Agenda, decisions and draft minutes

Apologies for non-attendance were received from Councillor Baker and from Miss Woodhouse. Councillor Lunn had been due to substitute for Councillor Baker but had subsequently also given his apologies.

Any requests to speak on an item on the agenda should be notified to the Chair (c/o the Committee Manager) by 12 noon two working days before the date of the meeting.

None received.

Members are asked to declare any interest and the nature of that interest which they may have in any of the items under consideration at this meeting.

None declared.

To receive communications from the Chair.

There were none.

The Chair welcomed Mr Vaughan Ashcroft to the meeting and Panel members present introduced themselves.

The Chair then invited the PFCC to introduce Mr Vaughan Ashcroft as his preferred candidate for the role as interim Chief Finance Officer of the Office of the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner (OPFCC). The PFCC made the following points:

·       Mr Ashcroft had the requisite skills and experience to undertake the statutory role. 

·       The PFCC was keen to retain Mr Ashcroft’s valuable institutional knowledge.

·       Acting as a strategic Finance Professional, Mr Ashcroft had considerable experience in the policing and fire financial arrangements. 

·       He had 5 years’ experience as senior management, currently in the role as Chief Finance Officer for the Chief Constable.

·       Mr Ashcroft had a record of providing high level financial and strategic support with extensive knowledge of the business and would provide the continuity of services to deliver the budget and precept processes for both the police and fire partners.

·       Mr Ashcroft was an exceptionally strong candidate and would complement and enhance the OPFCC.

·       To avoid a conflict of interest, Mr Ashcroft would step back from his substantive post as the Northamptonshire Police S151 Officer.

·       It was an interim post to allow the newly appointed PFCC to make a substantive appointment.  Preparatory recruitment processes would be undertaken to expedite the proceedings post-election.

The Panel then asked Mr Ashcroft a series of questions relating to his professional competence and personal independence.

Mr Ashcroft was asked what attracted him to this opportunity to carry out the role of Chief Finance Officer on an interim basis. 

Mr Ashcroft advised that his professional experience was in policing and finance.  As the Chief Finance Officer for the Chief Constable, he had experienced working with the OPFCC and felt that he could add value to their work. The role would offer him a challenge and an opportunity to make a difference.

Mr Ashcroft was asked what he saw as the main challenges involved in financial management and planning in policing and fire and rescue and how he would seek to address these. 

Mr Ashcroft made the following points:

·       Since the COVID-19 pandemic there had been a more volatile financial world.  Mr Ashcroft would seek to address the risks through strategic planning and budget development work to account for all of the variances in political and economic changes both locally and nationally. 

·       He wanted to continue to carry out scenario planning, based on different assumptions, considering inflation and the economic position.

·       The capital programme would continue to be progressed, addressing climate change issues.

·       It was important to ensure that services were fit to meet future challenges by continuing to innovate and invest appropriately, not adding to demands on the precept.

Mr Ashcroft was asked how he would describe his approach to leadership and management and how he would aim to apply this in the role of interim Chief Finance Officer. 

Mr Ashcroft made the following points:

·       He was experienced in managing staff: in his current role he dealt with  ...  view the full minutes text for item 196.

The Chair to advise whether they have agreed to any items of urgent business being admitted to the agenda.

There were no items of urgent business.

In respect of the following items the Chair may move the resolution set out below, on the grounds that if the public were present it would be likely that exempt information (information regarded as private for the purposes of the Local Government Act 1972) would be disclosed to them: The Panel is requested to resolve: “That under Section 100A of the Local Government Act 1972, the public be excluded from the meeting for the following item(s) of business on the grounds that if the public were present it would be likely that exempt information under Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Act of the descriptions against each item would be disclosed to them.”

The Chair requested the Panel to agree that the remainder of the meeting be held in private session.

RESOLVED that: under Section 100A of the Local Government Act 1972, the public and press be excluded from the meeting for the following item of business on the grounds that if the public and press were present it would be likely that exempt information under Part I Paragraph 1 of Schedule 12A to the act of the descriptions would be disclosed to them.

The remainder of the meeting took place in private session.

Exemption under Paragraph 1 – Information relating to any individual.

RESOLVED that: the Northamptonshire Police, Fire and Crime Panel recommends that the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner for Northamptonshire appoints Mr Vaughan Ashcroft as interim Chief Finance Officer.

The Panel considered its report and recommendation on the proposed appointment.

At the conclusion of discussion the Chair invited the Panel to reach a resolution on the proposed appointment and it was unanimously:

RESOLVED that: the Northamptonshire Police, Fire and Crime Panel recommends that the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner for Northamptonshire appoints Mr Vaughan Ashcroft as interim Chief Finance Officer.