Croydon staff told work will continue amid reports of suspension of four chiefs

Croydon Council has been assuring staff that services will continue as usual as claims that four senior members of staff have been suspended circulate.

The Local Government Chronical reported yesterday evening (Tuesday, February 9) that director of finance Lisa Taylor, director of place Shifa Mustafa, director of localities Hazel Simmonds and director of health, wellbeing and adults Guy Van Dichele have been suspended.

It is thought that this is in relation to an independent investigation by the Local Government Association into senior management actions in relation to financial mismanagement at the council.

Conservative shadow cabinet member for finance Cllr Jason Cummings said: “We’ve had no official confirmation of what the situation is, there has been an internal communication that has gone out that they’re not saying at this stage what the position is and assuring everybody that services are going to continue and everything is under control.

“If they have taken place it is not a surprise that they have occurred, the financial situation was created by mismanagement over a number of years.

“Having said that, the real people responsible are not the officers but the councillors who were running the council.”

When contacted, Croydon Council said it does not comment on individual staffing matters.

The council is currently facing an overspend of more than £60 million and had to declare effective bankruptcy in November.

It it waiting for the a government bail out in the form of a loan which will mean the council can balance it’s budget this financial year and next.

A damning report from the council’s external auditors in October slammed ‘collective corporate blindness’ at the authority and revealed that the council was warned about its financial stability as long ago as 2017.