Social Work Chief Will Be Paid £102,000

Mary Castles started her career as a rent collector and now she’s collecting £102,600 as the council’s new executive director of Housing and Social Work. The Kirkshaws woman began her career in local government back in 1979 with the old Monklands District Council and has now risen to the top with North Lanarkshire.

Council bosses are restructuring their services in a bid to save £50 million over the next five years, and as part of that Mrs Castles will be heading up the amalgamated Housing and Social Work services.

She said: “I am absolutely delighted at being appointed to this post and look forward to working with my new team to create a place where everyone has access to good quality housing, caring and co-ordinated support and the level of health services that meet people’s needs.

“This is an exciting time for the council and our new service will build on the substantial progress made to date.”

Mrs Castles will take up her new job on April 1, when she will step down from her current role as assistant chief executive of North Lanarkshire Council, with responsibility for community regeneration.

In this post she led a number of developments like implementing the council’s regeneration strategy, implementing the Anti-Social Behaviour Act and overseeing the provision of integrated children’s services.

Mrs Castles started her career in local government in 1979 as a rent collector with Monklands District Council and has progressed gradually through various departments while undertaking a range of courses of study.

In 1990, she moved from the district council to Strathclyde Regional Council as an executive officer for community development and, in 1991, was promoted to the post of sub-regional officer for Lanark Division.

Her appointment as assistant chief executive for North Lanarkshire Council came in 1995.

She is married with two grown-up children and two grandchildren.

Council leader Jim McCabe has warmly welcomed the appointment of Mrs Castles to the new promoted post.

He said this week: “We are delighted that Mary has been appointed.

“She has an extremely impressive track record of delivering results and will bring a great deal of knowledge, energy and enthusiasm to this crucial new role.”