Dudley Council looking for £600 a day director – despite already having one

The authority is looking for a director of public health, and Reed.co.uk lists the post as ‘temporary, full-time’ with a salary that could reach as much as £169,000 per year.

Dudley already has a director of public health, Dr Mayada Abuaffan, who has been in the job since early 2022, her salary is listed on the council’s website as £105,991.

Balvinder Heran, Dudley Council’s interim chief executive, said: “The director of public health is taking some personal leave, and we are looking to temporarily recruit someone to cover the post in the short term to meet our statutory responsibilities.”

A new interim public health chief will add another name to an already hefty list of top jobs filled by temporary staff.

As well as public health director and chief executive, the roles of director of finance, head of law and governance, director of children and young people and director of adult social care are all held by interim staff.

The lack of permanent staff in the top roles following the departure of long-serving directors from those jobs is a concern for the Conservative-run council’s Labour opposition.

Cllr Shaukat Ali, Dudley’s Labour spokesman for finance, said: “It is something which does not look right at all, there is no certainty, no security.

“A place that was held in high regard for its governance standards is broken at the moment.”

Balvinder Heran said: “The council is going through a significant period of change currently, including a complete review of its senior management structure.

“Any changes will reinforce the strategic management structure moving forward.”

The council, which has just approved savings to its budget for the next financial year of £42m, has begun the process of recruiting a permanent chief executive offering a salary of £195,792.

When a new permanent executive has been appointed the authority plans to introduce a new operating model with a management restructure.