A TOP Dudley Council officer is leaving her post after seven years to take up a new role at a London borough council.

Linda Sanders, Dudley’s director of adult, community and housing services, will take up the post of corporate director of adult social care, health and housing at the London borough of Hillingdon in the autumn.

Linda, who lives in Stourbridge, joined Dudley Council in 2003 as director of social services and was instrumental in the directorate achieving an excellent rating from the Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI).

In 2006 she took on responsibilities for bringing together and leading a new directorate of adult social care, housing and community services, libraries and adult learning services.

And under her leadership housing services and adult social care services scored top performance ratings.

Councillor Anne Millward, leader of Dudley Council said: “Linda should be proud of her achievements. By bringing these services together we are better placed than before at helping people to lead fulfilled lives in homes of their choice and in safe and active communities.

“Hillingdon’s gain is Dudley’s loss and we wish Linda well in her new challenge.”

Linda, who is married with three step-children, said: “I know I shall be leaving the directorate in great shape with further ambitious change planned. I would like to thank colleagues, councillors, my staff and our extensive range of partners for all of their contributions and support without which we would have not have achieved so much for the residents of Dudley.”

Dudley’s directorate of adult, community and housing services employs more than 3,300 staff and is responsible for a budget of more than £170 million.

A recruitment process will now get underway to appoint a successor for Linda, who in her spare time is a member of Stourbug (Stourbridge Bicycle User Group) and who last year through a sponsored bike ride raised £1,000 for the Kerala Partnership to help needy groups in India.