RMBC leader says £145,000 children's director salary is 'money well spent'

A £145,000 remuneration package for his successor, Jon Stonehouse, was agreed by councillors on Wednesday.

Opposition member Cllr Adam Carter voted against the salary. The Liberal Democrat said: "While noting the history and difficulties this council has had in maintaining children’s services, I don’t think the public will support a remuneration package of this magnitude.

“While I appreciate the sentiment that we want the best for Rotherham, which is what our children deserve, the prime minister doesn’t even earn that.”

The post had been advertised at £147,000 but the reduced rate had later been agreed with Mr Stonehouse, who will move from the same post at York.

Council leader Cllr Chris Read said: “This amount of money allows us to appoint someone with a proven track record of running children’s services successfully. From that point of view, this is money well spent.”

He added: “The challenge is to put a price on the cost of the senior manager responsible for keeping children safe.

“If anyone in the country knows the cost of not having the right people and not keeping children safe, it is the public of Rotherham.”

Mr Thomas, who joined in 2015 after the CSE scandal, left earlier this year to become chief executive at Lewisham in London.