Council is interviewing for social services chiefs

Interviews are being held for two senior positions at Powys County Council that come with a total pay package of over £100,000 a year.

Earlier this month the council’s appointment’s sub-committee met to interview two candidates for role of head of children’s social services.

The salary for the role is £82,523 with a pension contribution of £21,126 which brings the total remuneration up to £103,649 a year.

On Friday, March 24 the appointment sub-committee will meet again to interview three candidates for the role of head of adult services.

The salary for the role is £89,636 with a pension contribution of £22,947 giving a total remuneration of £112,583 a year.

Further details of the process is being kept confidential under the Data Protection Act.
During the last year, the social services department saw an exodus of senior staff.

Director of social services Alison Bulman left last year for a similar role in Cornwall.

Head of social services commissioning and partnerships Dylan Owen left to join Cyngor Gwynedd as its director of social services.

Jan Coles left her roles as head of children’s social services for a similar role with Carmarthenshire County Council.

Lastly, Michael Gray, the head of adult social services left Powys a few weeks ago to take up the role of director of social services and housing with Pembrokeshire County Council.

In recent months, Powys chief executive Dr Caroline Turner has restructured her leadership team which has seen social services split between council departments.

Children’s social services is now included in an expanded education department.

Adult services, social services commissioning and partnerships form part of a department that includes housing and report to the director of social services and housing, Nina Davies.

At  a council meeting on March 2  the reorganisation of scrutiny committees  to reflect the current leadership arrangements, was rejected by councillors.