Interim council director to be brought in on hundreds of pounds a day

Sarah Norman is moving from Wolverhampton City Council, where she is strategic director for community, to become the chief executive of Dudley Council.

The role is one of the most senior in the authority and includes overall responsibility for children, young people and families, youth offending, looked after children, children's centres, disability and mental health services, older people's care, libraries and public health.

When the council has previously used interim directors in other posts, including in education and enterprise and delivery, it has cost around £750 a day.

The council is trying to save £123 million over five years and is axing 2,000 jobs.

Ms Norman will start in Dudley in the £165,000 a year role of chief executive in January. She will be paid £8,000 a year more than John Polychronakis who is retiring after 40 years in local government. Dudley Council is having to save £23 million in next year's budget.

Councillor Roger Lawrence, leader of Wolverhampton City Council, said: "I'm delighted for Sarah. She's been a real agent for change at the city council.

"We did have some discussions around what to do next when Sarah got down to the final shortlist for Dudley.

"We will now have further discussions. There is already a re-structure of senior management following the departure of our own chief executive Simon Warren and we don't see this impacting on the substantive post Sarah is vacating.

"We may need to get someone in on an interim basis, for the short term, while we advertise and recruit for someone to replace her.

"It's a huge position and responsibility and needs serious management."

Her appointment comes as Dudley Council plans to streamline management by cutting senior management positions from 22 to 11.

Wolverhampton City Council axed the post of chief executive altogether when Mr Warren retired due to ill health. The council created the post of managing director, which was filled by its delivery director Keith Ireland in a move that saves taxpayers £195,000 a year.

Ms Norman was the longest serving of the top four directors at Wolverhampton City Council, having started as director of adults and community in February 2008.

The 52-year-old said: "I have loved my last six and half years at Wolverhampton and have been lucky to work with some very talented people, so will be very sad to leave.

"However I am not going far and I am sure there will be lots of opportunities to take joint working between the two councils forward in my new role as chief executive in Dudley."