Role merger will see public health director paid more than PM

» THE person leading the county’s response to coronavirus will be paid more than the Prime Minister when she takes on a new, combined role.

Sarah Scott, director of public health on Gloucestershire County Council, will receive £121,000 next year as her role will be merged with leading adult social care.

The post had become available after executive director of adult social care Margeret Wilcox said she will be retiring next Spring, and the county council will join the two departments to make a net saving of £90,000.

The adults portfolio has a budget of £162million, and the current deputy director of the department will become full time, increasing their salary by £50,000.

The council report said: “There is an established working relationship between the two directorates and a natural affinity between the services, both focussed on the wellbeing of the most vulnerable adults in our county.

“The Care Act brought about radical change in terms of the culture, funding and the practice of social care.

“There are a number of areas of synergy between social care and public health, for example the ‘wellbeing principle’ where decisions about an adult must promote their wellbeing.

“The Act also placed a duty on local authorities to prevent care needs becoming more serious.

“Such an approach encompasses a range of public health services and merging the posts would enable public health principles to be further embedded in the work of adult social care and enhance the next stage of the council’s demand management approach.”

The report continued: “There is a national shortage of experienced Adult Social Care officers and it is highly likely that an external recruitment process would not result in attracting a suitable applicant.

“The proposed approach takes advantage of the fact that we have a skilled, respected officer in the Director of Public Health post who would stay longer in the council if there is the opportunity for development.

“Furthermore there has been a significant amount of turnover in corporate leadership in recent years.

“Only the Chief Executive, the Director of Public Health and the two joint appointments, one with Gloucester City Council and the other with the CCG, have longer than two years on the senior team.

“As a consequence there is organisational benefit to supporting internal progression in order to enable the retention of organisation learning and stability.”