Highland councillors' plea: ‘Let’s get it right this time' over appointment of £93K education chief
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Highland Council is facing renewed criticism over its latest attempt to appoint a new head of education.
A link to a job advert for the £93,932-a-year job of executive chief officer education and learning was posted on the council’s Twitter account on Friday, marking the third time in two years the council has sought to fill the vacancy.
Last year there was fury after it emerged the council had appointed London-based Paul Senior to the post.
He was recruited through an agency at a cost of £936 per day – the equivalent of £244,000 a year – taking up the post in May before leaving in August.
Since last September, Nicky Grant has held the post on an interim basis.
Inverness South councillor Andrew Jarvie (pictured), who is a member of the council’s recruitment panel, was furious yesterday, saying the job – which also comes with a £6500 removal and relocation package – was advertised without any discussion with elected members.
“This advert is just the revolving door again,” he said. “The secret ‘hush, hush’ of Highland Council making decisions without reference to, or scrutiny by, councillors.
“We are in the middle of a review of senior management, and until that review is completed the appointment of the chief officer should have been left the way it was.
“Why all the secrecy about advertising this post? Why was it put out on the day of the election?
“Highland Council has people in interim posts for years – there is no need to rush this, let’s get it right this time.”
He added: “I was told by email that the post was to be advertised. I was not asked if we should continue with this recruitment.
“It was merely a formality to tell me, not asking if I, and other councillors, wanted to appoint to the position.”
Councillor Andrew Baxter (Fort William and Ardnamurchan) said: “Councillors seem to be just an inconvenience to officers when it comes to what is being done in Glenurquhart Road.
“It would be nice to be asked or told about it.”
Cllr Jarvie’s fellow ward member, Councillor Duncan Macpherson, said while the recruitment process appeared to be already under way there were important questions still to be answered.
“I don’t think there is any appetite to use a recruitment agency in London as we did last time,” he said. “What will people in the London boroughs know about improving Scottish education?
“What I think we should be looking at is every possible way to get the best candidates from throughout Scotland, with experience with Scottish education.
“We need to look at best practice in Scotland to find the best candidate.”
And he added: “There should be progression management – we should be growing our own. Why should we parachute someone in from another part of the world?
“Let’s look at the talent we have in Highland Council and our neighbouring councils.”
Ms Grant was appointed as interim head of education services at the council 11 months before taking over the top post. She was previously head teacher at Alness Academy since December 2018.
It is unclear whether the former football player – who represented Scotland 98 times – is in the running for the job.
Council convener Bill Lobban, who is the chairman of the recruitment panel, defended the process adding: “It has been very clear to all members that the current education post is an interim one until a permanent appointment could be made.
“Due process has been followed and members have been left in no doubt of the situation.
“The recruitment panel is made up of 10 members across the political groups.”
The council’s education committee chairman John Finlayson said: “Nicky Grant was appointed in September 2020 as interim executive chief officer for education.
“Recruitment to a permanent post is now under way and no recruitment agency has been used for the appointment process on this occasion.”
