Rotherham council boss to help bankrupt council

Rotherham Council chief executive, Sharon Kemp, has been seconded to Nottingham City Council

Rotherham Council’s chief executive Sharon Kemp has been asked to help Nottingham City Council sort out its financial woes.

Nottingham Council declared itself effectively bankrupt in November last year, leading to hundreds of job losses as well as cuts to social care and youth services.

Ms Kemp has been appointed by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities to work in Nottingham as commissioner for transformation.

She will not receive any additional income while seconded to Nottingham, but Rotherham Council will be compensated for her time.

Ms Kemp has led Rotherham Council since February 2016, having been appointed by government commissioners who were overseeing improvements at the authority in the wake of the child sexual exploitation scandal.

Since her arrival at the council, Rotherham has had its full powers returned and its children and young people’s services have been rated 'good' by Ofsted since 2018.

In Nottingham, Ms Kemp will work alongside lead commissioner Tony McArdle and commissioner for finance, Margaret Lee, who were both appointed in February.

The commissioners now have control over functions associated with the governance, scrutiny and transparency of strategic decision-making at the council.

While Mr McArdle and Ms Lee will be paid a day rate of £1,200 and £1,100 respectively, Nottingham City Council will pay Rotherham Council itself for Ms Kemp’s time, at a day rate of £1,100.

She will continue in her role as chief executive at Rotherham Council, alongside her role as a commissioner in Nottingham.

Nottingham City Council issued a section 114 notice in November, after the authority’s chief finance officer forecast a budget deficit of more than £50m.

A section 114 notice means the council has ceased all new spending on services that it is not obliged by law to provide, or that it has already committed to.

The City Council has blamed the rising cost of social care services, as well as the pressures of homelessness and inflation for its financial difficulties.