Agenda Document Pack - Appointments Sub-Committee - 31/08/2023

North Lanarkshire Council · 31 August 2023
Back to Appointments Sub-Committee — 31 August 2023 and its agenda

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Clerk Name: Andrew Rose
Clerk Telephone: 07951 409714
Clerk Email: rosean@northlan.gov.uk
22 August 2023
Members of the 
Appointments SubCommittee
Chief Executive’s Office
Archie Aitken
Chief Officer (Legal & Democratic)
Civic Centre, Windmillhill Street,
Motherwell ML1 1AB
www.northlanarkshire.gov.uk
Notice is given that a Meeting of the Appointments SubCommittee is to be held in the Shieldmuir Room, Civic Centre, 
Windmillhill Street, Motherwell, ML1 1AB on Thursday, 31 August 2023 at 09:00 AM which you are requested to attend. 
The agenda of business is attached. 
Archie Aitken
Chief Officer (Legal & Democratic)
Members : 
J Logue, L Roarty, T Carragher, T Fisher, G Lennon, A Smith, A Thomas, S Watson, C Williams.
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Agenda
1 Declarations of Interest In Terms of the Ethical Standards In Public 
Life Etc. (Scotland) Act 2000
 
EXCLUSION OF PUBLIC
The SubCommittee is asked to consider passing the following resolution: "That 
under Section 50A(4) of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973, the public be 
excluded from the meeting for the following item of business on the grounds that it 
involves the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in paragraph 1 of 
Part 1 of Schedule 7A of the Act".
Recruitment of Depute Chief Executive  Interviews
 
2 Recruitment Pack
Submit recruitment pack made available to applicants via the myjobscotland portal 
 for information purposes only (copy herewith)
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3 Schedule of Interviews and Application Forms 
Submit the schedule of interviews to be held on 31 August and 1 September 2023,
together with the submitted application form for each candidate to be interviewed 
(copy herewith)
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Depute Chief Executive
North Lanarkshire Council 
£139,904 - £143,924
Reports to:
Chief Executive
North Lanarkshire Council
Recruitment pack
Item 2
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We’re currently in year three of a five-year strategic
capital investment programme totalling £1.331 billion to
improve the physical and digital infrastructure and help
create the economic, social and community conditions
that will enable local people and communities to thrive.
Our ambition will be achieved through our programme
of work and seven priority areas:
• Transforming Places
• Invest in North Lanarkshire
• Sustainable Futures
• Resilient People
• Brighter Futures
• Digital North Lanarkshire
• One Service
The role of Depute Chief Executive will play a vital role in
taking forward our plans and we’re looking for a
dynamic, innovative, entrepreneurial and solutions-
focused individual.
You will need to provide strong leadership and
represent the interests of North Lanarkshire at
regional and national level.
Strong partnership working is crucial to this role
– you’ll be working with partner organisations
across the public, private and voluntary sectors.
Like all public sector organisations, we face
significant financial challenges over the coming
years, combined with an increasing demand for
the services we provide. You will bring a strong
understanding of public finance and a strategic
focus to help guide the organisation and our
13,000 employees to achieve our objectives.
This pack contains information about North
Lanarkshire, the council, links to other useful
documents and information on the recruitment
process.
Councillor Jim Logue
Leader of North Lanarkshire Council
We have a clear, ambitious plan for North
Lanarkshire to be the place to live, learn, work,
invest and visit.
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North Lanarkshire is Scotland’s
fourth-largest local authority. We
are ideally situated in the heart of
the country with first-class
connections to Scotland, the UK
and beyond.
Our area has so much to offer the people who choose
to live and work here and the latest performance results
show that far-reaching positive progress has been
achieved across North Lanarkshire.
For the first time ever, gross weekly pay for our
residents is now higher than the national average, and
latest data indicates that North Lanarkshire’s local
economy continues to show growth, and at a rate
faster than the Scottish economy.
Other positive trends identified from the latest health
check indicators show:
• The number of people claiming employment-
related benefits has decreased by 47.7% from
14,195 as at December 2020 to 7,420 as at
December 2022 – with the claimant count now
lower than pre-pandemic levels.
• Gross Added Value remains positive, growing by
0.3% from 2019 to 2020 suggesting the economy
in North Lanarkshire continues to grow and has
steadily remained above the national average.
• The number of school leavers achieving a positive
destination is at its highest ever level of 94.5% in
2020-21 - representing a drop from 8.2% to 5.5%
in the number of pupils not entering a positive
destination.
• Education attainment rates have improved
compared to five years ago, with 37% of all pupils
gaining 5+ awards at level 6 in 2020/21, and with
22% of pupils living in the 20% most deprived
areas.
• Overall school exclusion rates show significant
improvement, reducing by 56% over the five-year
period (2016/17 to 2020/21) and rates for looked-
after children dropping by almost 70%.
• Net migration has picked up again with predictions
that the population in North Lanarkshire will
continue to grow over the next five years.
• We are a key partner in the £1.2bn Glasgow City
Region City Deal, which will fund major
infrastructure projects; create thousands of new
jobs and assist thousands of unemployed people
back to work; improve public transport and
connectivity; drive business innovation and growth
and generate billions of pounds of private sector
investment.
We are ambitious to build on this success and to
continue to improve the lives of the people who live and
work in our communities.
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Elected members77
wards21
Scottish Labour Party33
Scottish National Party25
Progressive Change
North Lanarkshire8
Scottish Conservative and Unionist5
Independent4
Scottish Greens1
British Unionists1
Workforce  (full-time equivalent)13,080
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339,400
population
4.7%
unemployment rate
21% under 18
65% age 16-64
£991m
revenue budget 2023/24
£207.3m
capital budget 2023/24
£159m
housing revenue 2023/24
£131m
housing capital 2023/24
working age population
55
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CHIEF
EXECUTIVE
Chief Officer,
Health and
Social Care
Chief Officer/Head of Service
(Adult Social W
ork Services)
Chief Officer/Head of Service
(performance, Planning and
Quality Assurance) (AHSC
NL)
Head of Health
(NHS Lanarkshire)
Depute Chief
Executive
Chief Officer
(Education - North)
Chief Officer
(Education - South)
Chief Social W
ork Officer
(Education, Families, Justice
and Integrated Practice)
Chief Officer
(Community Operations)
Chief Officer
(Place)
Chief Officer
(Housing Management)
Chief Officer
(Housing Property Services)
Chief Officer
(Assets and Procurement)
Chief Officer
(Finance)
(S95 Officer)
Chief Officer
(Business and Digital)
Chief Officer
(Strategic Communication
and Engagement)
Chief Officer
(Audit and Risk)
Chief Officer
(Legal and Democratic)
(Monitoring Officer)
Chief Officer
(People Resources)
CHIEF EXECUTIVE’S
OFFICE
ENTERPRISE
AND
COMMUNITIES
EDUCATION
AND
FAMILIES
ADULT HEALTH
AND
SOCIAL CARE
Com
m
unity Co-ordinators,
each
supporting
one
Com
m
unity Board
Strategic oversight
and
support across all 
Com
m
unity Boards
NHS
Lanarkshire Post
KEY
Integrated
posts -
Jointly funded
NLC/NHS
Lanarkshire
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THE ROLE
Depute Chief Executive
Aligned to The Plan for North Lanarkshire and our One Place-One Plan Vision, we have a shared ambition for
inclusive growth and prosperity for all, where North Lanarkshire is the place to place to Live, Learn, Work, Invest,
and Visit. 
The Depute Chief Executive will play a critical role in supporting the Chief Executive and the Corporate
Management Team to fully realise this ambition, driving the delivery of our newly refreshed Programme of Work
and progressing the transformation of the Council’s future operating model.  This role requires both the vision
and leadership to advance the Council’s strategic goals, but also requires a sound understating of the context in
which the Council is operating, and its associated constraints and challenges including a complex future
landscape for Local Government, ongoing budgetary pressures, and rising demands for services across a wide
range of portfolios. The role will also play a key part in representing the interests of North Lanarkshire at both a
regional and national level, as well as working in partnership with our Councillors and our communities to shape
and transform the many vital public services we provide.  
In additional to the wider strategic aspects of the role, the Depute Chief Executive will have direct responsibility
for overseeing a diverse range of service portfolios, providing direction and leadership to Chief Officers across
our Enterprise and Communities and Education and Families directorates. This includes responsibility for the
Council’s full complement of community and place-based service portfolios, including housing, planning and
regeneration, waste and environmental services as well as oversight of the provision of education, children and
families’ social work.
-   Des Murray
Chief Executive, North Lanarkshire Council
ROLE SUMMARY
JOB PURPOSE
The Depute Chief Executive will be accountable, as a member of the Corporate Management Team, and the
Business Management Team to work corporately at all times, undertaking a full and active role in the oversight
and delivery of Council services and the development and delivery of the Council’s corporate strategy and
programme of work.  This includes ensuring that the programme of work is delivered effectively and in line with
the priorities agreed by the Council, with specific lead responsibility for areas of corporate priority as allocated by
the Chief Executive. 
The post will incorporate direct strategic co-ordination and oversight for the dual functions of Enterprise and
Communities and Education and Families and all the statutory and operational responsibilities which align to the
individual service portfolios which are included within these two directorates.  In this capacity, the oversight of
the Depute Chief Executive is intended to:
• drive and deliver the Council’s ambitious One Place, One Plan programmes of work to deliver
transformational change in our communities through the delivery of our Town Visions, Housing and Country
Parks for the Future programmes and other transformational place based activities.  This includes playing a
key part in the work of the Council’s Strategic Capital Delivery Group and the ongoing alignment of
resources to support the realisation of these programmes.
• integrate and strengthen the range of supports, and services around the child within Education and
Families, with a focus on attainment and progression for children from all backgrounds by strengthening the
critical relationship and operational alignments across the two management teams, delivering whole family
support, health, wellbeing, and public protection safeguards.
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The key dimensions of this post are:
Leadership and direct management responsibilities
for Chief Officers across the Enterprise and
Communities and Education and Families services.
Responsible for discharging specific functions
delegated to the role and specified in the council
Scheme of Delegation for the following portfolio of
services: 
• All services within the Enterprise and Communities
Directorate including:
- Environmental Assets Management
- Housing (including HRA Capital Delivery Plan)
- Housing Repairs
- Enterprise and Economic Development
- Community services including waste
management, parks and regulatory services.
- Planning and Regeneration
- Corporate Procurement & Property Management
• Education Services (including Additional Support
Needs education services)
• Children & Families Social Work Services including:
- Criminal Justice Social Work Services
- Community Learning & Development
Key Relationships:
• Chief Executive and Corporate 
Management Team
• The Leader of the Council, Elected
Members and Political Party Leads
• North Lanarkshire Community Planning
Partnership and other key Partners and
Agencies, including the North 
Lanarkshire Partnership
• Investment and Economic lead agencies
and bodies
• Scottish Government and all its agencies
• Strategic Capital Delivery Group
• Communities and Parents
• Directors and Chief Officers of neighbouring
Councils and NHS Health Boards
• City Deal Partnership
ROLE DIMENSIONS
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STRATEGIC ACCOUNTABILITIES
• Supporting the Chief Executive and the Section
95 Officer to lead and deliver the Council wide
budget setting and savings agenda.
• Leading and supporting the relevant Chief
Officers within your remit, to successfully shape
and deliver the relevant corporate programmes
of work which are aligned within your remit,
including Transforming Places, Invest in North
Lanarkshire, and Sustainable Futures. This
includes ensuring relevant support and
resources are in place to enable the delivery of
these critical programmes, including effective
oversight and engagement of Elected Members
and Committees in the delivery of this work.
• Driving an efficient, digitised and best value
approach to enabling modern, integrated
services for the community as a whole,
identifying and regularly reviewing priorities with
key stakeholders.
• Influencing the national agenda by representing
the Council at national working partnerships.
• Ensuring the Council has an effective
transportation and infrastructure plan and
programme of work for North Lanarkshire
aligned to our One Place, One Plan ambitions,
and Transforming Places programme of work,
including effective asset management and
contract management including the Enterprise
Contract; promotion of sustainable public
transport; ensuring road safety through the
Community Safety Partnership and delivering
step change improvements to the transport
network and associated infrastructure through
City Deal, and other strategic transport and
government funded initiatives.
• Delivering on and expanding the council’s
housing management and growth plans aligned
to our Transforming Places programme of work,
ensuring that they meet our energy and
efficiency targets for North Lanarkshire and fully
align with and support our place-based
ambitions around increased access to high
quality, affordable housing stock which reduces
poverty, homelessness, and deprivation.
• Maintaining a robust and forward-thinking
Environmental Assets Strategy, aligned to our
Transforming Places programme of work and
delivering real value to the residents of North
Lanarkshire including inspection and
maintenance, a robust flood mitigation strategy,
a clear focus on public safety and the provision
of a robust future plan for conservation and
greening matters.
• Establishing and delivering an ambitious
enterprise and economic development plan
aligned to our Invest in North Lanarkshire
programme of work, which combines ambitious
goals around jobs growth, economic
development and business growth aligned to
key elements of the Local Plan including
funding, town centre regeneration and
managing the Council’s strategic land 
use policy. 
• Establishing a robust plan to deliver the
Council’s ambitions around net zero carbon and
climate resilience, aligned to the delivery of the
Sustainable Futures programme of work and the
Council’s ambitions in this area.  
• Delivering on the outputs from the Strategic
Capital Delivery Group.
• Delivering effective strategies for the education,
development and employability of children and
young people, by raising attainment, ensuring a
sustainable positive destination and taking steps
to meaningfully address the poverty-related
attainment gap within North Lanarkshire.
• Leading on the full delivery of core national
Education and Families improvement plans to
help achieve improved learner outcomes and
attainment, including the National Improvement
Framework and associated annual plan, the
regional improvement plan and the requirements
set out in the Promise, Getting it Right for Every
Child (GIRFEC), Curriculum for Excellence and
Developing the Young Workforce.
• Establishing an effective strategy for the ongoing
education, care and protection of vulnerable
children, including those with additional support
needs, ensuring that this is in line with the
principles of The Children and Young People
Scotland Act (2014), GIRFEC and the Scottish
Care Leavers Covenant and contains effective
plans and measures to reduce the poverty
related attainment gap across North
Lanarkshire.
• Delivering the full requirements of the Scottish
Government’s early Learning and childcare
policy and associated facilities and services
across North Lanarkshire.
• Determining the most appropriate model for the
council to enable the efficient, effective and
integrated delivery of the statutory and non-
statutory elements of the council’s portfolio
whilst taking account of the need for
collaborative working with the Community
Planning Partnership, the NLP Board and the
Health and Social Care Partnership around the
wider needs of Communities, Children and
Young People.
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The key dimensions of this post are:
• Ensure the responsibilities of the council’s
Chief Social Work officer (as defined by
section 45 Local Government (Scotland) Act
1994) are effectively supported and delivered
and that the requirements of clinical,
corporate and staff governance are met.
• Develop and maintain Community Planning
arrangements including an effective
relationship between the H&SCP and
Community Planning Partnership (CPP), as
agreed and in accordance with the CPP Local
Plan.
• Work in partnership with our residents,
communities and local businesses to provide
high quality, efficient statutory and other
protective and advice services including waste
management; food safety; pollution control;
environmental health; trading standards;
consumer protection and the processing of
planning and building standards applications.
• Ensure the provision of an effective Housing
service which meets and exceeds the
council’s obligations as a Registered Social
Landlord, in conjunction with other services,
and contractors as appropriate including
effective management and control of the
Housing Revenue Account as appropriate.
• Ensure the effective implementation of major
government and policy or statutory legislation
changes, particularly in the areas of socio
economic, environmental, planning and
housing in the general interests of the council
and its communities.
• Provide comprehensive facilities management
services within the council including schools
catering, building cleaning, janitorial and
caretaking, school crossing patrols and
building maintenance.
• Ensure the delivery of an appropriate facility
support service in relation to non-council
managed and operated properties, including
Schools and Centres 21 facilities and
maintaining sound working relationships with
the developers/operators.
• Identify emerging issues in any given context
and ensuring there is appropriate managerial
and financial planning.
• Ensure the full implementation of all relevant
legislative requirements set out in the
Education Scotland Act (2016), Children and
Young People (Scotland) Act 2014, Scottish
Schools (Parental Involvement) Act (2006), the
Adoption and Children (Scotland) Act 2007,
Criminal Justice Scotland Act 2016,
Management of Offenders etc. (Scotland) Act
2005 and the public protection arrangements
encompassed by MAPPA.
• Ensure that the directorates within your remit
operate within their allocated budget and
meet all budget and savings targets.
• Represent the council’s interests on Arm’s
Length External Organisations, as required,
ensuring appropriate governance processes
are in place.
• Ensure risks to service continuity are identified
and contingency arrangements developed
and implemented.
• Determine an appropriate professional audit
and risk management strategy in relation to all
services provided.
• Manage the reputational risk to North
Lanarkshire Council through appropriate and
managed media responses.
• Provide advice or recommendations to
relevant council committees on national and
local Education, Children and Families and
Justice Service issues, including changes in
legislation.
• Deliver a safe environment to ensure the
Health and Safety of staff, children, young
people and the public in full compliance with
the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974.
• Ensure procurement, ICT and other support
activities are undertaken through appropriate
corporate governance systems to meet
standards.
MANAGEMENT RESPONSIBILITIES
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CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITIES
• Provide clarity of vision, effective leadership
and model desired behaviours expected of a
Chief Officer and required to achieve the
council’s strategic objectives.
• Maximise efficiency and encourage corporate
behaviour, by ensuring all staff respect,
support, implement and comply with
corporate systems and processes and the
professional recommendations of other
functional leads.
• Promote delivery of the Council’s One Service
and Digital NL operating model ambitions with
a focus on integrating and reshaping services
and promoting joint working across services
to improve overall service delivery.
• Provide advice, as a relevant Spokesperson,
to the council and its committees, on all
aspects of the role or its functions.
• Ensure delivery of best value and continuous
improvement in accordance with the Council’s
corporate policies including the effective
discharge of all delegated statutory functions.
• Ensure the development and maintenance of
good employee relations in partnership with
staff and trade unions/representative bodies
through informal and formal processes of
communication and involvement.
• Promote and value the diversity of staff,
people and communities served by the
council and to ensure equality of access and
treatment in employment and service delivery.
• Contribute to the strategic management of
the council as a member of the Corporate
Management Team and working with Elected
Members and officers in this regard.
• Ensure efficient management of resources,
workforce planning, capacity building, and
harnessing technologies which demonstrate
Best Value in all activities of the council.
• Ensure delivery of best value in accordance
with the council’s corporate policies, agreed
service objectives and statutory requirements.
• Ensure effective performance management
through the development of continuous
improvement, achievement of performance
standards and sound budgetary management
and control.
• Develop and realise the full potential of Chief
Officers and employees through effective
coaching, performance management and
providing development opportunities to
promote the highest standards of delivery and
the maintenance of professional standards.
• Carry out such other corporate and
management tasks as delegated by the Chief
Executive.
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This post is politically restricted in compliance with the Local Government and Housing Act 1989 and the holder will be expected to comply
with the Chief Officers’ Code of Conduct, demonstrating the ethical standards expected of officials in public service. The Council’s
conditions of service for Chief Officer posts are those for the Scottish Joint Negotiating Committee for Chief Officials in Scotland, as varied
in terms of any Local agreement(s) in force from time to time.
The job outline is intended to indicate the broad range of responsibilities and requirements of the post. It is neither exhaustive nor exclusive
but, while some variation can be expected in particular duties, the outline is considered to provide a reasonable description of the post.
EDUCATION, QUALIFICATIONS TRAINING AND
PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS
Relevant degree or appropriate managerial
qualification, or equivalent experience relevant to
the level of the role.
Member of an appropriate professional body in
one or more of the functional areas.
Evidence of continuous professional development.
LEADERSHIP, SKILLS & BEHAVIOURS.
Ability to demonstrate clear effective leadership,
displaying behaviours which support and enhance
the delivery of the council’s ambition, including
setting clear direction and strategy, promoting
corporate working with all Chief Officers, and
delivering change effectively to drive sustainable
transformation.
Ability to effectively and innovatively balance
resources and risk to drive Best Value and meet
customer expectations within a challenging and
dynamic environment.
Ability to engender a positive performance culture
across the council, developing and building staff
capability and capacity and motivating and
empowering others to contribute at their highest
level.
Astute political awareness and ability to develop
and maintain effective professional networks and
relationships, both internally and externally, which
bring value to the council and enhance its
reputation.
Ability to think strategically and to innovate around
the use of technology and new thinking to
constantly improve the effective and efficient
delivery of services.
Ability to work under pressure, demonstrate
personal resilience and respond quickly and
effectively to unforeseen events and rapidly
changing priorities and circumstances.
Skilled and persuasive communicator enabling
others at all levels to see the whole picture, able to
represent the Chief Executive Office and
Corporate responsibilities.
Excellent negotiating and influencing skills, able to
optimise partnership and collaborative working to
deliver the best outcomes.
REQUIRED ATTRIBUTES
Extensive senior leadership experience within a
large, complex and publicly accountable
organisation, with a track record of success in
managing large, complex services.
Considerable senior management experience of
leading a broad complex service portfolio and
professional experience in delivering one or more
of the statutory services provided by the council.
Proven experience of delivering integrated services
with partner organisations, with a strong customer
focus and a clear ethos of collaborative working
across boundaries.
Track record of commitment to improving
performance and harnessing technology to
achieve goals and improve service delivery.
Clear appreciation and understanding of the
dimensions of the post both in the public and
political arena.
Evidence of personally displaying leadership
behaviours in providing clear direction to support
change with genuine delegation and staff
empowerment.
Evidence of building and maintaining positive
relationships, collaborative and partnership
working in a political environment and with
Elected Members.
Evidence of ability to contribute to the corporate
goals of the council, while effectively balancing the
complexity of service delivery, customer needs
and meeting key operational and statutory
outcomes and goals.
Evidence of striving for improvements and
better outcomes while managing risk and
business continuity.
Track record of commitment to improving
performance and harnessing technology to
achieve goals.
Demonstrated knowledge of all relevant legislative,
statutory and policy agendas.
REQUIRED ATTRIBUTES
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In the documents below, you will find more information
about the council, its priorities and its policies. You can
also visit the council website at www.northlanarkshire.
gov.uk to find out more about what we do and the
communities and partners we work with.
The Plan for North Lanarkshire - Programme of
Work for 2028
Strategic performance review
5 Year Medium Term Financial Plan 2024/25 to
2028/29
USEFUL LINKS
Closing date: Friday 21 July
Interviews: Thursday 31 August
Fiona Whittaker
Chief Officer 
(People Resources)
Email: Whittakerf@northlan.gov.uk
Mobile: 0797 3728 628
TIMETABLE
CONTACT
Produced by Corporate Communications, North Lanarkshire CouncilProduced by Corporate Communications, North Lanarkshire Council
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