee
Date:	5 March 2024
By:	Assistant Chief Executive
Title of report:	Appointments to the Independent Remuneration Panel
Purpose:	To consider appointments to the Independent Remuneration Panel
RECOMMENDATION The Governance Committee is recommended to appoint Daphne Bagshawe, Fiona Leathers and Linda Hawkins to the Independent Remuneration Panel for a term of 5 years.

1.         Background

1.1       There is a duty for the County Council to establish an Independent Remuneration Panel (IRP) and to consider the recommendations of the Panel in relation to the Council’s Scheme of Members’ Allowances. The three current members of the Panel were appointed in April 2019 for a five-year period. As the terms of office for the three members of the Panel are coming to an end a recruitment exercise has been undertaken.

1.2       The Panel reviews the Members’ Allowance Scheme and considers representations made by councillors together with other relevant information such as the level of allowances paid at other authorities. At the conclusion of the review the Panel agree a report and make recommendations in relation to the level of allowances for consideration by the Governance Committee and the County Council. The Council is not bound to agree the recommendations of the Panel but must take the Panel’s recommendations into account when agreeing the Scheme of Allowances.

1.3       Panel Members are expected to attend meetings as required, read relevant papers and reports, give careful consideration to evidence and information provided and ask relevant questions prior to agreeing its report to the Council.

1.4       The IRP must consist of at least three members none of whom:

(a) is also a Member of the authority in respect of which it makes recommendations or is a Member of a committee or sub committee of such an authority; or

(b) have been a member or officer of East Sussex County Council within the last 5 years; or

(c) is disqualified from being or becoming a Member of the authority.

2.         Appointments to the Panel

2.1       Through public advertisement applications were invited for the positions on the Panel and following a shortlisting exercise, five applicants were interviewed. Following the recruitment exercise, it is recommended that the following three candidates be appointed:

Daphne Bagshawe – has previously been a Member of the County Council (between 1997 and 2005) and a magistrate for 10 years and has served on the Council Council’s Panel for two terms.

Fiona Leathers – has previously served as a member of the County Council’s Panel and previously served two terms on the Kent County Council IRP. She has also served on the Kent County Council Standards Committee and was a magistrate for 18 years.

Linda Hawkins  -  Linda is an HR Consultant, primary conducting high level employee relations work and has experience on providing advice to job evaluations and pay awards. She also serves as a panel member for the Employment Tribunal and other statutory regulators.

2.2       All three candidates have confirmed that they are not aware of any conflicts of interest that may impact on their ability to serve on the IRP.

3.         Conclusion and recommendations

3.1       Given the previous relevant experience of all three candidates it is recommended that Daphne Bagshawe, Fiona Leathers and Linda Hawkins be appointed to serve on the Panel for a period of five years.

PHILIP BAKER

Assistant Chief Executive

Contact Officer: Georgina Seligmann

Georgina.seligmann@eastsussex.gov.uk

01273 482355

Local Member: All

Background Documents:

None