Exclusive
The last remaining officer of Thanet council’s previous senior management team has left his role.
Gavin Waite, who was Director of Communities/Operational Services, was suspended from his post on June 13. It is understood allegations of harassment and discrimination were lodged.
He had still been officially employed by Thanet council but finally quit the post with his last official day being November 30.
The suspension followed an announcement on June 9 of former chief executive Madeline Homer’s exit from Thanet council with an understood £327,000 severance payment.
That role is currently being undertaken by former Canterbury council chief Colin Carmichael.
Madeline Homer’s exit came on the heels of an independent report into failings at the authority, which included ‘serious breakdown’ in relationships of the top management team and the use of disciplinary action against staff trying to raise complaints.
Last year external auditors Grant Thornton issued a report branding relationships between the authority’s top officers as in “serious breakdown” and listing a catalogue of failures within the council, including attempting to discredit criticism in independent reports; draining finances due to disciplinary and tribunal actions and causing significant reputational harm to those involved in prolonged grievance processes.
Thanet District Council unanimously agreed to Grant Thornton’s four statutory recommendations – including bringing in an independent Monitoring Officer.
A summary version of the report by Independent Monitoring Officer, Quentin Baker, was published in May and highlighted concerns such as the personal relationship between then-chief exec Madeline Homer and Gavin Waite; the hostile relationship between the top four senior officers and the pay out of more than £1.5m for redundancy or employment tribunal deals between 2015-2021..
On two occasions disciplinary proceedings were launched against members of the top management team -one of which resulted in a serious disciplinary sanction against Monitoring Officer Tim Howes, leading to his dismissal in April of this year and the other ending with a public apology and £280k severance deal for deputy chief Tim Willis who left the council in October 2021.
Gavin Waite exits the council after eight years to ‘focus on new opportunities’ according to a message sent to all council staff and members by Mr Carmichael.
