Council chief executive to leave in the spring

A statement sent to the Advertiser by the council said: “Ms Kemp has led the authority since 2016, driving forward an improvement journey at the Council which saw the return of powers from Government, and the Council’s Children’s Services transformed from a failing service to consistently being rated Good by Ofsted since 2017.

“The organisation’s progress in recent years has been independently recognised, with an external corporate review in 2023 finding that ‘Rotherham Council serves the town well and is today an impressive organisation.’ The endorsement coming on the back of the Council being named the ‘Most Improved Council’ in the country at the Local Government Chronicle (LGC) Awards in 2022.”

Ms Kemp, who was awarded an OBE in the King’s Birthday Honours list in the summer of 2024 for her services to business and to the community in Rotherham and South Yorkshire, said: "Rotherham is a great place. It's been an honour to play a part in the Council’s journey here over the last nine years, serving the elected representatives and residents of the Borough.

“I feel proud to be part of what the authority and the wider Rotherham partnership has achieved, and in working alongside such dedicated colleagues who care deeply about making a positive difference to the life of the Borough.

“I remain committed to making significant progress on our ambitions in my remaining time in this role, and to ensuring a smooth transition to the new Chief Executive when they are appointed.”

Cllr Chris Read, who has been Council Leader throughout Ms Kemp’s tenure, said: “Sharon will leave Rotherham Council this year in vastly better position than when she arrived nine years ago, in no small part because of the determination, integrity, commitment and values she brought to the role. She is an exceptional public servant, recognised by the government’s request for her to support Nottingham City Council’s improvement journey. We are enormously grateful for her time with us and wish her every success for the future.”

Ms Kemp joined Rotherham Council in 2016 as part of a whole new senior leadership team brought in under Government appointed Commissioners, and she led the organisation on an improvement journey which saw its Children and Young People’s Services first being rated as ‘Good’ by Ofsted in 2017 and the organisation come out of special measures and intervention in 2018.

The Council was recognised as the 'Most Improved Council' in the country at the Local Government Chronicle (LGC) Awards in 2022, followed by an LGA peer review which described the Council as ‘an impressive organisation which serves the town well’ in 2023.

Ms Kemp was previously strategic director (reform) at Manchester City Council and was chosen for the job from 15 applicants.

Prior to that, she worked for six years with Blackburn with Darwen Council and had begun her career with Greater Manchester Police.