Krutika Pau to take early retirement following Brent Council's restructuring

Photo: The Globe

 Krutika Pau, Brent's Director Children and Families, has announced that she will be taking early retirement and will leave the Council at the end of this month.

This follows the restructuring of the Council's corporate management whcih will see a new post of Strategic Director (Education, Health and Social Care) who will manage education, adult and children's social care, and public health.

An interim Director of Children and Families will be appointed through an internal process to bridge the gap before the new structure comes into effect. Sara Williams is currently assistant director.

Under Krutika Pau's directorship standards of achievement in Brent schools have risen often to above the national average, but  almost all Brent's non-faith secondary schools have become academies and a crisis at Copland High School is currently hitting the headlines. Pau has faced criticism for not taking a stronger line on forced academies and being too accommodating on free schools.

Dr Pau's resignation also follows the change in councillor leadership leadership on Chiodlren and Families with Michael Pavey replacing Mary Arnold.

Some clues about Krutika's views can be found on this April 2013 post on The Globe LINK

Krutika Pau is the Director of Children and Families at Brent Council. She previously worked for the then Department for Education and Skills, where she led on the development of city academies across London. She was appointed director of children and families at the council in September 2010.

Q: What are your proudest achievements?
A: An outstanding education enables young people to follow their passions and can be an exit strategy out of poverty.  There is an overall trajectory of improving educational standards in Brent and our young people are more likely to continue into higher education and are succeeding in securing places at the very best universities. However, we cannot afford to be complacent and need to ensure that all children in Brent are receiving a top quality education of which we can be proud.
Q: Please tell us about your current position?
A: I am the statutory director of children’s services in the London Borough of Brent.  There are over 70,000 children in Brent and currently the Council is the corporate parent for 344 children.  My department works directly with children, parents and carers, schools and a wide range of partners, including health, police and the voluntary sector. I work closely with elected councillors to ensure we continue to improve outcomes for all our children and families, particularly the
most vulnerable.
Q: What has been the biggest obstacle in your career?
A: Of course you get some lucky breaks, but I have always tried to take responsibility for developing my own career. You need to be self aware and continue to cultivate your strengths whilst working on those skills which require further improvement. You have to be courageous and seek opportunities to step out of your comfort zone.
Q: Who has been the biggest influence on your career to date?
A: I have been very fortunate to have had a handful of key people who have actively supported me along my journey.  However, the strong public service ethos demonstrated by my father throughout my childhood, has been like a golden thread running through my career. This provided me with a firm value base including the key characteristics of perseverance, resilience and reflection which act as a moral compass in turbulent times.
Q: What is the best thing about your current role?
A: The ability to lead across a whole system to build alliances and translate strategic vision into local improvement plans.  My role gives me a vantage point – a helicopter view of needs, resources, solutions and connections.  This is essential in order to navigate through a complex set of challenges as we move forward with an ambitious agenda to deliver sustained improvements for Brent residents.
Q: And the worst?
A: Seeing the impact of neglect and abuse on children by adults who should be keeping them safe and supporting them to grow into happy and confident young people. We need more people to come forward as potential foster carers and adopters – ordinary people have the ability to make an extraordinary difference in the lives of our most vulnerable children.
Q: What are your long term goals?
A: I am passionate about improving the life chances and choices of all children and young people and I want for them, what I want for my own children….the very best opportunities so they can fulfil their potential in life. Sadly many children have the odds stacked against them at a very early stage and some never recover from this poor start. I will continue to improve the system which supports the most vulnerable children and families, wherever they are, to overcome the barriers which prevent them from leading fulfilling lives.
Q: If you were marooned on a desert island, which historical figure would you like to spend your time with and why?
A:Not quite a historical figure, but I think it would be interesting to spend some time with Aung San Suu Kyi, the Burmese opposition leader.  She comes across as a woman of great conviction, dignity and inner strength.