St Helens Council's new chief executive expected to start in March

Kath O’Dwyer will leave her current post as the acting chief executive of Cheshire East Council to begin her new £160,000 job in St Helens.

The former Ofsted director will head up an all-female executive team, comprising of three executive directors covering corporate, people’s and place services.

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Ms O’Dwyer has a notable track record of improving children’s services in various local authorities and will be tasked with doing the same in St Helens.

She will take over from temporary chief executive Harry Catherall, who came out of retirement last October following the shock departure of Mike Palin.

Before joining Cheshire East Council, Ms O’Dwyer was Ofsted’s national director for social care where she was tasked with overseeing the improvement of failing children’s services departments.

She also oversaw the development and introduction of new inspection frameworks for the watchdog.

Ms O’Dwyer, a former social worker, has also successfully led Warrington, Halton and Stoke-on-Trent councils out of government intervention.

The challenge to do the same for St Helens will be huge against a backdrop of increasing demand and shrinking resources.

St Helens Council is currently in formal intervention with the Department for Education after Ofsted rated the borough’s children’s services ‘inadequate’ back in November.

The council has already invested heavily in children’s services since the 2018 focused inspection, with cabinet approving an additional £5.5 million annually.

But senior figures within the council have already indicated that more money will be needed to enable to the improvements needed within the department.

Shortly after Ms O’Dwyer starts her new role, she will be joined by the new executive director for place services, Lisa Harris.

Lisa Harris has been appointed as St Helens Council's executive director for place services

Ms Harris is currently the director of place services at Cheshire West and Chester Council and previously worked at Knowsley Council as the director of regeneration and housing.

She will no doubt be tasked with driving the regeneration of St Helens town centre, and the borough’s district centres, at a strategic level.

St Helens Council will pay Ms Harris up to £119,142 a year.

Ms O’ Dwyer and Ms Harris will be joined by prof Sarah O’Brien, executive director of people’s services, and Cath Fogarty, executive director of corporate services.

The council’s executive leadership team will also be supported by the new assistant chief executive Rob Huntington.

Mr Huntington is currently the group director of business change and transformation at Your Housing Group, a role he has held since October 2018.

He has previously worked at Sheffield City Council as the assistant director of business change and transformation, and at Trafford Borough Council as the director for policy, performance, partnerships and transformation.

Mr Huntington has also worked for the Audit Commission and for the private sector in similar roles.

St Helens Council will pay Mr Huntington a salary of up to £100,833. His start date has not yet been announced.

A council spokesman said: “We expect that Kath O’Dwyer will start with us on Monday, March 9, Lisa Harris on Monday, April 27, and we hope to announce Rob Huntington’s start date soon.

“We also expect to be able to advertise for the role of director of children’s services soon, as well as the remaining vacancies in our management restructure.”

Assistant chief executive Rob Huntington will fill the role that has been vacant since the departure of Keith Ireland in September 2019

The assistant chief executive post has been vacant since the departure of Keith Ireland, a consultant who cost the council £930 a day.

The former chief executive of the City of Wolverhampton Council was brought in last April to develop the council’s modernisation plans, following recommendations from the Local Government Association.

The council parted ways with Mr Ireland in September, shortly after the departure of chief executive Mike Palin.

Paul Sanderson, the former strategic director of place services, has also left the authority after delaying his retirement during the current transition period.

Mr Sanderson also took on the position of deputy chief executive last April, a role that will not be filled in the current restructure.

A key part of the restructure will also see the creation of director of children’s services, a statutory role that currently falls under prof O’Brien, who also holds the role of clinical accountable officer for St Helens CCG.

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The council will also create a dedicated assistant director for commercial activity role.

Council leader David Baines said earlier this month that this is a particular focus for the council moving forward.

He said every cabinet member and their department are working to develop proposals for generating income and “making the most of every opportunity.”