The circumstances around former Lewisham Council chief executive Ian Thomas’ departure are still cause for concern, with reports this has sparked talks between local government organisations.

According to reports in the Municipal Journal, Mr Thomas is one of two high-profile chief executives across the country who have left their role after only months in the job – sparking concerns over ousting chiefs.

The Local Government Authority (LGA) and the Society of Local Authority Chief Executives (SOLACE) are now meeting to talk about recruitment processes and offering support to councils and chief executives.

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A SOLACE spokesperson told the Municipal Journal: “Senior appointments are incredibly important activities and making mistakes can prove costly.

“Investing in high-quality processes with the advice and support of sector specialists pays dividends in the long run resulting in the right individuals matched to the right role.”

In December Cllr Alan Hall asked for the full cost of replacing Mr Thomas to come to the council’s audit panel, including “recruitment costs…on-costs and…any legal out-of-court settlement costs” at a full council meeting.

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The “financial implications” of agreeing Janet Senior as interim chief executive are listed as the £185k salary of a chief executive, in a council report.

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Lewisham Council announced on October 29 that Mr Thomas was leaving the role, with the council “taking a new direction.” In a statement it said the decision had “no negative reflection on Ian.”

Mr Thomas began as the council’s chief executive in March, after being appointed by a panel which included Mayor Damien Egan and members of his cabinet.

Janet Senior, the executive director for resources and regeneration, became acting chief executive on October 29, after Mr Thomas delegated the role.

He is now the chief executive of Kingston Council.