Appendix 01

Northamptonshire Police Chief Appointment Process

Independent Member Report Lady Birt 1. Introduction

1.1 The aim of this report is to provide a review of the extent to which the appointment process has been conducted fairly, openly and based on merit. It will also comment on the extent to which the Panel fulfilled their responsibility to challenge and test the candidates' suitability against the requirements for the Chief Constable role.

2. The Recruitment and Selection Process

2.1 Circular 20/2012 gives Police and Crime Commissioners the flexibility to decide how they wish to run their recruitment process and which candidate they wish to appoint. The process however should involve an independent member during assessment, shortlisting and interviewing of candidates for the position of Chief Constable.

2.2 The Home Office Circular 20/2012 also specifies the inclusion of an independent member as part of the appointments panel. The independent panel member should not be a PCC, a member of the PCC staff, a member of the Police and Crime Panel, a Member of Parliament or Member of European Parliament, local councillor, serving or retired police officer or member of police staff, civil servant, member of the National Assembly for Wales, Northern Ireland Assembly or the Scottish Government, HMIC staff, PCC commissioner/staff, or College of Policing staff.

2.3 The role of the independent member is to ensure the appointment process is conducted in line with the principles of merit, fairness and openness, and the successful candidate is selected on merit. This role requires them to:

• Be suitability experienced and competent in assessment and selection practices

• Undertake appropriate briefing/assessor training

• In collaboration with the PCC and other panel members, shortlist applicants against the agreed appointment criteria

• In collaboration with the PCC and other panel members, assess all shortlisted candidates against the agreed appointment criteria

• In collaboration with the PCC and other panel members consider which candidate(s) most closely meets the appointment criteria

• Produce a written report on the appointment process. This is to be submitted to the PCP at the same time as the name of the preferred appointee.

2.4 This report should expressly and explicitly address the appointment principles of merit, fairness and openness, and the extent to which the panel were able to fulfil their purpose (e.g. to challenge and test that the candidate meets the necessary requirements to perform the role).

3. Appointments panel

3.1 The appointments panel should be convened by the PCC before any stage of the appointment process takes place (e.g. sifting of applications). Consideration may be given to having panel members involved in helping to define the requirements of the role.

3.2 The purpose of the panel is to challenge and test that the candidate meets the necessary requirements to perform the role. The PCC should select a panel capable of discharging this responsibility. It is the PCC's responsibility to ensure that panel members are diverse and suitably experienced and competent in selection practices.

3.3 The Recruitment Panel consisted of:

o Adam Simmonds - Police and Crime Commissioner o lain Britton - Chief Executive - Northamptonshire Police and Crime Commission o Lady Birt - Independent Member o Lord Wasserman o Professor Patrick McGhee o Tony Platton - Pyston Associates

3.4 I was appointed the Independent member and was charged with overseeing the appointment process.

4. Selection Process

4.1 The selection process was designed to reflect the Police and Crime Commissioner's ambition and vision for Northamptonshire Police and started with adverts being published on the 6th May 2015 Adverts were placed in Police Professional and online. The advert was open for 21 working days and 4 applications were received

4.2 Following a paper sift, all shortlisted candidates were invited to attend a briefing day at Force Headquarters on the 15th June. This day consisted of a number of meetings and gave them the chance to meet with groups of staff and representatives of various partner agencies. These meetings represented a novel approach and gave officers and staff a unique opportunity to participate and inform the recruitment process.

4.3 On the 18th June, shortlisted Candidates were then invited to attend an assessment centre which consisted of three separate components. Firstly, before their interviews, Candidates first were required to undertake an online questionnaire to assist with the behavioural interviews, which were undertaken by Psyton Associates 4.4 Following the behavioural interviews, candidates then undertook the strategic interview before a panel which included Lord Wasserman, Professor Patrick McGhee and lain Britton.

4.5 Following the formal interview stage of the assessment centre, candidates then attended a 'Question Time' event which was attended by almost one hundred officers and staff. This event meant that for the first time, officers and staff were able to hear directly from the candidates and then question them directly about their vision for the future of Northamptonshire Police.

4.6 The assessment centre provided all candidates with a number of demanding challenges and gave a detailed picture of their skills and ability to undertake the role of Chief Constable of Northamptonshire Police. The details of the assessment centre were fed back to the Appointment Panel meeting which was held on the 26th June and consisted of the Police and Crime Commissioner, lain Britton, Tony Platton and myself.

4.7 The final meeting of the Appointment panel took place on the 30th June 2015 in which the panel formally interviewed the shortlisted candidates before a preferred candidate was selected.

5. Recommendation

5.1 The Panel unanimously agreed that the preferred candidate was Simon Edens, who is currently serving as Deputy Chief Constable with . Furthermore it was agreed that the Police and Crime Commissioner would, with the full endorsement of the Panel, recommend to the Northamptonshire Police Crime Panel the appointment of Mr Edens as the new Chief Constable of Northamptonshire Police.

5.2 I am satisfied that the Police and Crime Commissioner for Northamptonshire has fulfilled his responsibility to ensure the assessment process put in place, was in accordance with the responsibilities listed in the College of Policing Guidance.

5.3 I am therefore confident that the Panel appointed by the Police and Crime Commissioner performed their duty to rigorously and robustly challenge and assess the candidate in a manner that was fair, transparent and merit based.