Top Peterborough City Council executive to job share with second authority

Wendi Ogle-Welbourn, the council’s corporate director of people and communities, will fulfil the role of director of childrens’ services and director of adult social services with Cambridgeshire County Council.

The county council has requested that Ms Ogle-Welbourn take on the additional responsibility on a temporary basis, although no length of time has been given for how long that will be.

The job share will heighten fears that the two authorities will once again merge.

They both share the same chief executive in Gillian Beasley who held the post solely in Peterborough before filling in at Shire Hall in Cambridge for a year.

The trial arrangement was then made permanent in June after it was agreed to merge the two chief executive roles.

A restructure at the city council in February 2015 saw Ms Ogle-Welbourn take on a wider portfolio but receive a salary of £135,000.

But her new temporary position will save the city council £89,309 a year due to payments by the county council.

Councillor John Holdich, leader of Peterborough City Council, said: “Wendi has proven to be a talented director, leading all the council services that involve our communities including those for vulnerable children and adults.

“So it is no surprise that the county council has asked us to consider a temporary job share whilst they are agreeing the future approach for delivering services for children and adults.

“Staff in children and adult services at both councils already work together - for example there is a shared emergency duty team for children’s social care and services work closely on cases which involve families that live close to the council boundaries.

“In addition, Wendi already works closely with the county in the areas of domestic abuse, child and adult health, safeguarding and adult mental health.

“This temporary shared role will allow us to extend that partnership working to look at how we can provide residents with better and more cost effective services.”

Cllr Holdich signed off the deal after the county council had given its approval for it.

As a result Ms Ogle-Welbourn will begin her new shared role working for both councils from early October.

The appointment follows the departure of the county council’s director of children, families and adults - Adrian Loades - who is leaving the authority to take up a new position elsewhere.

Peterborough city councillors will vote next month on whether to accept a new combined authority for Peterborough and Cambridgeshire, which would be led by an elected mayor.

Permanent job merger for Peterborough City Council chief executive