North Northamptonshire Council's children's services boss quits for new job

The woman in charge of children’s services in north Northamptonshire has quit to take on a role at another council.

AnnMarie Dodds will be leaving her post at North Northamptonshire Council (NNC) to become executive director for children and family services with West Berkshire Council.

She has been with NNC since April 2021, previously as an assistant director, and became executive director for children’s services in January 2022.

Earlier this year she gave a brutally honest assessment of the state of the council’s special educational needs and disabilities service she inherited. She outlined a ‘critical level’ of tribunals, broken relationships and money being paid to schools for pupils who had already left.

But the service made huge strides under her leadership as part of a wide-ranging plan of action.

AnnMarie said: “It has been an enormous privilege to have held the post of executive director for children’s services in north Northamptonshire.

"I want to pay special thanks to those councillors and officers who have worked with me on the journey from my arrival in north Northamptonshire.

"West Berkshire provides an exciting opportunity for me to lead the full range of children’s services and to work close to home, so it was too great an opportunity to ignore.”

NNC leader Cllr Jason Smithers said: “I would like to thank AnnMarie for her hard work and achievement in her role, and I am sure my colleagues will join me and in wishing AnnMarie all the very best in her new role when she starts.”