Fife Council is structured into five main directorates, each led by an Executive Director:
Ken Gourlay
Chief Executive
Fife House,
North Street,
Glenrothes,
KY7 5LT
The Chief Executive, Ken Gourlay, is the most senior paid position in the council, leading a staff of 17,500. He has ultimate responsibility for the council delivering over 500 key services to the people of Fife and managing our annual revenue and capital budget of over £1 billion.
The education of our children, looking after our environment, creating jobs, providing housing, keeping communities safe, supporting Fife’s vulnerable residents and providing sport and leisure opportunities – these and all other council services contribute to us enjoying a better quality of life. And it’s the Chief Executive’s job to continually improve how these services are provided within the budget approved by the Council. The Chief Executive is also the lead officer in the event of any major emergency.
Key facts about the council's top job:
Michael Enston
Executive Director Communities
Fife House
North Street
Glenrothes
KY7 5LT
The Communities Directorate brings together a range of services which deliver directly to/with communities and works to improve our local connections to provide an increasingly responsive, coordinated public service with and for our residents.
How do we do this?
Children, Families and Justice - Enhancing opportunities for our most vulnerable groups and individuals - protecting our most vulnerable children, families, and service users but also enhancing opportunities to improve their whole life outcomes and seek to secure positive outcomes.
Communities and Neighbourhoods - Functions whose focus is on community development and engagement, voluntary sector support, community planning, performance management and improvement, local coordination and policy, plus project support for key strategies including anti-poverty, health and wellbeing, safer communities and community learning.
Customer and Online Services Improvement - Delivers the council's customer strategy, bringing together areas of customer contact, scheduling and assessment of need. It comprises the Contact Centre, Customer Service Centres, Registration, Escalation & Resolution, Information Management & Requests, Online Services, and Financial Wellbeing & Revenues.
Housing Services - Managing the council’s housing stock, housing access including homelessness services and housing development.
Fife Sports & Leisure Trust - Fife Sports and Leisure Trust, established on 1 April 2008, manages twelve sports and leisure facilities across Fife on behalf of Fife Council.
Back To TopPosition currently vacant
Executive Director, Education
Fife House
North Street
Glenrothes
KY7 5LT
Fife’s Education and Children’s Directorate is the second largest in Scotland. We provide high quality education and social work services to children, young people and families and in relation to criminal justice.
Our vision is to improve life chances for all
The Education and Children’s Services Directorate plays a key role in taking forward the wider aims of the council by:
Our approach is founded on the values of:
Our priorities are to improve:
Our commitment in practice:
We will attract and recruit the most effective practitioners; and we will develop their professional learning and practice.
We will develop effective partnerships and integrate services in a child and family-centred way.
We will focus our efforts on prevention, early intervention to break the cycle of disadvantage and protect the vulnerable.
We will be relentless in our focus on improving outcomes for all.
Back To TopCarol Connolly
Executive Director, Place
The Enterprise and Environment Directorate brings together services who are working to create a brighter future for Fife - looking after our buildings and assets, developing a strong economy, preserving our environment and helping us get around easily and safely. The Directorate comprises the following Services:
Head of Service: Gordon Mole
Business & Employability Services are responsible for developing initiatives to promote economic growth, enhance employability and supporting local businesses by:
Head of Service: John Rodigan
This diverse service is responsible for managing and maintaining the environmental assets through:
Head of Service: Tariq Ditta
Facilities Management Service provides a range of services that supports the day-to-day functioning of buildings through:
Head of Service: Pam Ewen
Planning Services plays a crucial role in shaping Fife’s places through sustainable development, addressing climate emergency and assisting in growing Fife’s economy. The Service leads on a range of place-based plans and strategies, projects and assessing planning applications:
Head of Service: Alan Paul
Property Services manages and maintains the council’s property portfolio ensuring buildings are safe, well-maintained and fit for purpose through the following teams:
Head of Service: Nigel Kerr
Protective Services aims to safeguard the community by promoting public safety and ensuring compliance with regulations through:
Head of Service: John Mitchell
Roads and Transportation Services deliver the management and maintenance of the roads network and transportation infrastructure throughout Fife through:
Eileen Rowand
Executive Director of Finance and Corporate Services
Fife House,
North Street,
Glenrothes,
KY7 5LT
The Executive Director, as a member of the Council's Management Team, is accountable for the overall strategic leadership and management of the Finance and Corporate Services functions. This includes the further integration and development of these services to meet the needs of service users and communities, ensuring that the corporate objectives and policies of the Council are reflected in the services provided, methods of delivery and responsiveness to local needs.
The functions within the Directorate are Finance, Revenue & Commercial Services, Assessors, Human Resources, Legal Services, Democratic Services and Business Technology Solutions.
In addition the Executive Director has the Lead responsibility for the corporate priority - Efficiency and Risk Management. The identification of this as a key priority for the Council reinforces the importance of risk management across the Council both to improve service delivery and strengthen democratic processes and the importance of efficiency as the Council faces continuing and prolonged financial pressures.
Find out more about Fife Council's Budget and Finances.
Finance & Corporate Services Directorate
With over 2,000 people, across 8 professional areas, in around 120 roles, Finance & Corporate Services is a large and exciting Directorate to work in. At the heart of this diverse directorate is delivery of consistent, quality support based on professional expertise and commitment to excellence.
Eileen Rowand is the Executive Director Finance & Corporate Services, and each Service within the directorate is led by a Head of Service. This Directorate Management Team ensures our ambitions for Fife and for our workforce are delivered and managed in a way that supports our workforce, enables new ways of working, makes the most of technology and helps makes the best use of our finances.
Finance Services
Elaine Muir, Head of Finance
The Finance Service provides financial advice and information to Services and Committees of the Council. Key functions include financial planning, accounting, business analysis, treasury management, investment, taxation, risk management, internal audit and ensuring we focus our finances well in these challenging times.
Revenue & Commercial Services
Les Robertson, Head of Revenue & Commercial Services
There are 4 distinct functional areas within Revenue and Shared Services: Revenue Services collects all income due to Fife Council as well as administration of Benefits and other financial assessments; Business Support provides effective administrative support through the coordination of resources and opportunities for self-service, Procurement Service provides a professional, centrally coordinated purchasing service for the Council and the Transaction Team provides recruitment, payroll, pension, accounts processing and internal shared service desk.
Human Resources Service
Sharon McKenzie, Head of Human Resources
The Human Resources Service (HR) provides strategic workforce advice and information to the Administration, Committees and Services of the Council. In addition HR enables managers to manage and support their staff, through a range of employment policies, guidance and provision, including business partnering services, resourcing, change management, learning and development and health and safety. The Service ensures effective support to our managers and staff by working in partnership with the recognised Trade Unions.
Legal & Democratic Services
Lindsay Thomson, Head of Legal & Democratic Services
Legal & Democratic Services provides a comprehensive in-house legal service which can be supplemented with external support as required. The main functions undertaken include - acquisition, disposal and leasing of property; drafting and interpretation of contracts; provision of advice and legal support relating to all of the Council’s statutory functions and in particular the Council’s role as Education, Social Work and Planning Authority. The team also represents the Council at court, employment tribunals and planning inquiries. Legal & Democratic Services also has responsibility for licensing and regulatory functions (e.g. liquor and taxi licences).
Legal & Democratic Services also provides advice on standards and governance to support the Council’s decision making and scrutiny functions. In addition, the Service manages the Electoral Registration Service and all elections, and provides support and assistance to elected members.
Business Technology Solutions (BTS)
Charlie Anderson, Head of ICT
BTS’ role is to ensure that we make the most of technology and digital opportunities. This means operating and delivering the Council’s ICT infrastructure and systems, ensuring security, compliance, availability and continuity. It also means designing, recommending and delivering new technology and digital solutions to meet the diverse needs of Council services and Fife citizens.
Assessor Service
Heather Honeyman, Assessor
The Assessor Service undertakes statutory valuations of domestic and non-domestic properties across Fife for local taxation purposes. Although reporting to the Executive Director Finance & Corporate Services, the Assessor carries out an independent, statutory function.
Back To TopHealth and Social Care
Rothesay House
Rothesay Place
Glenrothes
KY7 5PQ
Health and Social Care are responsible for arranging social care services for people and communities in Fife. Every day, we make a difference to people's lives at times of personal or family need. Over 23,000 people received a service at some time in the last year. Users of services are of all ages and from all parts of the community.
The Service seeks to provide the necessary support for people to remain in their own home and community, it protects and supports children, older people and adults and helps offenders to change their offending behaviour.
Social Work is a large and complex organisation carrying out a variety of duties and tasks. Much of the work we do is governed by legislation. Overall responsibility for all aspects of the Service lies with the Director of Health and Social Care who reports to the Chief Executives of both Fife Council and NHS Fife.
You can find out more about the range of services we offer on the Health and Social Care pages.
Find out more about the Fife Health & Social Care Partnership itself on the Fife HSCP website.
Back To TopThe Executive Directors join the Chief Executive to form the Council Executive Team (CET). Together they are responsible or translating the council’s policies and plans into action.
They lead and encourage staff to develop services and improve delivery for the people of Fife.
Meeting every week, the CET regularly develop new policy, review and challenge performance, lead on service improvements and develop partnership opportunities to help us deliver as effectively as possible.
They monitor our use of resources and make sure the council stays on track both in terms of our priorities and our spending.
In additional to their responsibilities for the services they lead, executive directors each have an overall role as champion for a key policy area, such as health or sustainability. Together, they and the Chief Executive constitute the corporate management of the council.
Fife Council Service Structure
For more information on each service, and to contact the appropriate team, please visit the relevant sections of our website.