Rotherham council chief announces departure

The chief executive of Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council has announced she will step down in the spring after nine years in the role.

Sharon Kemp said it had been an "honour" to hold the position, adding that she would remain committed to her ambitions while still in post.

Kemp oversaw the return of powers to the authority after it had earlier been taken under government control following the publication of a report into the council's handling of child sexual exploitation.

Announcing her decision to leave the role, Kemp said she felt "proud to be part of what the authority and the wider Rotherham partnership has achieved".

Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council was named "most improved council" in the country by the Local Government Chronicle in 2022.

Since 2017, Ofsted has rated the council's once-failing children's services as "good", following the authority's "systematic and rigorous" efforts to improve.

Councillor Chris Read, leader of the council, described Kemp as an exceptional public servant.

He said: "Sharon will leave Rotherham Council this year in a 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."

Kemp was appointed commissioner for transformation at Nottingham City Council last year, following the "continuous improvements" made in Rotherham.

She was appointed OBE in the King's Birthday Honours in 2024.

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