Ben Houchen’s Tees Valley Combined Authority struggles to fill roles

Tom Bryant told a cabinet meeting that individuals may be “put off” by the notice placed on the mayoral authority last year, which requires it to make improvements focusing on governance and value for money.

Mr Bryant said interim finance director Jo Moore had agreed to stay on for a further six months, but beyond that a solution in terms of a permanent replacement had yet to be found.

The authority, headed by Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen, is also attempting to recruit a successor to interim monitoring and chief legal officer Jeanette McGarry, who is in the same category.

Mr Bryant said: “Having the best value notice does put some people off.”

He said “lots of different networks” were being utilised to find the right candidate and make informal approaches, but it was a challenge.

Mr Bryant said: “We need to try and find permanent appointments as soon as we can, but having the confidence that we have Jo and Jeanette through to September gives us time to continue the search.

“I am working really hard to continue to find the right candidates.

“I will keep the cabinet updated regularly, there are a few live opportunities I am pursuing right now.”

Redcar and Cleveland Council leader Alec Brown, a member of the cabinet, asked how “hands on” Ms Moore was and how long her personal circumstances would allow her to continue on an interim basis.

Mr Bryant said Ms Moore was “absolutely committed” to supporting the organisation through to September.

He said: “Obviously she does live down in London, and it is challenging in terms of her commute, but she does come into the office.

“Jo and myself have an excellent working relationship and she is a huge asset to the organisation, but we still need to work out a permanent solution beyond September 2026.”

Approval was sought from the cabinet, and granted, in order to keep the two officers on board until the end of September.

A cabinet agenda item said that, despite an external recruitment campaign and interviews for the posts – described as “very rigorous” – being held earlier this year no suitable candidates had been found.

It said: “It is clearly imperative that the permanent appointments for both roles have the required experience and expertise to ensure that the combined authority continues to embed the necessary improvements. 

“It was concluded that none of the candidates satisfied these requirements.” 

Brian Archer, the chief executive of Redcar and Cleveland Council, asked if changes might be made to the remuneration levels offered.

Mr Bryant said: “I think the salaries are still right, we have spoken long and hard about making sure we are competitive in the market.

“The best value notice does make it more difficult, the market for statutory officers is difficult anyway.”