News

• Temporary replacement for Held appointed
• Held resigns in surprise move

Social services in Camden is facing increased uncertainty following the reported departure of its lead council member for social services and health, and further speculation over the reasons for social services director Jane Held’s departure, write Katie Leason and Derren Hayes.

Penny Abraham, who is the council’s executive member for social services and health, is expected to leave the council’s cabinet but to stay on as a councillor.

Abraham’s departure follows the shock resignation of social services director Jane Held in December.

In a meeting last week, social workers were told by managers “in a round about way” that one of the reasons for Held’s departure was that she had “taken her eye off the ball at home due to activities outside”, Unison revealed.

Held, as co-chairperson of the Association of Directors of Social Services’ children and families committee, put together the ADSS’ comprehensive response to the government’s children’s green paper.

However, Andrew Cozens, president of the ADSS, said both Held and Camden chief executive Moira Gibb had assured him that wasn’t a factor as she worked on it in her own time in the evenings.

At the meeting Gibb told staff there was an agreement that there would be “no kiss and tell”, over why Held resigned.

Unison is concerned that some of the 46 social workers jobs seconded to Camden and Islington care trust could be threatened by financial problems. Unison believes the trust – which provides mental health services for the two London boroughs – is around £4 million overspent and service cutbacks and job losses are likely.

The trust refutes the £4 million figure and said it is on target to break even by the end of March, after being £1.5 million in the red in December, through using less agency staff.