Kate Josephs: Sheffield council boss party report heard in private

Kate Josephs left the Cabinet Office to work for Sheffield City Council

An independent report into a council boss who attended a leaving drinks party during lockdown is to be considered in private.

Kate Josephs, chief executive of Sheffield City Council, attended the Cabinet Office event during a previous Whitehall role.

A cross-party council committee later appointed an external investigator to look into into Ms Josephs' actions.

The committee meets on Thursday, but little can be shared, the council said.

Initially set-up after Ms Josephs admitted attending the event on 17 December 2020, the committee was created to decide what, if any, action the council should take.

The group decided to bring in an external investigator following the police's decision to examine what happened and the publication of the Sue Gray report.

Ms Josephs had been leaving her role as director general of the Covid Taskforce at the time of the party. She took up her £190,000-a-year job in Sheffield in January 2021.

She has apologised for the event and has been on paid leave since mid-January.

Rigid process

The meeting of the committee comes after the Metropolitan Police issued 20 fines to individuals who broke lockdown rules by attending gatherings in Downing Street and Whitehall.

Ms Josephs has not responded to media inquiries regarding any fine, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Those who receive one are not obliged to inform an employer and their names will not be made public by the police.

A council spokesperson said: "It was announced in February that an independent investigator would be brought in. 

"The committee will review the investigator's report at the meeting and they will need to meet again once they have had time to properly consider the contents.

"Until then, the committee needs to focus on its work."

The investigation has been carried out in private and the council says there is a rigid process it must follow that forms part of the contract for any statutory officer.