Evelyn Akoto

Leading the council’s work across adult social care, public health and health partnership integration, overseeing major service portfolios and strategic partnerships across the borough.

Providing leadership within highly complex operational and partnership environments, working closely with NHS organisations, care providers, voluntary sector partners and residents to improve outcomes and strengthen integrated working across local systems.

Areas of responsibility include:

• Adult social care services
• Public health and health improvement
• Integration of health and social care services
• Strategic partnership working with NHS organisations
• Older people and adults with disabilities
• Commissioning of supported and extra care housing
• Drug and alcohol services
• Sexual health and HIV services
• COVID-19 response and recovery

Key achievements and experience:

• Oversight of large-scale public service and commissioning environments
• Chairing and leading multi-agency strategic partnerships
• Leading collaborative working across organisations with differing priorities and governance structures
• Supporting organisational resilience and service improvement during periods of sustained pressure
• Building strong relationships across statutory, community and voluntary sectors

Led the council’s strategic work across community safety, prevention and public health, overseeing borough-wide partnership approaches to tackling violence, inequality and neighbourhood safety.

Worked closely with police, NHS organisations, community groups and voluntary sector organisations to strengthen collaborative approaches to public safety and community wellbeing.

Areas of leadership included:

• Community safety and anti-social behaviour
• Violence against women and girls
• Youth violence and serious violence prevention
• Domestic abuse strategy
• Police and community relations
• Public health and mental health
• Drug and alcohol strategy
• Neighbourhood safety initiatives
• Knife crime, gun crime and extremism prevention

Key achievements and experience:

• Leading partnership-based approaches to complex social challenges
• Supporting safer neighbourhood and prevention strategies
• Strengthening collaboration between statutory services and communities
• Managing high-profile and politically sensitive public issues

Representing residents across a diverse borough through community leadership, advocacy and engagement.

Experience includes:

• Community engagement and neighbourhood leadership
• Public accountability and governance
• Regeneration and planning issues
• Partnership working with local stakeholders and organisations

Additional responsibilities:

• Scrutinising and monitoring how well services are delivered by the council and its partners.
• Member of the Community Safety Scrutiny committee
• Member of cooperate parenting committing
• Member of Planning committee
• Member of Licencing
• Vice-Chair of Community Council

• Monitoring, and where relevant, enforcing compliance with standards and regulations.
• Advising the chair, board and the executive on governance matters eg. conflict of interests.
• Ensuring organisations meet all legal and regulatory requirements
• Supporting the chair in developing the effectiveness of the board
• Organising and supporting board and committee meetings
• Keeping proper records of board decisions so action can be taken
• Researching new topics and emerging trends
• Recruiting and on-boarding new directors, trustees or governors

International Affairs Intern European Parliament | London and Brussels | 2000 – 2001

Supported policy and public affairs work across the UK/EU desk, including research, stakeholder engagement and briefing preparation.