THE NEW Corporate Director of Children, Education and Families at Thurrock Council is Jo Olsson, currently Deputy Director of Children Service at Waltham Forest Council.
She has spent the last five years at Waltham Forest, helping transform a service from “in special measures” to “good with some outstanding features”.
Jo said: “I am absolutely delighted to be joining colleagues who, I know, have been working very hard to make sure children and young people in Thurrock have every opportunity to be happy and successful in life.
“I am looking forward to building on the successes already achieved and working towards an even better future for children, their families and the community.”
She has spent most of her working life in children’s services, NCH (the children’s charity), NSPCC and local authorities, mostly in child protection, and all in London.
She said she has been “working with others to close the life-chances gap between the most disadvantaged and the most advantaged”, and is “proud to be a social worker, privileged to be in public service; even prouder to be a parent of two wonderful young adults”.
Cllr Sue MacPherson, Thurrock’s Cabinet member for Children’s Services, added: “The work Jo has been involved with in the past highlights her commitment to young people and I’m sure that commitment will translate into success here as it has done at Waltham Forest.
“I’d like to take this chance to welcome Jo to Thurrock and look forward to her taking up the reins next month.”
