A TOP officer is leaving Stoke-on-Trent City Council after landing a job with his former boss in Cheshire.

Mark Palethorpe, who is the council's head of adult services and partnerships, becomes the latest senior figure to leave for Cheshire West and Chester Council, where he will be director of adult social care and health.

His departure comes as the city council is embarking on a massive shake-up of social care.

Mr Palethorpe is overseeing the personalisation programme, which aims to tailor support packages to suit individual users' needs, but which critics fear may become a cost-cutting exercise.

Cheshire West and Chester Council is run by former city council manager Steve Robinson, who left Stoke-on-Trent in October 2008.

He was followed within weeks by director of central services Julie Gill and adult social care and health director Steve Wilds.

And early last year the authority also lost its then head of housing, Alan Slater, head of human resources, Euan Murdoch-Hollies, and head of citywide and neighbourhood services Helen Bailey to the Chester council.

Following the departures, the city's leaders embarked on a major recruitment drive that cost more than £400,000 in consultants' fees.

Mr Palethorpe is the first senior officer to leave for Chester in the past 18 months, and will replace current director Mr Wilds.

And Mr Robinson has told staff at Chester that Mr Palethorpe will start in his new post this autumn, once he has worked his notice period.

He said: "Mark comes to us with a wealth of experience and understanding of the care sector, as well as a proven track record of delivery with the Social Services Inspectorate, and has had many years driving excellent services for service users whilst making the best use of the resources through service redesign and prudent financial management."

Mr Palethorpe grew up in Chester and previously worked as an assistant occupational therapist at the Countess of Chester Hospital.

It is not known how much he will earn in the new role, but the salary is likely to be well above £100,000 a year, compared to about £80,000 for a head of department at the city council.

Conservative Councillor Hazel Lyth, city council cabinet member for adult social care, health, leisure and culture, said: "We are disappointed to lose an officer of Mark's calibre, but pleased for him that he is able to further his career.

"We will be recruiting a permanent replacement and the recruitment process has already begun.

"We would hope to have an appointment made sometime in the autumn."

Lib Dem Councillor Jean Bowers, chairman of the adults and older people's well-being overview and scrutiny committee, said: "Mark has been an excellent officer.

"I'm very sad he is leaving, and I really wish Steve Robinson would leave us alone and let us hang on to our good officers, because too many have been milked from us now."

Non-aligned Councillor Pauline Joynson said: "I'm concerned that we appear to be losing yet another of our top officers to Cheshire West and Chester."

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