West & East Sussex Councils To Share Another Senior Staff Member

Monday, 2 November 2020 11:18

By Staff Reporter

County Hall, Lewes (Photo: Kevin Gordon / Creative Commons)

A senior adult social care and health post will be shared across county councils in West and East Sussex.

Since the turn of the year Becky Shaw, chief executive of East Sussex County Council, has been serving in the same position across the border.

East Sussex has also been acting as an ‘improvement partner’ for its neighbouring authority following last year’s inadequate rating of children’s services.

Adult social care and health has been identified as another key area where both council have considered closer working to be ‘valuable’.

A new post of executive director for adult social care and health is set to be established across both East and West Sussex county councils.

At an East Sussex governance committee on Wednesday (October 28) when the post was signed off, it was explained that Keith Hinkley, current director of adult social care and health at ESCC, would take on the role.

The expectation is he would split his time 80 per cent in West Sussex and 20 per cent in the East.

The arrangements would be reviewed after the West Sussex County Council election due to take place in May 2021.

According to officers, benefits include:

better joint working and learning by the two Public Health teams,
more consistent joint working by the two authorities with the NHS and Public Health England (and its successor organisation), and
a stronger voice to influence the government on national policy and improved management of care markets which are increasingly vulnerable due to Covid-19.

At Wednesday’s governance committee, Labour’s Godfrey Daniel said he understood the logic for the new shared role, but warned against a ‘direction of travel’ towards a pan-Sussex authority because of the size of the area and distances involved.

He added:

“Whilst there may be benefits in the short term, I hope in the long term West Sussex gets new members elected who can turn that authority around.”

David Tutt, Lib Dem group leader, expressed similar sentiments, but said he was happy with the recommendations as long as the arrangement was temporary and would be reviewed next year.

Keith Glazier, leader of East Sussex County Council, said there had been an ‘enormous’ change of direction at West Sussex since it elected new leader Paul Marshall this time last year.

What was needed is a ‘change of culture’ and both he and Mr Marshall ‘are determined to make that happen’.