Many staff either employed by Shepway District Council (SDC) or let go have received payments to ease their departure from previous jobs or for leaving SDC.
According to the 2015/16 accounts and an Freedom of Information request, former Head of Housing, Land and Property Bob Porter (below) received £37,616.92 as ‘compensation’ to ‘ease his departure’ from SDC.
Bob was head of Housing, Land & Property from January 2014 – August 2015 (1 year 8 months). He was a head of service and member of the senior management team at Shepway DC. Responsible for broad portfolio of services including housing, grounds maintenance, transport, development projects, engineering and corporate property.
Moving on our former s151 Finance Officer and Chief Finance Officer, Joanna Miller
received £26,230 plus £100 for entering into confidentiality clause. She was with SDC for less than eighteen months. However, Ms Miller has form regarding confidentiality clauses and exit payments. She previously received £50,000 from Craven District Council as a ‘compensation package’ with a confidentiality clause.
Dr Susan Priest Corporate Director Shepway District Council
Cllr Claire Jeffrey (Lab), a former SDC employee as an information officer was also given a compensation package and gagged when she left SDC. Does she as a Cllr believe exit packages are a wise use of public money?
In April this year Meg Hillier, the chairwoman of the Commons public accounts committee, told the BBC it was unacceptable that agreements were being used to prevent whistleblowing.
