Agenda and minutes

There were no declarations of interest on this occasion.

Procedure note, Background Information and Job Description/Person Specification attached.

Candidate’s information circulated separately

a) To receive representations from the Police and

Crime Commissioner on the criteria met by the

chosen candidate.

b) To receive a presentation by, and to question, the

proposed Interim Chief Financial Officer on

his/her skills, experience and ability to meet the

criteria for the post.

The Commissioner reported that following the transfer to him of governance responsibility for the Fire and Rescue Service, he had reviewed the structure for financial management of all the functions for which he was responsible.  He was seeking to reduce the number of Section 151 Officers from 3 to 2 by combining responsibility for the Fire and Rescue Service and for his own Office and maintaining a separate post for the Police Service.  He was now seeking confirmation from the Panel of his wish to appoint Mr David Greensmith to the combined post.

The Commissioner reported that Mr Greensmith was his chosen candidate for the post as he had a wealth of experience at senior level, had vast knowledge and expertise in relation to the Fire and Rescue Service and had a proven ability to identify and support the delivery of savings with minimum effect on services.   The Commissioner felt that Mr Greensmith would be instrumental in the transformation of Enabling Services and further improvements to financial management arrangements overall.  

Mr Greensmith provided members with a summary of his skills and experience, in both the private and public sectors, referring in particular to his current role of Section 151 Officer for the Fire and Rescue Service/Authority.  Responding to queries on whether he felt that he had sufficient capacity to take the additional workload connected with the Commissioner’s Office, he explained that a number of the additional responsibilities of his current role were being reallocated.

The Chairman to move:

‘That the public be excluded from the meeting for the

following item of business which involves the likely

disclosure of exempt information as defined in the

paragraph of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Local

Government Act, 1972 indicated below’

RESOLVED – That the public be excluded from the meeting for the following item of business which involves the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in the paragraph of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972 indicated.

The Panel discussed the information given by the Commissioner and by Mr Greensmith. Particular comments were made on the workload of the combined post .

RESOLVED – That:

(i)              the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner be informed that this Panel unanimously recommends that he proceed with the appointment of Mr Greensmith as Section 151 Officer (Chief Finance Officer) in the Office of the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner and for the Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Authority/Service.

(ii)             the Commissioner be requested to submit an update report to this Panel in six months time on how the revisions to the Section 151 Officer responsibilities are materialising and the amount of capacity actually freed up.