Glasgow Social Work Chief To Step Down

A second senior figure has announced his departure from Scotland’s largest local authority in less than a month. David Comley, director of social work at Glasgow City Council, told staff he will leave his £110,000-plus-a-year post this summer.

The 56-year-old follows Ronnie O’Connor, director of education and his predecessor at social work, in taking early retirement. Mr Comley’s decision was announced just a day before the restructuring of the council’s education and social work departments and the creation of an executive post to oversee both departments is approved by the authority.

It also comes during a radical overhaul of the city’s social work department and the creation of community healthcare partnerships (CHCPs) across Glasgow.

The council’s ruling Labour group has been working for some time on reducing the number of directors and improving co-ordination of education, social work and the new partnerships by introducing an executive director overseeing all three, with two directors below this. It is also the final year in which senior executives can leave with an enhanced financial package.

But questions are being asked as to why two senior directors best-qualified to take on the new post are walking away from the council. John Mason, SNP councillor and official leader of the opposition in Glasgow, said the departures “send out all the wrong messages”. He said: “I’m disappointed we are losing all this experience. You don’t know what people’s motives are, but I certainly think it sends out the wrong messages about this restructuring.”

Christopher Mason, leader of the council’s LibDem group, added: “David is the best social work director I have known in 25 years in local government and both he and Ronnie are outstanding public servants. Coming right in the middle of the development of the CHCPs, there couldn’t be a worse time to take early retirement. Is premature retirement their response to the merging of their departments?”

Mr Comley, widely regarded as having increased staff morale in the social work department and increased the number of front-line officers by more than 100 in four years in the job, told staff of his decision by e-mail yesterday.

The former housing director, who oversaw the housing stock transfer to the GHA, as well as the closure of the notorious Kerelaw Residential School and Glasgow’s homeless hostels, confirmed restructuring was behind his decision.

In his e-mail, Mr Comley said: “You will be aware that the council is entering a phase of significant restructuring at their management level with the creation of executive directors, including one for education and social work. As part of this exercise, chief officers were offered the opportunity to consider their future as we move into this next phase of service delivery within the city. I write to inform that, having reflected on my personal situation, I have decided to accept the offer of early retirement from this summer.”

Last night, John McKenzie, the authority’s member for social work, paid tribute to the outgoing director. He said: “Under David’s direction, our social services have made significant progress in recent years. He has given Glasgow years of sterling service and we can only thank him for making such a superb contribution.”