Our directorates and structure
Lewisham Council's directorates and structure.
Top tier directorate structure
Information about our five directorates and the chief officers for each.
Chief Executive
The Chief Executive’s directorate works with the Mayor and Cabinet to ensure the Council’s strategic objectives (as set out in the Corporate Strategy) are achieved.
The activities of the directorate span the whole organisation and include managing transformational projects and programmes, enabling evidence-based policy development and strategic decision-making, supporting the organisation to attract, retain and manage a highly-skilled workforce and ensuring staff and residents are informed, consulted and engaged.
The directorate also supports the Council’s decision-making functions and ensures that the democratic process in Lewisham is managed in accordance with the law.
Chief Executive
Jennifer Daothong - Chief Executive
Responsibilities
The Chief Executive works closely with the directly elected mayor and elected councillors to provide:
- positive results – setting the Council’s management arrangements and practices to ensure effective and efficient delivery of services through well organised and motivated staff
- strategic direction – ensuring that the mayor and Council’s priorities and goals can be implemented through focused strategies, projects and programmes
- policy advice – acting as the principal policy adviser to the directed elected mayor and elected councillors and securing best professional advice on all relevant matters in respect of the Council’s functions and services
- partnerships – leading and developing effective partnerships at management level with other public agencies, private companies and local community organisations to achieve better public services and improved results for local people
- operational management – ensuring that the Council has the highest standards of achievement in financial and budgetary management; the management of service performance; the management of emergencies and risks generally; the management of suppliers; and the overall management of change and improvement within the Council.
The Chief Executive is expected to work outside their contracted hours as necessary, including evenings and weekends to deal with any serious and urgent matters and to ensure that the service is maintained. They also cover duties for both Lewisham and London-wide emergency planning requirements. No additional payments are made to them for these additional duties.
Contact details
Telephone: 0208 314 6000
Director of Communications and Engagement
Helen Clarke - Director of Communications and Engagement
Responsibilities
- Internal and Digital Communications
- Media and Campaigns
- Engagement
- Civic Events
- Lewisham Strategic Partnership
- Executive Support
Contact details
Telephone: 020 8314 6000
Email: helen.clarke@lewisham.gov.uk
Director of Law & Corporate Governance
Jeremy Chambers - Director of Law & Corporate Governance
Responsibilities
- Legal Services
- Electoral Services
- Governance and Committee Services
-
Emergency Planning and Business Continuity
-
Overview and Scrutiny
-
Policy team
-
Mayor’s Office
-
Information Governance
Contact details
Telephone: 0208 314 6000
Director of People and Organisation Development
Sherene Russell-Alexander - Director of People and Organisation Development
Responsibilities
- Organisation Development
- Strategic HR Business Partnering
- Employee Relations, including trade union relationship management
- Employee Services
- Resourcing and Talent Acquisition
Contact details
Telephone: 020 8314 6000
Children and Young People
The Children and Young People directorate works in partnership with other public sector and voluntary organisations to provide a wide range of services for children, young people and families, including the most vulnerable in the borough, which help them to stay safe, make a positive contribution and achieve their full potential.
Executive Director
Pinaki Ghoshal - Executive Director for Children and Young People
Responsibilities
- Children’s Social Care
- Joint Commissioning and Early Help
- Education Services
Contact details
Telephone: 0208 314 6000
Director of Education Services
Angela Scattergood - Director of Education Services
Responsibilities
- Integrated Services for SEND and Complex Needs
- Lewisham Learning
- Access Inclusion and Participation
- Virtual Schools
- Business Infrastructure, Compliance and Education Operations
- Early Years Sufficiency and Quality
- Schools HR
- Early Years Sufficiently and Quality
Contact details
Telephone: 0208 314 6000
Director of Children's Social Care
Lucie Heyes - Director of Children's Social Care
Responsibilities
- Family Social Work
- MASH/ Referral and Assessment
- Quality Assurance
- Corporate Parenting
- Workforce Development
Contact details
Telephone: 0208 314 6000
Email: Lucie.Heyes@lewisham.gov.uk
Director of Families, Quality and Commissioning
Sara Rahman - Director of Families, Quality and Commissioning
Responsibilities
- Prevention and Early Help
- Joint Commissioning
- Youth Offending
- Safeguarding and Quality Assurance
- Strategy and Improvement
Contact details
Telephone: 0208 314 6000
Email: Sara.Rahman@lewisham.gov.uk
Community Services
The Community Services directorate aims to improve local health and wellbeing by providing services to residents in need of care, addressing health inequalities in the borough and increasing involvement in sport, leisure and physical activity.
The directorate also supports cultural and arts organisations and works closely with communities to promote learning, engagement and civic action.
Executive Director
Tom Brown - Executive Director for Community Services
Responsibilities
- Integrated Care and Commissioning
- Adult Social Care
- Culture, Libraries and Learning
- Communities, Partnerships and Leisure
- Public Health
Contact details
Telephone: 0208 314 6000
Email: Tom.Brown@lewisham.gov.uk
Director of Adult Integrated Commissioning
Kenneth Gregory - Director of Adult Integrated Commissioning
Responsibilities
- Public Health Commissioning & Planning – Sexual Health, Substance Misuse Community Health and Primary Care
- Supported Housing Commissioning & Planning
- Accommodation based support quality assurance
- Adult Mental Health Commissioning and Planning
- Autism Strategy development and Planning
- Complex Care and Learning Disability Commissioning & Planning
- Domiciliary Care and Community Equipment Commissioning & Planning
- Care Home Quality Assurance
- Continuing Health Care Delivery and Planning
- Carers Strategy development and implementation
- End of Life Care
- Borough Based Community Health Services (NHS) Commissioning and Planning Population based health and social care system based planning, development and improvement
Contact details
Telephone: 0208 314 6000
Director of Systems Transformation
Sarah Wainer - Director of Systems Transformation
Contact details
Telephone: 0208 314 6000
Email: Sarah.Wainer@lewisham.gov.uk
Director of Adult Social Care
Joan Hutton - Director of Adult Social Care
Responsibilities
- Adults Social Work
- Gateway (Community referral pathway)
- Mental Health Lewisham (SLaM)
- Neighbourhood teams
- MASH, Safeguarding and Quality assurance, Placement reviews.
- Internal Provider Services (Enablement, Link line, Shared lives and Day opportunities).
- Learning Disabilities and Transitions
- Hospital Discharge strategic flow (joint post with Lewisham and Greenwich Trust - LGT).
- Therapies (joint post with LGT).
- Service Development and Improvement.
- Safeguarding Adult board management support.
- Principal Social Worker and Learning and Development.
Contact details
Telephone: 0208 314 6000
Email: Joan.Hutton@lewisham.gov.uk
Director of Communities, Partnerships and Leisure
James Lee - Director of Communities, Partnerships and Leisure
Responsibilities
- Adult Learning Lewisham
- Bereavement Services
- Community Development
- Culture
- Libraries and Information Services
- Safer Communities
- Sports, Parks and Leisure
Contact details
Telephone: 0208 314 6000
Email: James.Lee@lewisham.gov.uk
Director of Public Health
Catherine Mbema - Director of Public Health
Responsibilities
- Public Health Intelligence
- Public Health Strategy
Contact details
Telephone: 0208 314 6000
Place
The Place directorate is focused on strategic place-making, with responsibility for coordinating development and growth in order to create thriving neighbourhoods, maximise housing supply and promote economic opportunities for residents and businesses. The directorate also plays a key role in delivering a safer, cleaner and greener Lewisham.
Executive Director
Nazeya Hussain - Interim Executive Director Place
Responsibilities
- Public Realm
- Planning
- Inclusive Regeneration
Contact details
Telephone: 0208 314 6000
Director of Public Realm
Zahur Khan - Director of Public Realm
Responsibilities
- Waste and Street Cleansing
- Environmental Health
- Markets
- Parking Transport
- Road Safety
- Highways
- Street Lighting
Contact details
Telephone: 020 8314 6000
Email: zahur.khan@lewisham.gov.uk
Director of Inclusive Regeneration
Patrick Dubeck - Director of Inclusive Regeneration
Responsibilities
- Climate Resilience
- Capital Programmes
- Property and Assets
- Building Control
- Strategic Development
- Economy, Jobs and Partnerships
Contact details
Telephone: 0208 314 6000
Director of Planning
Nick Fenwick - Interim Director of Planning
Responsibilities
- Strategic Planning, including planning policy, conservation, urban design, trees, Section 106 and CIL and neighbourhood planning
- Development Management, including the negotiation and determination of planning applications and planning enforcement
- Business and Improvement Stakeholder Relations, including local land charges
Contact details
Telephone: 0208 314 6000
Email: Nick.Fenwick@lewisham.gov.uk
Housing services
The Housing directorate works to deliver outstanding housing services, strengthen residents’ voices and provide high-quality homes for our tenants and leaseholders.
Executive Director
Gillian Douglas - Executive Director for Housing
Responsibilities
- Overall strategic direction for Lewisham Council’s Housing Service, in collaboration with the Chief Executive, Mayor and Cabinet
Contact details
Telephone: 0208 314 6000
Director of Housing Strategy
Fenella Beckman - Director of Housing Strategy
Responsibilities
- Housing Needs Services
- Private Sector Licensing
- Housing Improvement and Assistance
- Housing Partnerships
- Policy & Strategy
- Data & Insight
- Business Intelligence
Contact details
Telephone: 0208 314 6000
Director of Housing Quality and Investment
Nahim Ruhi-Khan - Director of Housing Quality and Investment
Responsibilities
- Repairs
- Building Safety
- Fire Safety
- Strategic Health and Safety
- Compliance
- Stock Investment and Asset Management
Contact details
Telephone: 0208 314 6000
Director of Housing Resident Engagement and Services
Carol Hinvest - Director of Housing Resident Engagement and Services
Responsibilities
- Housing and Communities
- Income and Support
- Home Ownership and Independent Living
- Environment
- Customer Relations
Contact details
Telephone: 0208 314 6000
Corporate Resources
The Corporate Resources directorate acts as the guardian of the Council’s finances, providing financial management, advice and support as well as delivering resident-focused finance services and driving efficiencies across the organisation.
The directorate is also responsible for the provision of high-quality digital, information and communication technologies which enable the Council to deliver services more effectively.
Executive Director
David Austin - Acting Executive Director for Corporate Resources
Responsibilities
- Finance
- Assurance
- IT and Digital Services
- Resident and Business Services (including Council Tax and Benefits)
Contact details
Telephone: 0208 314 6000
Email: David.Austin@lewisham.gov.uk
Director of Finance
Katharine Nidd - Acting Director of Finance
Responsibilities
- Finance
- Risk and Insurance
- Anti-Fraud and Corruption
- Internal Audit
- Strategic Procurement and Commercial Services
- Pensions and Treasury
- Payroll and Pensions
Contact details
Telephone: 0208 314 6000
Director of IT and Digital Services
Wendy Carr - Director of IT and Digital Services
Responsibilities
- Digital Solutions
- Applications Management
- Information Security
- IT Operations
- Insight, Transformation and Programme Management Office
Contact details
Telephone: 0208 314 6000
Email: Wendy.Carr@lewisham.gov.uk
Director of Resident and Business Services
Maxine Gordon - Director of Resident and Business Services
Responsibilities
- Revenue and Benefits
- Corporate Customer Relations
- Facilities Management.
Contact details
Telephone: 0208 314 6000