Oxfordshire County Council’s new interim Chief Executive, Stephen Chandler has begun his new role.
He was appointed following an internal recruitment process among existing Directors and was approved for the role at a meeting of the authority’s full council on 8 February, with his reign beginning the following day.
The move follows the announcement of the start of the process of ending the partnership between Oxfordshire County Council and Cherwell District Council that has been in place since 2018.
Yvonne Rees had been the joint Chief Executive of both since 2018, having previously been Chief Executive of Cherwell Council and has returned to her substantive post as CEO at the authority.
Commenting, Leader of Oxfordshire County Council, Councillor Liz Leffman said:
“I’m very pleased that we are able to appoint Stephen and warmly welcome him to the role.
“He has been part of the council’s leadership team since September 2019 in the role of Director of Adult Services and is therefore already very well-known to county council staff and county councillors.
“We are in the process of making the necessary arrangements for backfilling this post.
“We look forward to working with Stephen as we plan ahead to meet the challenges and opportunities in the coming months.
“I would like to take this opportunity to thank Yvonne Rees for the committed and dedicated service she has given since 2018.
“The past few years have presented us with some of the most challenging circumstances we have ever seen and Yvonne has expertly navigated us through these, ensuring the best possible outcomes for our residents.”
As interim Chief Executive Officer, Mr Chandler will be responsible for:
- Providing strategic leadership to dissolve the agreement between the county council and Cherwell District Council by August 2022.
- Supporting all members of staff through this period of change.
- Overseeing regular communications with staff, elected members, external partners and the public.
- Working with the senior management team to create robust and resilient structures in all directorates to ensure the authority can continue to deliver the administration’s nine priorities.
- Providing an effective link with government departments and external agencies and bodies, including integrated health systems.
- Supporting the continued recovery from Covid-19 with health partners and the district and city councils.
Mr Chandler’s previous role before joining Oxfordshire County Council was as Director of Adult Services at Somerset County Council.
He is also the President of the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services (ADASS).
Commenting, Mr Chandler said:
“I am really pleased to be appointed to this interim role and look forward to working closely with our residents, elected members and staff over the next few months to maximise the opportunities for Oxfordshire.
“This is truly an exciting time for the council.”
The appointment is a temporary position and the process of recruiting a permanent Chief Executive Officer will begin shortly.
A new sub-committee of the authority’s Remuneration Committee has been established for this purpose.
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