Honesty monitor: Croydon’s new £166,000 pa assistant CEO Jenny Rowland
In what is overall a highly critical report from the government-appointed Commissioners after six months working closely with the council run by successive chief execs Katherine Kerswell (until she left in October with a £50,000 pay-off) and Elaine Jackson, and with failed Mayor Jason Perry chipping his tuppence-worth, they make a most intriguing observation.
Paragraph 20 of the eight-page report states:
“Finally, successful delivery of the Transformation Plan will depend on a clear, consistent and honest organisational narrative aligned to Croydon’s values and communications plan.
“Staff, members [they mean elected councillors] and partners must have a shared understanding of the purpose, priorities and expected outcomes of transformation, supported by open and transparent communication about progress, challenges and trade-offs.
“Consistent messaging, combined with genuine opportunities for open and honest feedback will be critical to building trust, supporting culture change and ensuring the whole organisation is aligned and working collectively to deliver transformation at pace and with impact.
“The appointment of a new Assistant Chief Executive to oversee this work offers a good opportunity to reset, refocus and drive forward this work at pace.”
Whatever could they mean?
Read more: Commissioners: council lacks focus and robust delivery plans
Read more: Budget-buster Perry hires another six-figure salaried ‘interim’
Read more: Council’s agency staff bill includes £726 per hour consultant
Read more: Kerswell takes another pay-off as she quits as council’s CEO
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When the Commissioners come up with management speak like ” to deliver transformation at pace and with impact.”, it sounds like “more ill thought out schemes should be rushed through with appalling impact on the borough, its environment and its ratepayers”.
May be they can club together and reduce their wages by 20% and give it to local causes that have had there money cut.
Happy easter egg dont let perry have it
Who are ‘they’?
If you mean the Commissioners then their payments are set nationally.
Why should they reduce their own compensation?
It’s not the Commissioners that have cut the budgets of local organisations.
The full report is brutal.
It apportions responsibility directly to a lack of both corporate and political leadership. The Commissioners state they can have no confidence in the budget just passed because the transformation programme and asset disposal has been so poorly managed. They have informed the Secretary of State that the budget just passed should just be considered an “interim” one because it’s not realistic! The £50k payoff is beginning to look like a bargain.
The Commissioners also identify a serious risk that the new Executive Mayor may just have experience of Croydon council and not have any senior corporate experience. They implicitly expect the Executive Mayor to performance manage the CEO. I’m understanding the role should also be treated seriously as a full time one…
In some specific council departments there has been excellent work by exceptional staff. But at the top of the council there was a lack of leadership that has let down the many hardworking council staff and everyone who pays council tax or uses council services.
Whoever gets elected in May, I really hope they have the skills, qualifications and experience for the job.