Camden and Islington councils announce intention to share Chief Executive

Date:   8/9/10

The Leaders of Islington and Camden councils have today announced their intention to explore the possibility of sharing a chief executive and senior management team.  This radical proposal could have a number of advantages for both boroughs, and is the first of its kind in London.  

Management costs would be reduced, and there would be greater opportunity for innovation and shared services across borough boundaries.

John Foster CBE, Chief Executive of Islington Council has already announced that he will retire in May 2011. If both councils agree to proceed, Camden’s chief executive Moira Gibb CBE would also take the helm at Islington. Her appointment would be the first step in much closer collaboration between the two authorities.

The appointment of a joint chief executive and shared management team would not change the political leadership and governance arrangements of either borough.

Closer partnership working at a management level between the two boroughs is expected to produce significant efficiencies and financial savings.  Both authorities need to find real savings over the medium term - Camden and Islington face budget gaps of £80-£100m, and £65-£100m respectively.

With significant reductions in local authority finances looming, Islington and Camden have already been working in partnership to find ways where joint working will deliver financial savings.  Earlier this year, both councils made substantial savings by entering into a joint contract to provide school meals.

Councillor Nasim Ali, Leader of Camden Council said:

“As the scale of the cuts to public services becomes clearer it is right that we examine all of the options available to protect the frontline services our residents value.”

“I want us to examine in detail how such a groundbreaking arrangement across Camden and Islington could drive down costs and reduce bureaucracy."

Councillor Catherine West, Leader of Islington Council, said:

“Today we have taken the first step towards a closer relationship between our boroughs.  In the face of government cuts, it’s more important than ever that we save money.  By working together, we have a combined purchasing power and more clout when it comes to getting better value for money in service delivery.

“Camden and Islington are well placed to take this bold step – we have already worked together successfully and I   believe that a shared management team will bring a fresh approach.”

The next steps are to explore the proposals in more depth. A detailed report will be considered by the councils' Executive and Cabinet before the end of the year.

Notes to editors:

1. Islington Council has an annual budget of £243m for 2010/11. £83m collected from council tax with £160m coming from central government formula grants.

2. Camden Council has an annual budget of £264m for 2010/11. £97m collected from council tax with £167m coming from central government formula grants.

3. The Chief Executive of Islington, John Foster CBE, will be retiring in May 2011.  The intention is to move towards joint arrangements between now and then, and a joint working group will be set up to take this forwards.

4. John Foster has had a long and distinguished career in public service starting in 1970 as a Community Worker at Northumberland County Council. He worked at Durham and then progressed through the Home Office where he was the Director for Community Development Programmes. He returned to local government as Executive Director of North Tyneside Council from 1992-1998. In February 1998, John became the Chief Executive of Middlesbrough Council and in 2003, he started as Chief Executive of Wakefield Metropolitan District Council. The Audit Commission named Wakefield District Council the fastest improving council in the country in 2004 following a year of progress and achievement. 

John joined Islington Council at the beginning of June 2008. The selection process included interviews with a stakeholder panel made up of representatives from the council’s local partner organisations, including the police and the Primary Care Trust, as well as local residents. 

In 2009 Islington Council was awarded ‘Four Stars’ and an ‘improving strongly’ rating from the Audit Commission, placing it as one of the top performing councils in the country. 

John was awarded a CBE for Services to Local Government in 2008.

5. Moira Gibb joined Camden as Chief Executive in July 2003.  Previously she was Executive Director, Housing and Social Services in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea.  She has worked in a number of local authorities, Ealing, Surrey and Newcastle-upon-Tyne, in their Social Services departments in a variety of roles.  She worked as a lecturer in social work at the then Preston Polytechnic, now the University of Lancashire.  She was also a visiting lecturer at the London School of Economics.  Before training as a social worker at Edinburgh University, she was a teacher in the London Borough of Newham and in Brussels.

She is a graduate of Glasgow University.  She was President of the Association of Directors of Social Services in 2000/01 and was appointed CBE for Services to Social Services in the 2002 New Years Honours.

She has served on a number of bodies, including the Lifting the Burdens Task Force, is currently a Director of the London Marathon and sits on the board of the UK Statistics Authority.  In 2009 she chaired the Government’s Social Work Task Force and is now chairing the Social Work Reform Board.

 

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